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His head pain sharpened. “Fine,” he said, and then, a thought occurred to him. Swearing inwardly at his lack of forethought, he grabbed out his wallet and placed a credit card on the table. “This is for you. I arranged it a week ago.”
She stared at the black card with her name in shiny silver letters. Only not her name – it read: Elizabeth Salbatore.
“How did you do that?” She asked, finally looking at him properly.
It had been easy for a man like Xavier Salbatore. He had billions of pounds invested with his bank, and used them exclusively for his European projects. A line of credit in his wife’s name with himself as guarantor had been no issue at all.
“Take the card,” he murmured, as another sharp pain pressed into his scalp. He needed to be alone – preferably horizontal and in a darkened room. “Get whatever you want.”
She looked awkward. “I don’t need that,” she said.
“You’re going to be my wife. Take it.”
She compressed her lips and did as he’d said, but the dejected slump of her shoulders made it impossible for him to feel any degree of relief.
“I’ll pick Josh up from school on my way.”
“I can do it,” Xavier offered, wondering if that was factually accurate. He felt as if an anvil was going off in his brain.
“It’s fine. Nell will come with me. She’s desperate to see Josh.”
“Did you want to do something with her tonight? Have her for dinner?”
Elizabeth looked as though he’d suggested scraping her fingernails off.
“No.” She shook her head sharply, and the sense that she wanted to keep her sister separate from this life filled him with a gnawing sense of frustration. But it was dwarfed by the keening sense of pain that was soaring through his body. He needed her to go before he vomited or passed out.
“Fine. As you wish. I’ll see you this evening then.”
It was a curt dismissal and they both knew it. But as Elizabeth left the sanctuary of his office, he realized she had no idea why he’d been so eager to send her away. The second the door shut he let out a low groan of pain and tossed his head back, squeezing his eyes closed and waiting for the sharp, horrifying pain to recede.
Bella’s wedding dress had been white. Beaded. The straps had been off-the-shoulder, showing a beautiful porcelain décolletage and the generous swell of her cleavage. She’d worn a full skirt and there must have been heels beneath it because Arabella was short but on their wedding day she’d stood almost to his shoulder.
“I went looking for a wedding dress today. I tried on at least a dozen. And then it hit me: I’m never going to find the right dress, am I?”
His headache worsened. He gripped the edges of his chair, waves of nausea rocking him, then he dropped his head between his legs, concentrating on his breathing, waiting for the agony to recede. He was vaguely aware of the door pushing open, the sound was intensified in his agonizing pain.
“Xavier, I forgot to ask if I need a pincode…” And then, the sound of footsteps crossing the carpet, faster. “Xavier? What is it?” She crouched beside him and the pain was worse.
“Silence,” he said thickly, the word hurting to issue. “Please.”
“What’s the matter?” She asked, ignoring him.
“I’ve known you a long time, but is this really what you want?”
Pain lanced his temples.
“Please go.” The words were thick with desperation.
“Xavier? I’m worried.”
“Get out!” He bit the words out with as much force as he could muster and a wave of nausea threatened to tip him over the edge to actual sickness. He gripped the armrests tighter, his eyes pinched shut.
She didn’t go though. He was conscious of her as he waited for the sharp pain to recede, and when finally it lessened and he could breathe again, when the piercing and unbearable pain had left only a dull, throbbing ache in its wake, he straightened, and fixed her with a level gaze. “It’s a remnant of the accident.”
He didn’t add that it was always at its worst when old memories were trying to burst to the surface, when his mind was exhausted by attempting to salvage facts he had once known. “It comes on suddenly but passes quickly.”
And he could see by the look in Elizabeth’s face that he was looking better. Relief was obvious.
