Mythe: A Fairy Tale (34 page)

“Josh, open up. It’s me.”

“Richard, put me down,” Manda whispered urgently. It suddenly occurred to her how pathetic she would look being carried in like an invalid and she struggled against Richards arms.

“Be still,” he admonished, not loosening his grip on her in the slightest. “You’re hurt and there’s no need trying to pretend you’re not. No one expects you to be invincible you know... except you.”

Manda glared at him in frustration and he chuckled.

“Sorry, sweetie, but you just don’t look very fierce right now. You look like the only survivor of a train wreck.”

Manda hadn’t realized how bad she looked. She frowned, her eyes dropping to her hands. Seeing her wounded expression, Richard sighed softly.

“You are still the most beautiful woman in the world, sweetie, but you can’t try to play this off as nothing. You’ve been hurt pretty thoroughly and no one thinks any less of you for it. It could have happened to anyone.”

As Richard spoke, Josh opened the door and held it wide for them.

”Manda! Are you okay? You look awful!” he exclaimed, contradicting his brother. Manda would have been annoyed, but the honest concern on his face made it impossible.

“I’m fine,” she mumbled, embarrassed.

Richard carried her into the sitting room, where David and Stacey were waiting.

“Manni, what have you done to yourself?” David teased, but his face was anxious. “Trying to get an extended vacation the hard way?”

Manda blushed scarlet. “I’m fine, really.”

“No, she’s not,” Richard corrected, “but she will be with some rest. You guys have five minutes before I kick you out of here, so you’d better make it quick.” He sat her down gently on the sofa and propped her right ankle up on a pillow before helping her remove her new coat. He tossed it over the back of the sofa and then removed his own and laid it on top of hers.

Stacey perched on the corner of the coffee table near Manda’s feet. “Josh said you fell,” she explained, “but he didn’t tell us how badly you were hurt. Oh, Manda, I’m so sorry! Not a very fun vacation for you, is it?”

“I have had better,” Manda agreed wryly.

“How badly
are
you hurt?” David asked solicitously, and Richard answered for her, quickly running down the list of her injuries as he arranged one of the ice packs the hospital had provided on her ankle.

“And now she needs to get some rest. It’s been a rough day and she’s in some pain. We’ll see you guys tomorrow though, right?” Richard was firm but friendly.

“Naturally,” David agreed. “We can have a late lunch together, so Manda can sleep in. Night, M.” He patted her shoulder as he and Stacey walked by on their way out. “See you, Richard, Josh.”

“Night, guys,” Josh called after them.

As soon as Manda was sure they were gone she folded her arms across her chest, wincing at the pressure on her stitches, and fixed Richard with an expectant stare.

“Well, I’m waiting.”

“Are you sure you wouldn’t like get some rest first?” Richard evaded. “You’ll feel better after some sleep.”

“Quit stalling!” Manda warned, scowling. “I’m going to need therapy soon if I don’t start getting some answers.”

“You might need therapy after the answers,” Richard commented under his breath. Manda wasn’t sure if she was meant to hear that.

“You knew it was inevitable, Richie,” Josh encouraged. “You’d have to tell her sometime. Now it’ll be out of the way.”

Richard paced across the room and back, clearly unsettled.

“I’m not sure how to begin,” he admitted.

“Don’t look at me,” Josh declared. “I’ve never told anyone before.”

“Neither have I,” Richard countered.

“Well, let me start then,” Manda interjected. “What happened to you? Where did you go? You just disappeared.”

“Well, that cuts right to the heart of it, doesn’t it,” Josh commented dryly.

Richard sat down on the edge of the sofa by Manda’s hip and gathered her hands in his.

“First of all, you have to know that I would never, ever leave you when you were in danger. I know how it looked, but I swear to you I would never do that.” His voice was so earnest and pleading that Manda’s chest tightened and she rushed to reassure him.

“I know that. I never doubted that for a minute. I was afraid you’d been hurt.”

