by Delisa Lynn
“Liam, it’s Nikki. I talked to Evan and he hasn’t heard from Lila. I tried calling her and she didn’t answer my call either.”
“Thank you. I’m going to find her and make this right. I can’t stand the thought of losing her,” I say, almost in tears.
“I know she will be back. She probably just needs time. Let me know when you find her. I’ll keep calling her.”
“Thank you.”
I sigh. My phone starts ringing as soon as I hit end. I answer right away. “Hey Momma, what’s up?”
“Baby, Lila came and got the girls. She said don’t worry about them, they’ll be fine. I couldn’t tell her no; they are her kids too. She also took AJ.”
“Mom, where did she say she was going?”
“She didn’t, baby. She just said not to worry.”
“Thanks, Mom. I love you.”
“Love you too. Be careful.”
***
Lila
I can’t believe I’m doing this. My conscious is tugging at my heart strings. After Liam spoke to me the way he did, there was no way I was going to sit around and pretend to be okay with it. I tried to get a tattoo to relieve some stress, but I forgot it could harm the baby. Now that I think about it, that may have been the shop that Ashton works in. They will never think to go there; I hope not, anyway.
Everyone I know has called me numerous times. I almost talked to Nikki, but I know she will ask questions that I won’t be able to answer. She doesn’t even know I’m pregnant.
I go to a nearby park. Good thing I have my Kindle so I can catch up on my reading. I’m a sucker for a hot romance novel or a good erotica. Who doesn’t love a hot, alpha male character?
As I sit here, reading, a little lady approaches me and sits next to me.
“Hi, honey. How are you?” she asks as she places her bag under the seat.
“Hi, ma’am. I’m good, how are you? My name is Lila.” I shove my Kindle in my bag.
“Nice to meet you, Lila. I’m Miss Ambers,” she says.
As I place my hand on my stomach, she looks down at my bump and back up to my eyes.
“How far along are you, dear?”
“Six months. We are having a boy. I think he will be a big baby.” I rub the roundness of my stomach.
“I’d say so, honey. As small as you are, he probably will be at least nine pounds. Do you have any other children?”
“Yes, twin girls. They just turned four. They are a handful, but they are my world,” I say, tears in my eyes.
“Whatever your reason is for being here alone, I hope you are making the right decision. It’s awful for a young mother like you to be all alone. Is your husband with your girls?” she asks.
I have no idea how she knows I’m married. Oh wait, I’m still wearing my ring.
“Everything will be fine. It’s just a little misunderstanding. My husband and I got into our first argument in five years.” I sigh.
“Whatever it is can be worked out. Take it from an old hoot like myself. I was married for sixty-five years. My late husband and I rarely exchanged harsh words. He loved me more than the stars in the sky. Now, I don’t know you, but I know the man that gave you that ring and those beautiful girls loves you with everything he is. Don’t let this ruin it. Go back to your husband soon, pumpkin.”
Pumpkin is what my daddy always called me and that’s what I call my girls.
“Thank you, ma’am. I think I’m going to go. I feel really tired.”
I sit there for a few more minutes, letting her words sink in, and think about my family. I hope I didn’t do the wrong thing by leaving. I know they are all worried about me. She’s right, I need to go back home soon. I just need to let Liam cool off first. The stuff he said to me was harsh. I know I deserved it, but it still hurts. As I finally stand to leave, the water works begin.
I drive home to get my babies, but they aren’t home. I figured they would be at my mother-in-law’s house. After packing a quick bag for them, I drive there and pick them up. AJ was there, so I take him too. Hell, I’m more of a mom to him than his is own.
Sofia is worried about what I’m doing and where I’m going, but I don’t tell her. I think I’m going to take them to Disney Land. It’s six hours away, so I call Kaylin and ask her to go with us and not to tell anyone where we’re going. She agrees.
The kids don’t know what’s going on; they just know they’re going to an amusement park. I’d stopped off at the ATM and withdrew as much money as it allowed in a day’s time. I decided to use my credit cards, although we have more than enough money in our accounts. I know that Liam can see all my transactions if I use my bank card.
