"Austin. I said for you not to worry about me right now. You told me to be independent so let me."
He nodded.
"You've got my pager number if you need me." he said shoving his feet into his shoes. "I'll call you as soon as I can."
He gave me a quick kiss and then hurried out. The pounding of his footsteps down the hallway was almost as heavy as the pounding of my heart.
As soon as I was up and dressed. I called my aunt. I was so angry, my hand trembled holding the receiver. Her secretary said she was away at a meeting in Richmond. She asked if there was any message for her should she call in.
"Tell her that any agreements between us, any compromises, are null and void and that she shouldn't bother bringing any paperwork of any kind to this house. Tell her not to call me about it either," I dictated. I could practically see her secretary writing furiously.
"Oh. Yes," she muttered.
"Tell her if she wants to talk to me she should call my attorney first," I said in a sweet voice, but a voice that also dripped with acid. I hung up.
"If she wants a war," I said to the phone, "I'll give her a war."
.
I didn't hear from Austin until midafternoon. From the tone of his voice. I knew immediately that things were even worse than we had thought.
"Your aunt isn't just threatening to start a complaint process with the state, she's threatening to release all the bad publicity and drive my uncle to ruin if I don't stay away from you. I've explained to him, that I really and truly love you. Rain, but for the moment, until this all calms down, it won't matter. I thought if I just resigned from his company, he'd be fine, but if I did I doubt that I'd ever work as a therapist again."
"Stop talking foolishly. Austin. You know how terrible that would make me feel,"
"I know," he said, his voice so low and full of defeat it brought tears to my eyes. "I hate the thought of you being there all alone while all this is going on. This had to happen just after Mrs. Bogart's leaving."
"You don't believe for one moment that it's just a coincidence, do you?" I asked.
"What a cruel woman your aunt is."
"She'll be sorry," I said.
"I promised my uncle I'd stay away from you. but I'll be there after dark. It's just disgusting that I've got to sneak around."
"Maybe you shouldn't come back, even after dark. Austin. At least, not until things calm down."
"I wouldn't sleep a wink knowing you're all alone in that house at night. Rain. It'll be all right. She can't be having the place watched, can she?"
"She's capable of doing just that," I had to admit. He was quiet.
"I'll be all right tonight," I assured him. "Just call me later," I said.
"We'll see,"
"Austin. if I become the cause of just one more person's unhappiness..."
"All right," he said. I could tell he was frightened, not only for us, but for his uncle. "I'll phone you tonight. Tomorrow, we'll think of something," he said. "Maybe, we'll get you out of there," he added, his voice recuperating from its dark and defeated tone.
"Yes, maybe that would be something to do," I said.
"I love you. Rain. I really do. I wouldn't say it if I didn't mean it with all my heart."
"And I love you. It's because I believe you that I can say it. Austin."
"I'll call you in a few hours. Take care."
"You take care." I held the receiver for a long moment after he had hung up.