Blinding Trust

by Jennifer Foor

  “I don’t know what to tell you. You know how I feel about you, Piper. I’ve loved you for two years and hoped that one day you would feel the same about me. You think it’s easy for me to just sit here and watch you go through this. He’s a prick for taking you for granted.”

  She started to sob loudly. “I just thought that if we had a child, things would be better. I thought he would want to change. It was all he used to talk about.”

  “Do you honestly want to raise a child with someone like Zeke?”

  “I don’t know.”

  “Piper, I will give you what you want, but I’m not going to sit back and let him raise my child. I don’t want any child of mine growing up with this life.”

  “You promised. You said it was a gift to me. Please don’t do this now.” She was begging him.

  “You expect me to just sit back and watch you carry my child and say nothing? You expect me to be okay with you laying in a bed next to that piece of shit, when all I want to do is have you for myself?”

  “Pete, I can’t leave him.”

  “Don’t make me go public, Piper.”

  “You would threaten me with that? After all that Zeke has done for you, how can you hurt him like that?”

  “It’s simple! He’s hurt you, time and time again, while I had to sit and watch. I was the one who picked up the pieces each and every time that son of a bitch fucked up. It was me who took you to the fertility doctor and it was my sperm they used to make that baby you’re carrying. What’s your husband going to do when he finds out he’s been sterile this whole time? How do you know he didn’t see those results himself? All he had to do was call.”

  “He doesn’t know! He won’t find out! If you love me, you won’t tell him.”

  The man stood up and I recognized him as one of Zeke’s bodyguards. “Piper, I do love you, but I’m not letting you do this any longer. If I can’t raise my own child, then neither will he.”

  He walked away and left her crying. I didn’t know what disturbed me more; the crying or the affair. My phone started to ring and I knew I’d been exposed. Piper jumped and came running in the house. “Colt? That wasn’t what you think it was.”

  “It’s none of my business.”

  “You hate me don’t you?” She plopped down on a chair.

  I sat across from her and folded my hands. “I don’t hate you. It seems like you’re hatin’ yourself.”

  “Everyone thinks this life is so amazing. They have no idea how horrible it can be. Between the media and the fans, we never catch a break. Zeke can be a great guy. I know somewhere inside of him there is a good man. It’s just, he can’t get away from who he is.”

  “I’m seein’ that.”

  “I love my husband, but you see how he is. He doesn’t have time to be married. All we share right now is a house and a piece of paper. I don’t even know if he loves me anymore. Pete’s been there for me, every time something has happened between me and Zeke. When he told me he had feelings for me, I assured him that nothing would ever happen. Then I found out Zeke was sterile. You have to understand, I wanted a baby more than anything and I couldn’t get pregnant. Zeke wouldn’t have understood. He didn’t want to start a family, at first. That’s when Pete offered me a solution. He donated his sperm and we did in-vitro-fertilization. I never cheated on Zeke. I swear!”

  As she continued crying, I cleared my throat, getting her to look at me. “My wife and I had a lot of problems conceiving. When she finally did get pregnant, she was kidnapped and held by a criminal. While tryin’ to get free, she was injured and lost the baby. We were devastated. Noah came into our life right after that happened. He was the miracle that Savanna needed to move forward. Children are a great gift, but bein’ a parent is the greatest gift of all. Listen, Piper, I don’t know how you feel about Pete. It’s obvious that he cares deeply for you. Zeke doesn’t seem like the kind of guy who is ready to just give up his life and start raisin’ a family. Do you really want your child subjected to this kind of lifestyle?”

  She shrugged and wiped away the tears on her face. “I love Zeke, but he loves himself. As much as I want him to change, I don’t see it happening.”

  “What are you goin’ to do?”

  She looked worried. “Are you going to tell him?”

  “It ain’t my place.”

  She covered her face. “I feel so ashamed. No one was supposed to know.”

  “Where I come from, marriage is sacred. I promised to love and be faithful to my wife and I meant that shit. I think you need to be honest with yourself before you can make decisions for other people.”

  She nodded, while still crying. “You’re right. I know that’s what I have to do. It’s just so hard. Every move I make is plastered in the magazines. I feel like I can’t breathe. If this comes out, it could be career ending for Zeke. Right now, he has to have good media. He’s dug himself so deep into a hole that he may not be able to crawl out with dignity.” She grabbed a pack of cigarettes and lit one up. “I guess I need to quit these.”

  “Piper, I ain’t sayin’ nothin’ to Zeke or the media, but I need to know somethin’ from you in return.”

  “Sure. Anything.”

  “What does Zeke really want from my son? It’s obvious that he wouldn’t just come around without a reason. I just don’t buy what he’s been telling me. If my son is in some kind of danger, I need to know the truth, so I can protect him.”

