Christ, this woman had no idea how strong she really was.
Not wanting to put off the inevitable, he asked, “Did you ever know of any affairs Caleb was having?”
Shame and guilt bled into her eyes. “I suspected, but I never had any proof. Anytime I’d try to ask him about it, he always managed to turn the conversation around on me. After a while, I learned it was better if I just kept my mouth shut and didn’t bring it up. Plus”—she looked down at her hands, her fingers twisting in her lap—“if he was busy with someone else that meant he left me alone.”
“Ah, Charlie.” Derek covered her hands with his.
“Why?” she asked, ignoring the sympathy he was trying to give. “What did Grant find?”
He told her about the file Porter had been keeping. When he was finished sharing what he knew, Charlie’s face had lost all semblance of color.
“Oh, God.” Her hand flew to her mouth. “I think I’m going to be sick.”
She threw off the covers, ran across the hall to the bathroom, and slammed the door. Derek’s heart ached when he heard heaving sounds coming from the other side.
The toilet flushed and the faucet came on. He could hear her brushing her teeth, and before long, she was opening the door again.
Her cheeks were red and her eyes watery as she looked up at him with a heartbreaking expression.
“How did I not see this? How did I marry this man and not know what a horrible human being he was?”
“Men like Caleb are master manipulators. They show only what theywantothers to see.”
She wrapped her arms around herself, pushing her breasts together. “I feel like such a fool.”
His hands itched to reach out for her. “You can’t continue to beat yourself up over this, Charlie. You have to learn to forgive yourself and move on.”
A set of chestnut eyes pleaded with his. “Can you?”
“Can I what?”
“Forgive me?”
He did reach for her then. Pulling her against his chest, Derek tucked the top of her head beneath his chin.
“Baby, there’s nothing to forgive. You didn’t ask for any of this to happen.”
A sense of peace spread throughout his chest when she wrapped her tiny arms around his waist. “Then, why did it?”
“I have no idea. I’ve seen it a hundred times. Between the military and R.IS.C. I’ve learned that sometimes horrible things happen to good people without any explanation. No rhyme or reason to it. It just...is.”
“And those people you’ve seen?” She pulled away enough to look back up at him. “Are they able to forget about what happened to them and move on? Are they ever happy again?”
Derek nodded. “You met Olivia. She’s a perfect example. That woman went through hell and came out the other side stronger than ever before. You saw her and Jake together...did they seem happy to you?”
Charlie nodded. “Yeah. They did.”
“Right. So, the answer to your question is, yes. Most of the time, people who survive horrific events or tragedies can go on to lead perfectly normal, happy lives. What makes that possible is having a good support system to lean on. People in their lives who care about them. People who love them. But you can’t be afraid to ask for help, either. You have to let me know when you’re hurting.”
Derek caressed her cheek with the back of his knuckles. “I’m here for you, Charlie. However you need me.”
Reaching up, Charlie wrapped her delicate fingers around his wrist. Unable to help himself, Derek leaned in closer, his lips pressing against hers.
Unlike their first shared kiss, Charlie took more control with this one. Her tongue invaded and conquered with confidence. And Christ, the woman could kiss.
Derek moved his hand around to the back of her neck and pressed her up against the hallway wall. She tasted of mint and passion, her hands gripping his shoulders as though she never wanted to let him go.
Right back at ya, darlin’.
