The Commitment (Unrestrained 2)

I didn't know what to say. "Hard for all of you."

He sighed and said nothing. I stood behind him, not really knowing what to do or say. Finally, he turned back to me, his eyes haunted

"Kate, she'd like to think I forced her to have sex, absolve her of responsibility for fucking me even after our marriage had failed, but I didn't. I remember the last time we had sex vividly. She had sex with me, willingly. She was maybe a bit reluctant at first, claiming she wasn't feeling very romantic, so I," he said, shrugging. "I seduced her. I didn't force her. I want you to know that. We hadn't been having sex very much. I'd been away a lot. I would never force her."

"Of course you didn't, Drake. I know. You wouldn't force her or anyone."

He exhaled and looked in my eyes, as if searching to see if I was being truthful.

"Listen, let's forget about this," I said. "You have such good news to be happy about. Can I get you a cup of coffee?" I hoped to end this difficult discussion. "Something to eat?"

"Sure," he said and sighed, brushing his fingers against my cheek. "Thanks. I've got to call Michael, explain things. It's early evening in Africa, so I'll call him at home. He'll understand. He said that if the match was good enough, and I stayed to donate, he could find someone to take over my cases."

"Are we still going to go to Kenya?"

"Not for a while. I'm sorry, it's not only the transplant, but Liam…" he said, taking in a deep breath. "While I'm a perfect match, there are still risks. I want to stay around for a few weeks, see how he handles the transplant. They'll put him on anti-rejection drugs but still, there's always a chance he could reject the transplant – or it could reject him. Maybe not until March, right before class starts depending on how Liam does."

I leaned in closer and gave him a hug, and then he bent down and kissed me, his kiss warm. He buried his face once more in my neck and rocked me for a moment and then pulled away.

"I better get dressed. I have a meeting with the oncologist and later, one with a colleague about a paper we were collaborating on. We'll have to rebook our flights for next month at the earliest, depending on how long I take to recover and how Liam does."

I forced a smile. He went to the bedroom while I went to the kitchen to fix us breakfast.

We'd be going to Kenya, but not as soon as I anticipated.

Drake dressed and after eating a small breakfast of toast and fruit, he kissed me after he buttoned up his coat.

"How long will you be?"

Drake sighed. "I should be pretty busy all morning. What are your plans for the day?"

"I think I'm going to make a canvas for a painting I'm planning. If we're going to stay for a while until you give the donation and see how it takes, I think I'd like to work on a new piece."

"Oh? You're painting again?"

"Yes, and the painting's going to be pretty big, so I'm going to a friend's studio to start work on it."

"What painting?"

"It's a secret," I said, smiling coyly.

"I don't like secrets, Ms. Bennet. I hope you know I'll do everything in my power to find out what it is."

"It's a gift," I said and pouted. "I don't want you to know until it's done."

"Whose studio is it?" he said, his voice light.

"This young artist from Texas, who's here taking his Masters of Fine Art at Columbia. He comes from a very rich family in the oil business and so he has this great studio. I can make the canvas there using his materials, and then work on it, too, if I need space."

"You two close?"

I glanced at Drake. Nathaniel was a few years younger than me and not my type at all.

"He's a good friend from college, but he's a real artist," I said. "Unlike me, who's just a weekend variety."

"Don't put yourself down like that," Drake said, frowning. "You're talented. You've just chosen a different path. Which you could always change, if that made you happier."

I sighed. "I might deviate from that path for a while, now that I'm on leave from grad school. I want to get back into art, since I have the time."