  She took another drag of her cigarette and then put it out in an ashtray. “All I know is that Zeke came to me and told me he had a nephew he wanted me to meet. As you can probably tell, we aren’t exactly Fred and Wilma. Zeke goes weeks without even calling. Most of the time, I don’t even know where he is.”

  I felt sorry for this girl and I couldn’t help but wonder if it applied to the lifestyle that they were involved in. It made me appreciate my life back in Kentucky even more. “I hope you get things worked out. If you’ll excuse me, I need to call my wife.”

  One thing that I hated more than drama, was knowing secrets. They always had a way to come back around and bite you in the ass.

  I found a quiet spot on the outside patio and dialed my wife’s number. Hearing her voice was going to make everything better.

  Except, she didn’t answer.

  She was spending time with Tyler and couldn’t even take my calls. If he laid one hand on her I was going to kill him.

  Chapter 21

  Savanna

  Getting drunk with Ty was never a good idea, especially when there wasn’t any other adults around us. I never thought that it would become romantic. We were best friends and he was being my shoulder to cry to on.

  We’d had a couple of shots and both of us were starting to feel giddy. Ty was determined to keep my mind off of the procedure that I was having done the next morning. He told dirty jokes and made fun of everyone that we knew.

  As the night progressed, my mind never venture far from my husband and son. As angry as I was at Colt, I still wished that I was there with them. Maybe the decisions would have ended up the same. I just wanted the opportunity to have a say.

  Ty got this bright idea that he wanted to Ding Dong Ditch my parents. I went up and checked on the girls. Unless they got sick, they wouldn’t wake up until the next morning. Just to be safe, I called over to the main house and asked Lucy if she could sit with them for ten minutes.

  Ten minutes later, her and Colt’s mom came walking through the door. They were both in their pajamas. “What’s wrong?”

  I walked up to my mother-in-law, but couldn’t stop giggling. “Nothing is wrong. We want to play a joke on my parents.”

  She put her hands on her hips. “What kind of joke?”

  “I want to Ding Dong Ditch them. You want to come?” I couldn’t believe that Ty asked her.

  A huge smile formed across her face. “It’s been a long time since I had a good laugh.”

  Just like that, we left Lucy to listen for the kids and headed out on the golf
cart. It was so dark on the ranch, especially when you drove to areas that were off the beaten path. It just so happened that my parents were way off it.

  We turned off our headlights when we got close enough to see their house. The bedroom light was on and we could see the television flashing. Suddenly, I became the quiet one, while I listened to Ty and his aunt discussing their strategy.

  Colt wouldn’t have believed me if I told him that this was happening.

  Since the golf cart was extremely quiet, we were able to pull up on the side of their house without making a sound.

  “Okay, this is what’s going to happen. You two are going to drop me here. Go park in the front yard, facing the house. I’m going to knock and run out to you. When they open the door, we will all three yell it. Are you ready?”

  We both nodded and watched Ty jump off the cart. While I drove and parked where he told me to, he was running up to the door. Not only did he beat on it, but he was screaming and making crazy sounds. Then, just as fast as he’d knocked, he came running back to the cart.

  We were laughing so hard that we almost didn’t see my father opening the door. He had a fireplace poker in his hand. I flipped on the lights, blinding him so he couldn’t see us.

  “DING DONG DITCH!”

  I spun us around in the grass and we flew down the lane as fast as the little golf cart could go. The whole while we were laughing so hard at what we’d done.

  She and Lucy ended up staying for anther hour before they went back to their place. Colt’s mom was always surprising me. One day she could be the most sophisticated women I’d ever met. Another day, she was just as comical as Ty. It was pretty cool.

  Before they left, she asked me again if there was something wrong. It brought me back to reality when I had to think of my procedure and how I was hiding it from everyone that cared about me.

  I think Ty read my mind. He handed me another shot before I could ask for one. “Last one and then we need to get some sleep.”

  “I won’t be able to sleep tonight. I’m too scared. My life is riding on this test, Ty.”

  “Van, you can’t think of it like that. Even if it is cancer, that doesn’t mean your life is over. Medicine has come a hell of a long way. They have treatment facilities and state of the art equipment to do it with. No matter what the outcome is, you’ll be in good hands.”

  I started to cry and with the alcohol that I’d consumed, I was a mess. “I’m afraid of dying. What if I’m one of the ones that can’t be treated? What if my babies grow up without a mother? How can I look at them and know that my days are limited? I can’t do it, Ty. Some things I just don’t want to know.”

  Ty pulled the shot glass out of my hand and sat it down on the table next to his. He grabbed both of my hands with his. “No matter what happens, you’re a fighter. You won’t give up, because I won’t let you. Do you remember when we were kids and you came out to the hole for the first time? Remember how scared you were to go on the rope swing? Colt was making fun of you and calling you a sissy little boy and it was making you cry.”