Richard’s relief was tangible. He lifted her hands to his lips and kissed her palms. “Thank you for that, my Manda. You have more faith in me than I deserve.” His voice was unsteady and he took a minute to collect himself before he continued, choosing his words deliberately. “As I told you before, I was trying to take care of you, and the best way I could do that was to kill the lion that attacked you. As you said earlier, it couldn’t be left to attack someone else. It was half-starved and dangerous. So that’s what I was doing. That’s where I went. I drove away the lion and killed it.”

Manda stared at him blankly. He returned her gaze steadily, trying to convey something to her with his eyes, but she didn’t know what.

“But the other lion drove him away,” she said slowly, trying to understand what he was telling her but failing. “And then the dog…”

Richard’s reply was very gentle and cautious. “Manda, sweetie, the other lion was me.”

“Yeah, right…” Manda began, but his earnest expression stopped her and her head began to spin. The things she’d seen began to click into place, like puzzle pieces, but the resulting picture was too surreal.

“And the dog?” she whispered hoarsely, her eyes locked onto Richards.

“That was me, too,” he admitted reluctantly, and suddenly Manda was looking at two Richards spinning in front of her. She heard Josh’s voice coming from very far away.

“She’s going to faint.”

And then the darkness closed in around her. 

Chapter 25

I
knew I shouldn’t have told her right now. She’s hurt and exhausted, and she just wasn’t ready.”

“Not telling her would have been worse.”

The voices drifted through blackness to Manda. She floated weightless, safe in the darkness and not ready to face the light yet.

“She’s not coming around. What if she’s hurt more seriously than they thought? I’m calling an ambulance.”

“Calm down, Richie. Give her a few more minutes. If she doesn’t come around soon I’ll call. She hasn’t been out that long and it was a big shock.”

Manda realized they were talking about her and she pushed the blackness away, focusing on Richard.

Relief flooded across his troubled face when she opened her eyes.

“I told you she’d come around soon,” Josh said, but she detected relief in his voice as well.

“Manda,” Richard sighed. “Are you okay?”

“I’m all right,” she assured him and struggled to sit up. He held her down effortlessly by her shoulders.

“Oh, no you don’t. You just stay there for a bit. You’re still pale as a sheet and as cold as ice.”

Manda was lying on the bed in one of the suite’s two bedrooms with several blankets covering her. Richard was sitting on the comforter beside her, while Josh stood behind him, watching her over his brother’s shoulder.

“I’m sorry,” she mumbled miserably, mortification reddening her cheeks. “I don’t mean to cause so much drama. It just all sort of hit me at once.”

Richard shook his head in disbelief.

“She does apologize for the most ridiculous things, doesn’t she?” Josh asked in wonder.

“Yes, she does,” Richard confirmed, scowling at Manda meaningfully.

“Okay, okay. I’m
not
sorry. Now can I please get up?” Manda complained.

Richard frowned. “That depends. How are you feeling?”

“I’m okay. I’m starving, actually,” Manda decided after a moment. “Can we have some dinner?”

Richard looked stunned for a fraction of a second and then turned his head away and swore violently. Manda, who had never once heard him use profanity in front of her, sat up and stared at him in alarm. She was just about to ask him what was wrong when Josh’s mocking laughter preempted the question.

“Are you telling me that my infallible big brother forgot to
feed
you? Way to go, Richie! No wonder she fainted. Her blood sugar dropped through the floor!”

Manda’s temper flared. Richard would take Josh’s words to heart but it really wasn’t his fault at all. Food had been the farthest thing from her mind.

“Stop it, Josh!” she snapped angrily. “It’s not his fault. We never had a chance to eat. He was a little too busy saving my life to stop and pick up a cheeseburger and fries!” Sarcasm dripped from her voice and she glared at her stunned friend. He stared back at her open-mouthed. When she looked back to Richard, he also looked astonished by her outburst. Manda’s temper cooled as quickly as it had ignited.

