Page 60 of Love in Bloom

Tristan stopped and took a long inhale, and then nodded without meeting her eyes.

She dropped his hand. “How could you? I don’t understand. Why would you do something like that? Mrs. Chan is right, they bought you. You’re a coward. And to think I was falling for you, ready to upend my life to be with you when I really don’t know you at all.” She choked out the last word.

“Camille,” he pleaded. “Please.”

“No. I don’t want to hear anything you have to say. We’re done.” She fled, tears threatening to cloud her vision. She escaped the grounds and took to the streets of Paris. She made sure Tristan couldn’t trail her. She stopped in every chapel she found, small or grand, humble or lavish in decor, looking for hope, for peace, but to no avail. Between her sprinted walks, she rested her weary feet and heart on wooden pews, in search of solace from her broken heart, and berated herself for her foolish lack of judgment. A clock chimed in the church. Five. Tristan. Hotel. She needed a new room.

She stepped onto the street and found a taxi. She gave the address of the hotel.

At the hotel desk, she explained to the clerk that she needed a room of her own to get away from her husband’s snoring so she could get a good night’s sleep. The arrangement was made. With her new room key in hand, she raced to the room she shared with Tristan. She felt a pang when she glanced at the bed, and then hurriedly threw all her things into her suitcase. She didn’t want to be in the room when he returned.

She fumbled the key to her new room, cursed, picked it up, and successfully opened the door. She heaved her suitcase and herself inside and shut the door, leaning against it, panting.

Every taut nerve snapped, and tears threatened. She dug through her suitcase, located her phone and charger, and plugged them both in. “Turn on, turn on,” she commanded the phone. Once signal was established, she dialed Connor. She would’ve called Clara, but she needed to talk to someone who’d been through heartbreak.

“Pick up, pick up,” she pleaded with the phone.

Connor’s face filled the screen. “How’s it going, cousin?” Connor asked in a breezy voice. His expression changed. “Uh-oh, not good from the looks of it. What’s going on? Are you hurt? Did you collapse again?”

“No, no. It’s so good to see your face.” She felt her lower lip tremble. “I’ve missed you, all of you. I want to come home.” A hint of a sob threatened on her last word.

“Spill,” Connor commanded, seated against the sofa at home.

As Camille described all that had happened to her on the tour, including the events of today, a few tears leaked down her cheeks.

Connor started. “Camille, are you crying?”

“A bit. Don’t make a fuss.”

“It’s rare to see you cry. I’ve watched you get stitched up and have broken bones set. Those were hardly a blip on your radar.” He squinted at her. “You’ve fallen in love with him.”

“Don’t be daft, of course I’ve fallen in love with him. Why else would I be so upset? I called you because I knew you’d understand what it’s like to feel betrayed by someone you love.”

Connor rubbed his chin. “I do know what that feels like, and I’m sorry you’re feeling it too.”

“Have you imagined how Tristan is feeling?” Maddie came into view. “It was the worst moment of my life when I thought I’d lost Connor forever.”

“I haven’t pretended to be someone I’m not,” Camille protested.

“Has Tristan?”

“Yes!” Why couldn’t Maddie see that Tristan was in the wrong here?

“Has he really?” Maddie pressed.

Camille paused. Tristan hadn’t lied to her about anything in his past. He’d been cautious about sharing it with her, but then his horrors were painful to remember.

“Do you know his heart, Camille?” Maddie asked tenderly. “Because that’s really all that matters.”

Camille closed her eyes, unwilling to consider Maddie’s question, afraid of the answer. “I not staying in France anymore. I’m coming home and going back to work.”

“You can’t run from the pain, Camille,” Connor said. “I know. I tried. Didn’t you learn anything from watching me throw myself into work and be miserable for the six months Maddie and I were apart? We lost time together because of a misunderstanding, because I made a judgment and didn’t give her time to explain. I’m not going to let you make the same mistake I did. You need to talk to Tristan first. Let him explain. Then if you want to come home, get on the Chunnel, and I’ll be waiting at the station.”

“We both will,” Maddie said. “We love you, Camille. Listen to him. Listen to your heart.”

Camille frowned at them. “I hate you both.”

“We love you too,” Maddie said and moved out of the frame.

“It’s because we love you that we’re giving you this advice and hopefully saving you from making a mistake. Ring me when you decide what you want to do. Love you, cousin.”

Camille sighed. “Love you too. Thanks, Connor.” She ended the call, flopped back on the bed, and stared at the ceiling, waiting for an answer to come.

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