Truth About Love Duet: A beautiful small-town, angst filled, story of love (Legacy World Box Set Book 4)

by Mj Fields

  I need to get the fuck out of here. I can’t sit here and look at her.

  I glance at Liam, whose face looks pained, and he’s holding his breath. I know that look immediately.

  I glance down and see where Piper’s foot is right on his crotch.

  I want to laugh, but instead, I look away as Liam gives a deep and pained chuckle.

  “Hey, Piper, I need to get up for a minute.”

  “’Kay,” she says, climbing fully onto Ava and hugging her tightly.

  As soon as Liam is gone, Piper steals his seat. She takes Ava’s hand, then she takes mine. Smiling down at them, she giggles.

  Ava and I look at each other for just a second before Piper looks up at me.

  “Everyone is fine.”

  I nod, and she nods back. But everyone is not fine.

  I look at Ava again, and Piper looks at her, too. I can’t see what look Piper is giving her when Ava says to me, “You look well.”

  Piper releases our hands and hops down. She runs to Lucas and raises her arms. “Pop-Pop.”

  “Pip-Pip.” He smiles as he lifts her up.

  “Mommy almost done?”

  “Not long now.” He winks at her.

  “Can I have chocolate milk?”

  “You can have a whole chocolate cow,” he says with a chuckle.

  As soon as I know no one can hear me, I tell Ava, “You look like hell.”

  She looks at me blankly and shrugs. Then she looks down at her phone.

  “Who’s helping you out?” I whisper.

  She doesn’t look up. She doesn’t even acknowledge me. She stands up and takes a step, then stops and looks back. “I’m glad you’re okay.” Then she walks away.

  I watch her whisper to Lucas, and he nods, kisses her cheek, and then she hugs Piper. Liam takes her hand before they walk out of the room.

  Lucas looks at me and gives me a gloomy smile. I have no idea why.

  I lean back in my seat, close my eyes, and cross my arms.

  A few minutes go by before Liam comes back in and sits in the seat Ava vacated.

  “You need anything?”

  “No.” I close my eyes again. “No, thank you.”

  “You look good, Luke, like you’re healing.”

  “Yeah, well, she looks like hell.”

  “Ava?” he asks.

  I keep my eyes closed as I nod.

  “Did you say that to her?”

  “Yep.”

  “Why the hell would you do that?”

  I open my eyes and glance over at him. Liam never acts like a dick, so his attitude and tone of voice rubs me the wrong way.

  “Because it’s the truth. The fucking truth.”

  “You know what, Luke? I’m sure your mom taught you not to say anything if you don’t have anything nice to say. She is barely hanging on. You of all people should know how that feels.”

  Before I have a chance to say anything, he gets up and walks away.

  I look at my watch, hoping like hell time passes quickly. I would rather be at PT with the masochist therapist than be here.

  One fucking hour later, Tessa and Emma walk into the room, both laughing and crying.

  Piper claps her little hands. “Is my brother here?”

  “He sure is,” Tessa says, swooping her up in her arms. “He looks just like you did, but bigger.”

  “And more like a boy?”

  Tessa laughs. “Yeah, more like a boy.”

  Logan walks in and looks around. His eyes freeze on me, and I can tell he wants to say something, but he doesn’t.

  I wish he fucking would.

  I grab my crutches and pull myself up. I hate these fucking things. I hate hospitals, hate pain, and I hate that Killshot fucking died and I lived.

  As I make my way through the crowd, Tessa smiles at me. “You look good, Luke. Harper is going to be so happy to see you up and around.”

  “Gotta head to PT. Let her know I was here?”

  “No way. You’re coming with me,” Piper says, wiggling down Tessa’s body. “Can we go?”

  Tessa smiles. “Yeah, I think we can sneak you in really quick.”

  Begrudgingly, I follow them through the labor and delivery ward.

  Facing life when death surrounds your every thought is not easy. Not easy at all. Everything looks pink and blue and soft. Everything you hear is laughter and happiness. Everything they want you to feel screams hope and love. Meanwhile, I see gray and black, I hear voices, and I want to drown them out. I feel pain.

