“Are you here to badger me some more?” Sarah snapped.

   The Count rested his hands on her shoulders.

   “No, I only wanted to apologize.”

   “Thank you.”

   He stood there staring across the lake. Neither of them moved.

   “What?” She barked. “What do you want?”

   The Count was stunned at this behavior.

   “I’m just,” he sighed, “trying to understand.”

   “Don’t bother.” She started to walk away but the Count wouldn’t let her. Finally she wiggled away, taking two steps backwards away from him toward the forest.

   “Don’t walk away from this one.” The Count encouraged with a low and calm voice.

   She flung an arm out pointing at Orion. “So you’re siding with him?”

   “I would never do that.”

   She studied his face for a moment. Her heart was racing in her chest. She just stood there without saying a word. Power enough to rip Orion’s heart out surged through her veins.

   For Orion, it felt like hours had went past. When in reality, it had only been a couple minutes. He bowed out and left.

   “Sarah,” the Count’s voice brought her out of her blind rage. “What was that about?”  

   “Nothing,” She shook her head, “nothing.”

   She walked away as well. The Count quietly called to her. He knew he hadn’t said her name loud enough for her to hear him. He had a million things to tell her. He knew why she was feeling the way she felt. But he didn’t have the courage to tell her.

     Sarah went outside finding the path by the wall the Count told her about. The path led to the river. There on the sandy bank she stood watching the calmness of the water drift past; her mind a million miles away. 

   “I was afraid you wouldn’t show.”

   She didn’t acknowledge his presents. He walked over to her. She was trying so hard to conceal the tears Orion stirred in her. At this point in time she hated him. The Count wrapped his arms around her. “Please don’t cry.”

   She sobbed that much harder. He wrapped her in a warm embrace. She laid her head on his chest. 

   “Come now, dry those beautiful eyes.”

   “Beautiful indeed, you are bios.”

   “I have a right to be.”

   The smell of his cologne brought back memories of her 10th birthday party. They had so much fun. “Can we go back to when I was 10? Can I go back to being that little girl again?”

   “Oh my child, what’s wrong.” asked the Count.

  She held him as tightly as she could, “I don’t know. I can’t put into words how I’m feeling.”

   He guided her to set on the ground by the calmness of the flowing water.

   “Try my dear.” He wiped away her tears.

   “Where have you been? I haven’t seen you since the open house for my practice.” 

   “I’ve been around.” He ran his fingers through her hair. “You are as beautiful as ever my child.”

    She just smiled. “I need you around just for the ego boost.”

    They sat there in the silence of the river for a long time. The Count holding her until her encounter with Orion didn’t hurt so much. A twig snapped and drew their attention behind them. Orion was walking down the path. They both got up as he approached the spot where they had been standing. 

     Sarah stood in front of the full-length mirror in her chambers. She thought it was odd calling living quarters ‘chambers’. The space that she was staying in was bigger than her house. 

   As she looked in the mirror, she smoothed out her skirt. She had lost a couple pounds but it was nothing to get excited over. “Fatty Fatty-er-ton,” She muttered.

   “Are you always so self critical?”

   She shrieked as she jumped as Orion walked into the room.

   “Do you know how to knock?” She protested.

   “Why?” He shrugged, “I live here.” 

   “Perhaps, but I have been allowed to sleep here. If I was sitting on the commode, would you come into the bathroom?”

      “No, that’s personal.” He looked at her like she was stupid. 

   “Knock next time.”

   “You didn’t answer my question.” 

   Her first instinct was to run out of the room; as she told him to go to hell. But she didn’t. Couldn’t perhaps? She just stood there glued to the floor. 

   “You are beautiful.”

   Fire was dancing behind her eyes. “Thank you.” Rolled out of her mouth like curse words. 

   “You don’t believe me?”

   “I have heard all my life that beauty is in the eye of the beholder.”

   “Where are you going?”

   “Out,” She snapped, slipping on a little pair of blue shoes that matched her skirt perfectly.

   “I opened up to you. Allowing you to examine me was not easy.”

   She just stared at him for a moment. He was dressed completely in black. She couldn’t help but see that he looked so sad.

   “I can’t.”

   “Is fatty fatty-er- ton one of your Sarahisums?”

   “I haven’t heard anyone else use it.” She hissed like a steaming kettle. 

   “Why can’t you talk to me?” He put himself between her and the door.

   She really didn’t want to be here right now. This was not the conversation she wanted to be having either. “I’ve always been this way.”

   “You are warm and friendly to everyone except yourself?”

   “Can I go now?”

   “No.” He never raised his voice. 

   “This is very uncomfortable.”

   “Why?”

   “What’s your degree in?” She snapped.

   Orion saw the same anger she expressed on the train; that flash of light across her face. It lingered in her eyes, “Economics and Political Science.”

   “You don’t have a degree in Psychology so leave me along.”

   “I can’t leave you alone.” He wanted to touch her, hold her but dared not. “Something about you is drawing me”

   “I’m not in the mood for this now. Please let me pass.” He moved out of the way as she stormed off leaving his standing alone with his heart on his sleeve.