“I think your little champion is feeling better,” Josh remarked, “but you’d better feed her before she gets any crankier!”

“I’m sorry!” Manda groaned with her face in her hands. Josh was right. Some food would probably improve her disposition.

“She’s doing it again,” Joshua said, amused. Manda looked up at him.

“I’m doing what, exactly?” An edge of annoyance crept back into her voice.

“You’re apologizing for something ridiculous,” Richard told her with a chuckle. He seemed to be enjoying her little tantrum. “Josh had it coming.” He threw one of the pillows at his brother. “But I’m the one who should be apologizing. I should have made sure you had something to eat a long time ago. I’ve done a terrible job of taking care of you today! I’m just lucky it didn’t turn out any worse than it did.” Richard’s expression had grown grim as he spoke,
and he shook his head as if to dispel dark thoughts. “Of course you must be hungry. I’ll order us something. What do you want? Something filling I think.”

“I was thinking of comfort food—maybe a grilled cheese sandwich.” The thought of it made Manda’s stomach growl.

“I think I can manage that. You rest here while I go and order for us.” Richard kissed her forehead and stood to leave.

“Wait!” Manda stopped him. “Maybe I can have a shower and get cleaned up while we’re waiting for the food?” She was filthy and bedraggled and the thought of a hot shower and clean hair was irresistible. She was afraid that Richard might not be a big fan of the idea though, especially after her little fainting episode.
Why did you have to go and do that?
she chastised herself.
He was worried enough about you without that!

“I’ll go order dinner,” Josh excused himself, leaving Richard and Manda alone in the bedroom. Richard looked down at her thoughtfully. He considered for a moment before he answered. “A bath would make you feel a lot better, wouldn’t it? I’ll make you a deal,” he finally said. “You can take a bath in my bathroom, but you have to leave the door cracked so that I can hear you—so I’ll know you’re okay.”

Manda suspected that his willingness to go along with her suggestion was just a way for him to postpone any further explanations for as long as possible. She didn’t mind much. She thought maybe she should eat first anyway.

“So I have to talk to you the whole time?” she laughed.

“Or hum or sing or whistle or whatever, as long as I can hear you and know you haven’t drowned or anything. And you can’t get the bandage on your arm wet.”

“Oh, yeah. I forgot about that,” Manda sighed, disappointed. “I don’t think I can wash my hair with only one hand. Not when it’s such a mess.”

“I’ll do it for you,” Richard offered. Manda blushed and he laughed. “On my honor, I’ll be a good boy. I can use the hand shower in the bathtub. All innocent and above board. Will you be able to get in and out of the bathtub with your ankle though?” He was suddenly concerned again.

“I’ll be fine as long as everything is within reach I think. And,” Manda’s blush deepened, “I would be very grateful if you would help with my hair. It’s really disgusting.” She fingered a blood-caked strand and wrinkled her nose in distaste.

“Then let’s do that first, and then I’ll run you a bath and leave you to your own devices. Hold on a sec while I send Josh over to get your clothes. Do you have your keycard?”

“It was in the pocket of my coat!” Manda groaned in sudden realization. “We didn’t bring that one back. My wallet was in it!”

“No worries, sweetie. I have everything from your coat pockets. They gave it all to me at the hospital. Where is it, in your wallet?” Manda nodded, relieved. “Okay, I’ll grab your wallet for you. Be right back.”

“Just grab the card out. It’s in the side pocket,” Manda called after him as he walked out the door.

Manda flopped back against the pillow when he was gone, and immediately regretted it as the pain in her head flared. A nurse had given her some painkillers at the hospital, but the sudden jolt was still unwise. She took a deep breath and concentrated on relaxing. She knew that the explanations were not over—there were still too many things she didn’t understand—but she was grateful for the chance to retreat and regroup. It was all very overwhelming and she decided not to think of it again until after she’d eaten.