Drama, drama...why is it so much fun to write? LOL
Chapter 4
Hawke couldn't help but notice how quiet Caitlin was all during dinner. She barely looked at him and allowed Dom to do most of the talking.
"Boy, you two are sure terrible company tonight," Dom complained.
Caitlin sighed. "I'm sorry Dom," she replied. "I've been thinking a lot about that job offer. Maybe it's too good to turn down. I think I should take it."
Hawke looked at Dom and then turned to Caitlin. His sudden glare confused her. Quietly he got up and headed out the door, slamming it on his way out.
Caitlin gave Dom a confused look. "What was that all about?" she asked. "Why is he suddenly so upset?"
Dom shrugged his shoulders. "I think maybe that's something you need to ask him," he replied. "I never have been able to get into that head of his."
Caitlin took a deep breath. "Dom, maybe some things are better left unsaid," she told him. "I think I should just go home."
Dom shook his head. "Caitlin, if you leave right now, you'll regret it for the rest of your life," he assured her. "I've never seen you back down on anything before and I can't figure out why you're doing it now. Go and talk to him. Don't leave anything unsaid."
Caitlin couldn't stop her eyes from watering up. "The only thing I've ever been scared of in my life is his rejection," she finally admitted. "All these feelings I've held in all this time. What if all of it was for nothing?"
"All I can say is that you'll never know for sure if you walk away now," Dom replied.
Caitlin stood up and took a deep breath. "You're right," she admitted. "Three years waiting is long enough. I need to know."
Dom sighed as he watched Caitlin walk to the door and head outside to find Hawke. "Don't disappoint her String," he said to himself.
Caitlin looked around the front porch and didn't see Hawke so she headed down to the lake where she hoped to find him.
When she reached the lake, she saw him sitting very still near the water's edge. She could tell that he was deep in thought and wondered what he was thinking.
"Hawke?" she called out to him softly.
Hawke didn't move and at first Caitlin wasn't sure he'd heard her so she walked closer to him. "Hawke," she called out again.
"Go back to the cabin," he replied in a harsh tone. "Tell Dom to take you home."
"Why?" she asked, afraid of the answer.
"Go home Caitlin," was all he replied.
Caitlin mustered up her nerves and walked up beside him before sitting down right next to him.
"No," she replied. "I'm not running away."
Hawke turned and glared at her again. "Isn't that exactly what you're doing?" he asked. "You don't think taking that job is running away?"
"From what?" she asked sarcastically. "What the hell am I running away from Hawke? How would you even know since you don't even really know me?"
Caitlin held her breath after her comment. It was the first time since she'd gone off on him about the disaster of her first stunt that she'd spoken to him like that. She wasn't sure what the reaction would be, especially since he'd claimed not to recall the last three years.
Hawke sighed. "I don't have amnesia," he finally admitted.
"So you lied to me?" she replied in a tone Hawke had never heard her use before.
Hawke stood up and walked a few feet away before turning back and staring at her again. "You had to know that I was," he told her.
Caitlin took a deep breath. "Maybe I did," she replied. "I just don't understand why."
Hawke shrugged his shoulders. "You were the one who wanted a do over," he replied.
Caitlin stood up and started to head back toward the cabin. Hawke came up behind her and grabbed her by the arm.
"You can't run away from this now. You're the one who came down here," he told her. "I'm not blind you know. I've watched you for three years and just once I wanted you to speak up and tell me how you felt instead of pretending you were okay about whoever I dated."
Caitlin bit her bottom lip. She hated more than anything for someone to know her weaknesses, especially Hawke. She had always tried hard to be strong around him and never give in to her feelings. But he had read her like a book and this angered her for some reason.
"Why the hell did I have to be the one to speak up?" she asked. "If you really believed I felt that way then why didn't you say something about it? Or was your answer the reason you dated every woman that came along."
Hawke let go of her arm. "I had my reasons for what I did," he replied softly.
"Yeah, well so did I," she said before turning and walking back towards the cabin again.