We drive for about three hours and stop and get lunch. I’m tired already, but the look on all three of the kids’ faces make me smile. I just wish things were different with Liam and me. Hell, he might not even want me back.
I haven’t told Kaylin about the baby possibly being Evan’s. That’s why I like her; she never questions anything, and she is very trustworthy. I’m really happy that Eric found her. She makes him very happy as he does her.
“Mommy, are we there yet? I’m thirsty and Addie drank my juice,” Maddie whines.
“Almost, pumpkin. Here is some water. Drink this.” I hand Maddie a bottle of water.
“I have to potty, Mommy. I drank all of Maddie’s juice,” Addison cries.
“Okay, pumpkins, we will be there soon. Can you wait ’til we get there?” I ask. Potty training them was pretty easy, but when they have to go, they have to go.
“Aunt Lila, I have to go too,” AJ says.
“Okay, we will stop.”
I head off of the next route. I pull into a McDonalds and Kaylin helps me lug all the kids in. As we approach the women’s bathroom, AJ stops and tugs at my hand.
“I can’t go into the girl’s bathroom,” he says in a huff.
“Oh, sweetie, I’m sorry. I’ll take you into the boys. Okay?’
“Thank you.” He smiles and walks to the other door. I stand outside and hear the toilet flush.
“I can’t reach the sink,” he says.
“I’ll help.” I push the door open the rest of the way. I lift him up to where he can wash his hands. “Is that better?” I ask, ruffling his hair.
“Yes, you are the best, Aunt Lila. My mommy never helps with stuff like you do. She never takes me places like my daddy and you and Uncle Liam do. I love you.”
My heart swells. I hug him. “We love you too, little guy.”
When we make it to the park, I have to sit down on a bench. Kaylin’s riding the rides with the kids. I look down at my phone and see two hundred and seventy-five missed calls. I turn it off and throw it in my purse. I’m so tired. I can’t wait to go to the hotel and take a long bath and a nap. I let the kids enjoy themselves for another hour before we make our way to Disney Grand.
***
Liam
It’s been ten hours since I’ve heard from Lila. My cousins are working on finding her. Ashton and I have been all over California. Kade should be here within the next hour, and with the three of us, we should be able to find her. She normally doesn’t carry much cash on her, but she stopped by the bank this morning and withdrew a grand from the ATM.
So many thoughts are running through my head. What if she was kidnapped? This is all on me. I forced her to leave. I was a complete asshole. This is killing me. Regardless of what she’s done in the past, there is no fucking way I can live without her. She is my life and my reason for breathing.
We’ve been to all of her favorite spots and to the nicer hotels in the area. Lila isn’t too keen on cheap hotels and, with her withdrawing that much cash, she is probably at a fancy hotel somewhere. That’s what I keep trying to tell myself, anyway. Her mother and my mom are worried sick about her, the girls, and AJ.
Christa hasn’t returned Ashton’s calls. Hell, she could probably care less that Li took AJ.
I don’t see how the hell he deals with her on a regular basi
s. She is fucking crazy. I contact Megan Snow, Li’s friend at work. She’s the lady Lila shops with and has lunch with a lot. Megan hasn’t heard from her either. She offered to help. Maybe she will have better luck than we have had.
“Liam, Kade said to meet him at the Venue.”
“Fuck…Why in the hell was I such an ass to her? This is all my goddamn fault, Ashton. I’ve pushed her so hard lately. Now this; what if she is hurt? Or one of the kids is hurt? Hell, she has your kid, too.”
“First off, brother, you have every right to be pissed off at her. She has cheated on you more than one fucking time. You’re human, you are going to react. But calm down. You don’t know that. She’s probably fine. She is a strong woman, and I guarantee she isn’t in any danger. She would never put any of the children in danger.”
All I can think about is the look on her face this morning. I’ve never talked to her like that, and for me to speak to her the way I did…I need my ass kicked. Hell, if she did run to Evan, I wouldn’t blame her. He wouldn’t talk to her the way I did.
