“I…” he began, then trailed off. He stopped himself, and sighed deeply. “I am very happy to be with you.”
That was al he could say. And it sounded forced to her.
“Would you excuse me for just one moment?” he asked politely.
Caitlin nodded back, too upset to speak.
And with those few words, he turned and walked off the patio, and was soon out of sight.
Where had he gone? Why had he suddenly left?
Caitlin had no idea, but it confirmed her suspicions. He couldn’t just stand there, with her, and enjoy the view.
Something was going on inside him. Something strong enough to make him want to walk away.
Caitlin slowly felt her world shattering.
What could it possibly be?
Then it dawned on her. Sera. The last time Caitlin had seen him, he’d been married to her.
Maybe it was stil fresh in his mind. Did he stil have feelings for her? Was he thinking of her right now? Did their sleeping together last night bring back his feelings for her?
That must be it, Caitlin realized. She couldn’t imagine any other explanation. Caleb must miss her. She was on his mind. Maybe he was gearing up to tel her that he had to leave, to go find Sera.
Caitlin couldn’t read his mind, but she was a woman after al . And like any other woman, she felt her heart beginning to break into a mil ion little pieces.
*
Caleb hurried off the balcony and through the rooms of his castle, overcome by emotion.
Despite himself, he couldn’t stop thinking about his son, Jade. He couldn’t stop flashing back to the image of holding his dead body in his arms.
As he walked quickly into the other room, he burst into tears. He couldn’t let Caitlin see him like this. He’d had to get away from her quickly.
He had loved Jade so much. The boy was just like him in so many ways, and had been growing not only into a fine warrior, but into a fine young man. Caleb had never imagined not spending a life without him in it.
Now, he felt the grief of it suddenly weighing on him heavily.
Once Jade had passed, Caleb had no regrets about coming back in time. On the contrary, he was thril ed to be away from Sera, whom he was never real y close with, and thril ed to be back with Caitlin. He was thril ed to have had a chance to save her in the Colosseum, and thril ed to be at her side now. In fact, it was the only thing that was keeping him going.
He been so caught up in the whirlwind of events, in finding her and bringing her to this place, that he’d not had a moment until now to real y feel the impact of Jade’s loss.
But now it came out of nowhere, when he least expected it, and it overwhelmed him. Which was why he’d left Caitlin’s side so quickly. It was her first day here, they had just had an amazing night together, and he wanted her to be happy.
He didn’t want to drag her down into his sadness.
Caleb walked from one room to the next, then went through a hidden door, leading to a narrow twisting staircase. He took it up, turning and twisting, heading up a smal circular turret to the third and highest floor of the castle. Here, at the top, was a smal sitting room, an open-air, stone gazebo, which he used to retreat to in times of worry. He sat on the ledge of the stone, in a wel -worn groove, and looked out at the ocean.
He reflected on his life. He was happy to be here, in this time and place. He was happy beyond belief to be with Caitlin again. He was racked by grief over Jade, but the more he sat, calmly listening, the more he felt that Jade was stil with him, even now. He knew that he could not travel forward in time, and he knew he could not see him again.
He realized, with resolve, that he just had to accept how things were now, and let him go. He breathed deeply, slowly starting to feel better.
The more he thought about it, the more he realized that he wanted to have another child. This time, with Caitlin. The child that they never had. He knew that it was impossible for two vampires to have a child. But maybe, just maybe, there was some way.
Ever since he’d seen her again, he’d been trying to find a moment to tel her how much he cared for her. And to tel her that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her.
He was about to raise the topic, in Paris, by the river, but he’d gotten nervous at the last second, and hadn’t been able to summon the courage to tel her.
But now that he was here, in this place, the timing felt right to him.
He searched the wal s of the stone gazebo, looking for the secret compartment that he remembered.
He ran his fingers along the stone, and eventual y he found it. He pushed the lever, and a smal crack opened in the stone. He pul ed it with his fingertips, and a stone loosened.
Caleb reached in, and found what he was looking for. He had placed it here, hundreds of years ago. It was a smal , silver box, encrusted with jewels.
Inside it, was his mother’s wedding ring.
She had given it to him once, and had told him to only give it to the one he truly loved, the one that he was sure he would be with forever. Being of his race, “forever” took on a whole new meaning.
Caleb had never given it to Sera, despite their marriage.
Somehow, something inside him had prevented him from doing so. Somehow, even then, he knew it was not a relationship that was meant to last.
But with Caitlin, things were different. He wanted her to have this ring. He was certain that he wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. And now, he felt ready.
It was time for him to propose.
Caleb slowly opened the box, hoping the ring was stil there.
It was. It was as magnificent as he remembered: a huge, six carat sapphire, perfectly cut, mounted on a band of sparkling rubies and diamonds.
He felt overwhelmed with emotion, as he thought of his mother, of Jade, and now, of Caitlin.
Of the family they might one day, some way, have together.
Now, he only hoped that she would say Yes.
*
Caitlin walked through the entire house again, looking everywhere for Caleb. She was baffled as to where he might have gone.
Just then, she heard a creaking door, and saw him coming down from a spiral staircase. She hadn’t even known that staircase existed. She realized he had been coming from the roof, and wondered why he would go up there.
And then she realized. There was no reason why he would, unless he wanted to get as far away from her as he could.
To be alone. Her presence was bothering him, she realized. He wanted to distance himself from her, perhaps even prepare himself to tel her something she did not want to here. That he had changed his mind about their living together. Like asking her to leave.