  Gimping my way behind Tessa, Lucas, Brody, and Piper, I feel smaller, weaker, like a burden and not like the man I am—was. I want to run in the other direction when I can’t even fucking walk without help. A man like me should never be caged, should never live as a shell. A man like me won’t survive a life like this. Hell, I am barely hanging on.

  Brody hugs his son, and Maddox returns the hug, but his eyes are still trained on his wife and the bundle of blue she is holding, until Piper runs up and jumps in his arms.

  “Daddy!” She beams. “Mommy had a brother.”

  “Right you are, Piper.” Maddox smiles at her. “Your brother.”

  Piper grins. “And yours.”

  “My son,” he corrects with a smirk.

  She looks at him in confusion.

  “You are our daughter; he is our son. You are his sister; he is your brother.”

  The confusion doesn’t leave her face.

  Giving up, Maddox tells her, “Mommy had a brother.” He then kisses her cheek, and she looks as if the weight of the world is off her fragile, little shoulders.

  I am lost in their exchange. It’s...beautiful and real.

  How does that happen? How does a little girl accept someone’s word as gold? It’s almost like blind faith, with no need for further explanation...ever.

  Maddox Hines is a good man. Piper is lucky to have him to love and protect her.

  “Luke?” Harper says, breaking my trance. “Sit.” She smiles warmly, and I nod.

  As soon as I sit, she leans over to hand me her baby, the one she just birthed minutes ago, but I don’t reach out to take him. I don’t want to. I am not like Maddox. I’m not, and I never will be.

  Mom takes him instead, and I finally let out a breath I never knew I was holding. When she closes her eyes and smells his head, I see a tear fall.

  Christ, I need to get the fuck out of here.

  “Congratulations, Harper,” I tell her, leaning forward, intent on leaving, when my mom holds the baby out to me.

  I can feel all eyes on me. There is nothing I can do to escape, so I finally give in and let Mom put him in my arms.

  “Reed Collin, this is Luke, and he is family,” Harper says with sadness in her voice. “I can’t wait until you get to know him.”

  I look at him, just staring. He’s tiny and pink.

  “Reed Collin,” I say quietly. “After your dad?”

  “Yeah,” Harper whispers as she reaches over and rubs his cheek. “You’re a lot like my dad, you know.”

  “How so?” I ask, still staring at him.

  “He was a protector, too.”

  I nod. Collin was a good man; better than me. “I remember.”

  I stand in front of the mirror, looking at myself. I look tired, yet I feel anything but. No, I am agitated.

  Sitting on the table is a frame filled with the last medals I will ever receive from my last mission. My first Purple Heart and another Medal of Honor that means shit because I didn’t save a life. Then there is a Distinguished Service Cross for extraordinary heroism, a Silver Star, a Bronze Star, and so many more. I pick up the frame and hold it up, hoping the closer I look, the more meaning it will have. It doesn’t work. It means fuck not to me.

  I look up when a light flickers, and I see her, fucking Ava walking in front of her parents’ old bedroom window, holding a child.

  My hands begin to shake. I take the frame and hurl it against the fireplace in this fucking den that has become the bedr
oom to a fucking broken soldier.

  When I look back up, she is looking out. Then she quickly closes the curtains.

  “Fuck you!” I yell just as Mom walks in.

  “Luke?”

  “I’m fine, Mom,” I snap, not meaning to.

  “No, you’re pissed, which is better than what you have been,” she retorts in the same tone.

  “And what have I been?”

  “You’ve been gone; that’s what you’ve been. Glad to see you’re back. Now clean up that damn mess and come to dinner.” With that, she turns on her heels and storms out.

  Holy shit. Holy fucking shit. I pissed off my mother.

  I look at the mess then back at the door to see Lauren peeking around the corner, looking at me like she’s afraid.

  “What?” I snap.

  She scowls and shakes her head. “Do you know how lucky you are to be alive right now?”

  That shocks me just as much as Mom’s snapping.

