Chapter 21
Sheridan clasped her hands around her knees. Leaning against the pillows and squeezing her eyes shut tight. Wishing with all her might this was a dream. A horrible nightmare. And she was back in Luis's arms again. Her blue eyes opened to stare out the window once more, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Why did the stars shine so bright? Even though her heart was breaking?
A gentle knock sounded at the door, and a second later, she heard it creak as it opened. "Sheridan," Gwen ventured softly. "Sheridan.are you okay?" "I'll never be okay again," Sheridan said morosely. Gwen bit her lip nervously. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid question. I'll.I'll just go," she said. Hand on the door. "Gwen," Sheridan called. "No. Wait. Please stay."
Gwen smiled slightly and crossed the room to her. Sitting across from her. Brown eyes filled with sympathy. And curiosity. "Do you love him, Sheridan?" The tears blurred her vision as she smiled and took Gwen's hands into her own. Squeezing them. "I do," she nodded her head. "I love him, Gwen. I love him so much it hurts."
Gwen sighed. And tucked a strand of her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ear. "I don't love Ethan so much it hurts. Is that bad? Because I don't think so. Why would you want to love someone so much it causes you pain? It doesn't make sense." Sheridan chewed on her lip thoughtfully.
"Anyway," Gwen continued. "They're all down there fighting right now. Ivy's giving Mr. Crane hell," Gwen grinned. Her brown eyes sparkling with amusement. "And your brother," she shuddered. "He's hitting on anything in a skirt and drowning himself in brandy." "Sounds like Julian," Sheridan murmured.
"Ivy's really giving it to Father?" "Is she ever," Gwen laughed. "And you should have heard some of the things she said to Master Colin," Gwen rolled her eyes as the name escaped her lips. "I'm sorry," she apologized as Sheridan paled. "Creep," she muttered under her breath.
Sheridan's sad gaze wandered to the wedding gown in the corner of the room. "At least your dress is pretty," Gwen offered. "You're going to look like a Princess tomorrow, Sheridan." Princess, Sheridan thought. Remembering the last time Luis had said it. As he made love to her this morning.
Gwen's face froze in an expression of horror as Sheridan burst into tears again. "Me and my big mouth. Ugh!" she groaned. Throwing her arms up in the air. Then scooting closer to look into Sheridan's blue eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm going to leave you alone now, before I chew off my own foot. Mother'd have a fit if I got a scratch on these shoes," she grumbled. Rising to her feet. "Goodnight," she whispered. Pulling Sheridan's bedroom door closed.
Sheridan buried her face in her hands. Sobbing. She was back at square one. Alone and lonely. Wishing for the comfort of her mother's arms. Wishing she were there to hold her close and tell her everything was going to be okay. She'd smooth back her hair and brush kisses along her brow. Whispering sweet words of comfort. She wished with all her heart her mother's arms were wrapped around her. She wished.
"Shh," she felt two arms wrap around her from behind, and the scent of Ivy's perfume filled her senses. "Everything's going to be okay. I'm here. I'll think of something. I promise, Darling," Ivy vowed. Resting her chin atop Sheridan's golden head. "You're not going to marry that man tomorrow. Not if I have anything to say about it." Sheridan hugged Ivy's arms around her tighter. And cried some more. If only it weren't already too late.
Sheridan clasped her hands around her knees. Leaning against the pillows and squeezing her eyes shut tight. Wishing with all her might this was a dream. A horrible nightmare. And she was back in Luis's arms again. Her blue eyes opened to stare out the window once more, and a single tear slipped down her cheek. Why did the stars shine so bright? Even though her heart was breaking?
A gentle knock sounded at the door, and a second later, she heard it creak as it opened. "Sheridan," Gwen ventured softly. "Sheridan.are you okay?" "I'll never be okay again," Sheridan said morosely. Gwen bit her lip nervously. "I'm sorry. That was a stupid question. I'll.I'll just go," she said. Hand on the door. "Gwen," Sheridan called. "No. Wait. Please stay."
Gwen smiled slightly and crossed the room to her. Sitting across from her. Brown eyes filled with sympathy. And curiosity. "Do you love him, Sheridan?" The tears blurred her vision as she smiled and took Gwen's hands into her own. Squeezing them. "I do," she nodded her head. "I love him, Gwen. I love him so much it hurts."
Gwen sighed. And tucked a strand of her shoulder-length blond hair behind her ear. "I don't love Ethan so much it hurts. Is that bad? Because I don't think so. Why would you want to love someone so much it causes you pain? It doesn't make sense." Sheridan chewed on her lip thoughtfully.
"Anyway," Gwen continued. "They're all down there fighting right now. Ivy's giving Mr. Crane hell," Gwen grinned. Her brown eyes sparkling with amusement. "And your brother," she shuddered. "He's hitting on anything in a skirt and drowning himself in brandy." "Sounds like Julian," Sheridan murmured.
"Ivy's really giving it to Father?" "Is she ever," Gwen laughed. "And you should have heard some of the things she said to Master Colin," Gwen rolled her eyes as the name escaped her lips. "I'm sorry," she apologized as Sheridan paled. "Creep," she muttered under her breath.
Sheridan's sad gaze wandered to the wedding gown in the corner of the room. "At least your dress is pretty," Gwen offered. "You're going to look like a Princess tomorrow, Sheridan." Princess, Sheridan thought. Remembering the last time Luis had said it. As he made love to her this morning.
Gwen's face froze in an expression of horror as Sheridan burst into tears again. "Me and my big mouth. Ugh!" she groaned. Throwing her arms up in the air. Then scooting closer to look into Sheridan's blue eyes. "I'm sorry. I'm going to leave you alone now, before I chew off my own foot. Mother'd have a fit if I got a scratch on these shoes," she grumbled. Rising to her feet. "Goodnight," she whispered. Pulling Sheridan's bedroom door closed.
Sheridan buried her face in her hands. Sobbing. She was back at square one. Alone and lonely. Wishing for the comfort of her mother's arms. Wishing she were there to hold her close and tell her everything was going to be okay. She'd smooth back her hair and brush kisses along her brow. Whispering sweet words of comfort. She wished with all her heart her mother's arms were wrapped around her. She wished.
"Shh," she felt two arms wrap around her from behind, and the scent of Ivy's perfume filled her senses. "Everything's going to be okay. I'm here. I'll think of something. I promise, Darling," Ivy vowed. Resting her chin atop Sheridan's golden head. "You're not going to marry that man tomorrow. Not if I have anything to say about it." Sheridan hugged Ivy's arms around her tighter. And cried some more. If only it weren't already too late.