“Look, you need to relax. We will find them. I promise you that. Now let’s go inside and see if Kade has figured anything out,” Ashton says as he parks the car.
“All right, I’m calm. Now quit trying to be my damn boss and find my damn wife and our kids.”
I know he means well, but I feel like he is bossing me around. Hell, maybe I need it. There’s no greater fear than fearing you’ve lost the woman you love. My heart rate increases just at the thought of losing Lila.
Once we round the corner, I see Kade talking to a security guard. I haven’t seen him in years. He looks great. He is a lot more built than the last time I seen him. He was stationed overseas with the Marine Corps and got shot up pretty bad, but he is doing much better now. He is the same age as me and Ashton. He grew up in Texas with our uncle, Marco.
“Kade, man, thanks for getting here so quick.” I pull him in for a quick hug.
“No problem, man. You look like pure shit, cousin. We’ll find Lila and the kids, so just breathe. I haven’t been able to track her credit cards yet, but I’m having her phone records sent to me now. It’ll just take a few minutes to update.”
“Thanks again. I owe you, man. Anything you need, just let me know.”
“Liam, why don’t you have a sit? Kade and I will talk and figure out what to do,” Ashton says. He points to the benches.
“Okay, but only because I have no patience right now.”
I sit on one of the benches, tears streaming down my face. My wife and my babies are gone and no one knows where they are. I call Megan again and tell her to meet us at the Venue.
Fifteen minutes later, Megan arrives. She starts talking right away.
“Hey, Liam. I’m sorry, I got here as fast as I could. I looked through all the cases she had been working on before her accident and didn’t see anything. She does have her BlackBerry with her, though. I have access to it; after her accident she gave me all of her passwords for work-related things. Let me check it.” She pulls up something on her iPad. “She used it about an hour ago. She called a number in Anaheim. Maybe a hotel? Here’s the info.”
Megan hands me a piece of paper with a number written on it.
“Thank you. These are my cousins, Ashton and Kade.”
“Let’s do this. We have a long trip ahead,” Ashton says
***
Ashton
We’re about a hundred miles away from Anaheim. Liam is sawing logs. I’ve never heard anyone snore as loud as that fucker. I know he’s tired and worried. Hell, I’m just as worried. Tears are stinging my eyes. She has my son. Even though I know she would never hurt him, I still wish he was by my side.
I’m glad Kade is able to help us. He and Megan hit it off right away. They’re both in the back, trying to contact hotels. When we called the number Lila had called, it was disconnected. Fortunately, we were able to track her credit card to a family diner in Anaheim. I think she is headed to Disney Land. Where else in Anaheim would she be going with three kids?
It’s been almost twenty-four hours. I keep replaying everything over in my head. Why would she want a tattoo and why would she run away, especially with the kids? I know Liam hurt her feelings, but Jesus Christ. That’s no reason to leave. There has to be an explanation for all of this. My phone starts ringing. I don’t even look at the number, I just answer.
“Yeah.”
“Ashton, where the hell you at? Where’s my damn brat?”
“What the hell, Christa? He’s at Sofia’s,” I lie. I don’t want her to get involved.
“Um, I wasn’t aware he was there. Where are you? Let me guess, you’re out with some whore, right? You’d rather get that big ass dick of yours sucked than hang out with the brat?”
“Do you not listen to your goddamn messages, woman? I’m with Liam. We are looking for Lila. Now quit calling my son a brat. He isn’t a brat. He is a good child. You would know that if you spent time with him instead of your fucking crack pipe. Leave him where he is. I’ll pick him up.”
“Anyway, I need some money, Ash. My account is empty. I can’t find any around here either.”
“I’m not sure what you’ve spent your money on, but I’m not enabling you and your friend’s habits. I can’t talk about this right now. Leave AJ where he is. I’ll pick him up when I get home,” I say, then hang up.
