“What exactly are you implying?” he asked.
“Did Kate invite you to her home, or did you invite yourself? Did she say she loved you, or did you believe it was so?”
Cindy felt Clay freeze as she questioned him. He grabbed the computer from her then and quickly scrolled further down through another string of emails between them and then another. Finally he found what he was looking for.
“Read this,” he said, jutting the computer into Cindy’s hands.
I can’t wait to see you, I really can’t. I love you too, Clay, more than anyone. Even more than my Uncle Carl, who never really understood me. Not like you do. I’ve been so alone all my life, until I met you. Kate
This time Cindy checked to see when the email had been written. It was just before they were headed down to Aruba.
“She wrote this after the two of you had met up in Long Island,” Cindy remarked.
“Now you’re getting the point. We’d had a few dates in person by then,” Clay filled her in. “We were coming down here for the big week-end. See, Kate did actually say she loved me. Not only that, other women also care about me. They realize what I’m worth. Look at these emails I got from Riva the past few days.”
Clay, I’m so, so sorry you’re going through this. It’s awful. Riva.
Thanks, said Clay, that’s nice of you.
I know what it’s like to lose someone you care for, Riva’s next email said. If there’s anything I can do to help, let me know.
That’s kind of you, Riva, said Clay.
You’re worth it, Clay, Riva answered. You don’t deserve something like this.
“See, Clay went on more strongly, “even Riva knows I’m worth it. And it’s nothing compared to how Kate felt. She absolutely loved me.”
Cindy breathed a long sigh. Love meant so many different things to so many people. What had Kate really meant by it? Was she grateful she’d had someone to help her get through the breakup with Sean? Obviously, Clay was totally smitten, even before they met.
“The minute you saw Kate you had such strong feelings,” Cindy decided to probe.
Clay turned to her coldly again, “Is there something wrong with that?” he asked tersely.
“Of course there isn’t,” said Cindy.
“You’ve never heard of love at first sight?” Clay was on the defensive.
“Of course I have,” said Cindy.
“But you’ve never experienced it yourself. That’s as clear as day, isn’t it? People who don’t know what love is are always suspicious of those who do. They think we’re idiots and pushovers, that it’s easy for people to play us.”
“I’ve never thought anything like that about you,” said Cindy.
“Yes, you have. You think it now. I see it in your eyes,” Clay insisted.
“No, you don’t,” said Cindy. “You see sorrow in my eyes, sorrow for both you and Kate.”
That quieted Clay for a moment, but then he just grabbed the computer away from her again.
“Kate said she loved me in that email and she said it in so many other ways, ways you’d never even begin to understand.”
A chill pass through Cindy. Maybe he was right, maybe she didn’t understand the language of love.
“I’d like to understand,” said Cindy, wanting to hear more.
“But you never will,” Clay suddenly turned snapped the computer shut. “You’re not real, you’re not honest. You’re not any different from the rest of them.”
Cindy was stunned by the sudden change in his mood and tone. “Wait a minute, Clay,” she tried to reach out to him.
But then, with the computer under his arm, he quickly got up and rushed away.
CHAPTER 15
“Guess what we’re doing first thing tomorrow morning?” Mattheus announced, as soon as Cindy returned the room.
“What?” she was startled to see him suddenly so cheerful again.
“We’re off to The Spot,” he grinned.
Cindy was baffled. “What spot?”
The Spot is one of the windiest places on the planet,” Mattheus continued, “the fantastic winds and shallow water makes it a great place to learn Kite boarding. I have always wanted to Kite board. How about you?”
“Hang onto a kite and fly above the water?” asked Cindy nervously. She’d heard of it vaguely, but had never been interested.
Mattheus laughed. “Why not? We’ll have fun together and decompress. There’s nothing wrong with it. It’s the perfect place to cheer us up and take our minds of everything for a while. I’ve scheduled a beginning Kite boarding lesson at the Spot for us, he said, suddenly scooping her up in his arms.
This was definitely the last thing Cindy expected. Obviously Mattheus was determined to get their relationship back on track. He was determined to hold onto his conclusion that the pressure on the case was off, that Sean was their man. This was now the time to focus on them.
“We’ll make it an early night and get there first thing in the morning, forget about our cares,” Mattheus went on.