  “Lucky, yeah. Real fucking lucky.”

  Slowly, like it’s taking all she has, she raises her hand and sticks up her middle finger. “Fuck you, Luke. We love you. We. Love. You.” A tear slips down her cheek as she then turns and walks away.

  “Lauren, wait.”

  She shakes her head as she keeps walking.

  Then Ryan walks around the corner. They’re fucking everywhere!

  “She just say fuck?” he asks, eyes wide.

  I don’t answer, not wanting to get her in any trouble.

  “Well, shit, now all my kids act like their mother.” He laughs. He laughs hard as he walks past me and toward the mess.

  I grab the broom then use one crutch to walk toward the mess where I sweep while he holds the dustpan.

  When it’s all in the pan, he stands up. “One crutch, huh? You better not let your mom see that.”

  I nod.

  “Heal up. Gonna need your help, son.”

  Son.

  Chapter Six

  I’ll try harder. — E. Stranahan

  Ava

  I watch as Logan holds Chance while I feed Hope before bed. The way Logan looks at him is beautiful.

  “Logan?”

  “Yeah?” he responds without looking up.

  “I love you,” I tell him, my voice cracking.

  He looks up slowly, and I see tears forming in his eyes. “Love you, too, Ava.”

  I’m too choked up to tell him that not returning to school last spring was stupid, so stupid, but I can’t.

  “You’d have done it for me,” he replies then sniffs. “Now go back to whatever it is you’re doing over there.”

  “Breastfeeding,” I force out, knowing that’s what is expected.

  He laughs, startling Chance, whose lips pucker up. Logan mimics him.

  “No, don’t look at me like that, little buddy. It’s your mom’s fault. Well, her boobs fault, which is probably cool to you because she feeds you and shit.”

  “Logan,” I say, a warning to correct his language.

  “Ava, if he says shit because I did, he’s like that Stewie character—an evil genius—and I think something that looks so sweet can’t be evil.”

  I smile. “Aw, Loggie...”

  “Aw, Ava...” he mocks, shaking his head. “Concentrate on whatever it is you’re doing so you can stop doing it in front of me.”

  “Okay.”

  He chuckles under his breath.

  “What?”

  “Nothing.”

  Feeling embarrassed, I repeat, “What?”

  He gives a small, almost sad smile. “You said okay. For years, I wished you would just agree with me, but now, I’d give anything for you to argue.”

  I don’t respond. I bring Hope to my shoulder and begin patting her back. When she’s asleep, I bring her into my parents’ old room and to put her in the crib Dad and Logan set up months ago, the one I never intended to use.

  I look out the window and, from across the yard, I see Luke standing in the den. He throws something, and then he looks out the window. Quickly, I close the curtains then move away to lay Hope down before making my way back to Chance.

  After I feed him, I’m off to the hospital so I can see Harper, Maddox, Piper, and meet the newest member of the Hines family, Reed Collin Hines.

  After an hour with them, I am finally driving down the road, back to my babies. I miss them so much. It was wonderful to meet Reed. He’s beautiful, healthy, big, and completely opposite from my children when they were born, but they are now.

  I slow down when I approach the house, seeing a light on in Jade and Ryan’s garage. Then I see Luke lying on a bench, lifting free weights in black basketball shorts and a white hat. I immediately feel sick to my stomach.

  I pull into the driveway and hit the garage door opener. Then I have to wait for the damn thing to open. When it doesn’t, I hit it again and wait. I look left and see Luke walking out of the garage, one crutch under his arm.

  Dammit.

  I get out and walk as fast as I can without making it obvious that I am trying to avoid...him. Then I drop my keys while fumbling to find the right one, so I drop to my knees and search blindly in the dim lighting to find them. It takes far too long.

  Once in the garage, I try to open Logan’s car door to get his opener, but it’s locked.

  I turn to walk out to gather my things when the garage door starts to open. I see two bare feet and a crutch.

  It seems like it takes forever for the door to open. My heart is pounding. I am terrified that he is this close to me, to my children.