I don’t give her time to say a damn thing. I need to file for a divorce. She isn’t going to change. My wonderful wife is a fucking junkie. She stopped for a while, but now she’s back to her old habits. I don’t mess with that shit. I’m not in love with her, never have been. I’ve stayed because of my son. After she stole my bike, she said she quit and was clean. Apparently, that was a lie.
AJ is my world, and if we don’t get away from her, she will drag us down with her. I haven’t fucked her in over a year. No way am I touching her. After we find Lila and the kids, I’m getting a lawyer and getting rid of the trash in my life. I deserve better and so does my son. I’m a good guy, and hopefully there is a nice woman out there that I’m destined to be with.
“Hey, man. How close are we? How long have I been asleep?” Liam asks as he runs his hand down the side of his face. He’s been asleep so long, he has a seatbelt print on his cheek.
“You’ve been asleep for a while. We’re almost there. Better wipe that drool off of your face.”
I chuckle. I feel bad for him. He looks like hell, but at least he got a little sleep. When we find her, my ass gets a nap next. I drank more than I wanted last night, and dealing with all of this today is making me really tired.
Kade leans in, between our seats and says, “She’s at Disney’s Grand Californian Hotel. I just talked to the desk clerk. She checked in about an hour ago. She’s with another lady and all three kids are with her.”
“Good, we should be there within minutes,” I respond.
I look over at Liam. I can see the tears in his eyes.
“Is it okay if I go in and talk to her first?” I ask, knowing she might not want to see Liam just yet. “Just in case she’s still pissed at you.”
“That’s a good idea. We will sit in the lobby and wait,” Liam says.
***
A young, blonde clerk says, “Welcome to the Disney Grand. Can I make you a reservation?”
“Hi, Miss. How are you? I’m actually looking for my sister, Lila Carls-Ellis. I was told she checked in a few hours ago with our other sister and kids.”
“Yes, she did. She is in room number five-thirty-two.”
“Thank you so much, ma’am. Here, I know it isn’t much, but buy yourself something pretty.” I hand her a one hundred dollar bill.
I look over at the others and nod. I take the elevator to the fifth floor and find her room. When I knock on the door, Kaylin opens it. The look on her face is priceless. I bet she didn’t expect to see me, of all people, here.
She opens the door wider and points to the bathroom. The kids are asleep already. AJ
is in one bed and the girls are in another. Lila’s in the shower.
Quietly, I walk into the room and tap on the bathroom door.
“Li, it’s me, Ashton. I’m coming in, so cover yourself up,” I whisper through the door. Then I walk in.
“What the fuck? How in the hell did you find us? And how did you get in my room?”
“Well, Kade and Megan helped us. They’re both downstairs with Liam. Why in the hell did you come here? Why did you take the kids without letting us know?”
“Why not? Liam sure doesn’t want me around. I wasn’t leaving without my girls and I knew AJ would enjoy hanging out with us. Please don’t be mad at me. I love him as if he were my own, you know that. Now get out so I can get dressed.”
I hand her a towel and she steps out of the shower. She looks tired. The towel barely fits around her belly. She has a beautiful glow. I kick myself in the ass everyday about losing her. She was supposed to be mine. Then I cheated on her and fucked everything up. Stupid me.
“Liam’s worried sick about you, lady. We know you were at the tattoo shop. Why did you want a tattoo now? We also know you were at Addison’s grave, but we didn’t think you would go this far. Why here? Why couldn’t you go to a local place, like the Bounce House, instead of packing up and driving across the state with three kids?”
“Well, your wonderful cousin treated me like shit yesterday, and I will not be talked to like that. I guess he told you about the baby, right?” I look at her, not saying anything back. “Well, I cheated on him and this baby might be Evan’s. Don’t look at me like that. Yes, I fucked up. I deserved the whole strip club thing. I wanted a tattoo to prove to him that I’m only his, but I couldn’t because of the baby, so I went to get my girls and couldn’t leave my little nephew. I called Kaylin and we headed here.”
“Li, I know everything. We all make mistakes, but that gives you no reason to run away. We all were so worried. Now, get dressed. There are three others that want to see you.”
