Word of Honor, Book 2 by Tiana Laveen

I haven’t seen the bathroom, but I’m sure it’s fine, too.”
    “I believe it’s right over here.” He stepped back, allowing her room to maneuver around him. He then walked ahead and opened a nearby door down the short hall. “Yes, here it is.”
    She made her way past the man and looked inside. Rather tiny, it was nevertheless clean. An unopened, Irish Spring bar of soap sat on the sink and the other on the bathtub, along with three rolls of toilet paper placed on a short, metal pole, awaiting use. More products included a Suave Refreshing Waterfall Mist shampoo bottle and matching conditioner, along with four white folded towels, washcloths, and two hand towels. She opened the toilet and took note of the shimmery, deep blue water…
    The housekeeping definitely wasn’t lacking…
    How odd that the place was so clean, yet could still make one feel so dirty… This was an area used to see a loved one that was missed, a place to reconnect and be one with them after months, perhaps years of absence. Yet, in this case, it was about to be used as a meeting room for one of the most uncomfortable conversations she was certain to have—a place to unleash their secrets, to possibly fall apart. She was there to speak with a lover she’d never seen, touched, felt…
    But no, that was actually completely untrue.
    She’d seen Aaron… She’d seen all of him, and loved him anyhow.
    She’d touched Aaron… and he touched her back…
    She’d felt that touch via his letters and his smooth, silky words through the phone… he’d already made love to her, and she’d already made love to him. They were connected in a way most could never understand. Articulating it was damn near impossible but one word did come to mind, time and again, and that word was…
    REAL.
    Their love was real, authentic, un-beautiful, yet perfect.
    And now, she was a real sitting duck…
    He’d become a stranger, a man who wanted nothing to do with her and had warned her more than once to keep away. Yet, she simply could not. She turned towards Dr. Owens, who stood out in the hallway, the distinguished fellow with the glasses and serious expression, and said what was on her mind.
    “Dr. Owens, I don’t expect Aaron to suddenly want me, to be alright with all of this. He isn’t interested in black women, I know that. Even if he resolved himself to no longer being racist, and I trust he was almost there, him having an attraction towards a woman like me is near impossible considering everything. I’m not here for that; I’m being realistic.”
    Dr. Owens gave a nod of understanding.
    “I’m here to ask him for forgiveness for lying to him, for not being upfront. I know I may not get that; matter of fact, I’m sure I won’t but hopefully, in time, it will help him along his way. With any luck, this experience will open his eyes… I just pray I haven’t messed everything up, that it’s not too late.” She hung her head, hating how everything had ended and came to be.
    “Aaron can’t suddenly want you, Mia.”
    “I know that.” She slowly lifted her head, a bit miffed that he’d once again stated the obvious truth, echoing her words.
    Didn’t it hurt enough when I said it?
    “No, you don’t understand me.” The man offered a gentle smile as he placed a hand on her shoulder. “You can’t suddenly want something that we’ve already established is desired.”
    She simply looked into the doctor’s eyes and then, her face broke out into a smile.
    “Mia, he fell in love with the person that you are , not what you look like. Don’t you see? I have no idea what will happen between the two of you. What I do know is that he is quite angry but equally perplexed. He wants answers. At this juncture, this is a private moment and a private matter. I just want you to be honest with one another; that’s crucial. No more secrets. There is no need for a performance, either. I simply told you some things you needed to know about him from a mental