  He scowls at me. “You forget the code?”

  How the hell did I forget that?

  “Ava?” he says after I don’t say anything. “It’s—”

  “I know, I know.” I shake my head. “Just been busy.” I am finally able to take a step.

  “With the babies,” he comments.

  “My babies, mine and T’s,” I spew in a panic as I force myself to walk around him to my vehicle. “And yes, of course.”

  He grabs my elbow, stopping me, and I instinctively yank it away.

  “Jesus Christ, Ava. You need to—”

  “I need to do exactly what I’m doing. I’m a mom, Luke, a mom, and they need me. I don’t need anything but to take care of them.”

  “You need to take care of yourself, too. You need to move your ass back here so you can let the people around here help you out. You need—”

  “You need to take your own advice,” I snap back as I get into the vehicle.

  Pissed, he drops his crutch and walks over, stopping me from shutting the door.

  “What the hell is that supposed to mean?”

  He stumbles, and I reach out to steady him. He’s so heavy that it takes all I can to hold him up as he grabs the roof of the car and the door.

  I look up, and when our eyes meet and at that very moment, he knows exactly what I mean.

  I let go and slide between him and the vehicle to grab his crutch.

  “I’ll fucking get it,” he snaps as he bends to get them.

  As I move away, we collide, my eye making contact with his jaw. I wince.

  “You’ve got to be fucking kidding me.” He grabs my chin and lifts my head as I blink away the tears caused by the pain.

  “It’s fine,” I tell him, pulling my face free.

  “It’s not fucking fine, Ava.” He reaches for me again, but I move, opening the back door.

  “Get in,” I tell him.

  “I can make it just—”

  “Just shut the fuck up and get in!” I scream.

  He looks shocked, stunned. Hell, I am, too. But I won’t back down from a fight with him, not now, not ever.

  “I can walk!” he snaps back.

  I open my mouth to point out the obvious, that he can’t really walk all that well, but then I snap it shut, sighing out, “Just get in.”

  “I’m capable,” he quips as he makes his way to the back seat.

  “I know,” I agree, shutting
the door behind him.

  Once in the driver’s seat, I look back and notice him looking at the car seats. I don’t say anything, and I desperately hope he doesn’t either.

  I reverse out of the driveway and drive into his. When I put the vehicle in park, I look back to find him still staring at one of the car seats. I get out and open the rear passenger seat.

  “Luke...” I say, waiting for him to get out.

  “What’s it like?”

  His question catches me off guard.

  He looks up. “What’s it like being a parent?”

  I shake my head and shrug my shoulders. “They’re the second best thing that has ever happened to me.”

  “The first?”

  “How much their father loved me,” I answer, and then have to swallow hard.

  He nods and looks away. “Sorry for your loss.”

  “I’m sorry for theirs. He would have been an amazing father.”

  “Like Ryan?”

  I tilt my head to the side. He’s saying Ryan’s a good father, which is true, yet I have never heard that before, not from him. Then it immediately makes me wonder, if he’s saying...Oh, God.

  I hold my hand over my stomach and, in a panic, change the subject. “I’m sorry for your loss, too.”

  His eyes scrunch together a bit. In pain or annoyance, I don’t know.

  “I’ve been through it all hundreds of times, Ava. Hundreds.”

  “I’m sorry for those as well,” I tell him, keeping the conversation focused on his loss and hoping it keeps him out of mine.

  Is it cruel? Is it wrong? Does it matter when I am doing it to protect my children?

  He looks around uncomfortably and shakes his head. “My fucking crutch.”

  I don’t respond. I just turn and run across the lawns to get them, to get him out of the vehicle. When I return, he is standing outside the vehicle, holding himself up on it.

  I notice a tattoo that wasn’t there before. A flag, with an eagle, and a name. I look up when his pecs flex.

  “This loss hurt worse, though, didn’t it?” I ask, immediately regretting it.

  “It was a bad fucking day.”

  I nod. “Yes, it was.”

  We continue to stand there, saying nothing, and then I notice him looking at my eye.