  “I remember,” I whined.

  “What happened that day, Van?”

  I remembered that day vividly, probably because it was the day that I fell in love with Tyler Mitchell. He was my hero that day. “You took my hands and kissed them, and then you told me that I could do anything that I wanted to. You showed me how to hold the rope to get the most air, so that when I finally did it, I went the farthest.”

  He smiled, hearing me tell the story. “I knew you could do it. I will never forget the look on their faces when you almost made it clear across that water. It was badass.”

  “You were so sweet to me back then.” I think I was blushing thinking about it.

  “I had to make you my girl, so I didn’t have to act that way around anyone else. Besides, I knew you’d turn out to be beautiful. Even an ugly duck can be a beautiful swan.”

  He was showing me that side again, which meant that he was concerned about me. I squeezed his hand. “Aside from the cheating, you always took care of me. You may have been a terrible boyfriend, but you were an amazing best friend. I can’t imagine my life without you in it.” I reached over and kissed him on the cheek. “ I know I said I was mad, but I’m glad you’re here, Ty. I don’t think anyone could get me through this the way that you can.”

  Ty smiled. He leaned his head back on the couch. “You’re going to be okay, Van. No matter what, I just know you are.”

  I leaned my head against Ty’s side and closed my eyes. Sure, I wished Colt was here to comfort me, but it felt good to not be alone. Besides, if Colt were around, Ty wouldn’t have come. The last couple days with him had really helped me. Maybe it was just supposed to happen the way it was.

  I woke up to someone poking me in the leg. When I opened my eyes I saw Christian standing in front of me. I shot off the couch and realized that I was sleeping against Ty’s arm. His head was even leaning on mine. I was appalled to think of what my daughter had running through her mind. “Mommy, why are you sleeping down here with Uncle Ty?”

  “I must have fallen asleep when we were watching television.”

  She handed me my cell phone. “Daddy’s on the phone for you. I told him you and uncle Ty were asleep, but he said that I needed to wake you up, right now.”

  “Thanks, honey.”

  Ty yawned and stretched, paying what happened no mind. I frantically took the phone out on the front porch.

  Hello

  What the hell is goin’ on Savanna. Is this your way of gettin’ back at me for the photo?

  What? No! I just…

  Save it. When I get home in Saturday, we are sitting down and having a talk.

  Fine by me. I have a lot I want to say to you.

  I bet you do. I’m goin’ to tell you one thing, Savanna. Ty better be gone when I get there.

  Why is that?

  Don’t you play stupid with me. I know what’s goin’ on. I’m surprised it took you this long. I just can’t believe you did it with our girls in the house. How could you disrespect me like that?

  Colt, you really have the wrong idea. There is nothing going on between me and Ty. I swear. We stayed up late talking and both fell asleep sitting up on the couch. That’s all there is to tell. Honestly, I can’t believe you don’t trust me.

  Trust you? Darlin’ I can’t even talk to you right now. I’ll see you Saturday.

  I couldn’t believe this was happening. How had things gotten so bad between us? Before I could get upset, I noticed that I had a half hour to be at my appointment and I still had to take the girls to my mother’s.

  Ty must have noticed the time as well, he was carrying both girls down the stairs. They were still in their pajamas, but he had clothes in his hand. “Did you see what time it is?”

  “Yes.” I started running up the stairs.

  “I’ll run them over to your parents.” I heard the door shutting as I made it to my bedroom and started looking for clothes to wear.

  By the time I was dressed and had brushed my hair and teeth, Ty had my SUV parked out front with the motor running. We got halfway down the road when it hit me where we were actually headed. Driving somewhere that could determine my fate wasn’t exactly exciting. I was petrified. I stared out the window, trying not to lose it. I felt a hand reaching out and holding mine. He squeezed it and smiled when I looked his way. “Deep breaths, Van. I got your back, I promise. If you need me to hold your hand the whole time. If you need me to watch the doctor and make sure he isn’t copping a feel, I can be that man.”

  I took our hands and slapped him. “You just want to see my tits.”

  We both started laughing.

  “I just wanted to protect the goods.”

  “My husband wants to kick your ass and you’re joking about seeing my tits. You really know how to push his buttons. He says you have better be gone before he gets home.”

  Ty turned to look at me with his eyebrow cocked. “Is that so? Van,
be honest, do you still say my name in your sleep? Is that why he’s so uptight?”

  “Would you stop it.” I laughed again. “I don’t dream about you that way and you know it. I honestly don’t get why he’s freaking out. Maybe he feels guilty about something he’s done. It isn’t like we just became friends again. You’ve been my best friend since we were kids.”

  “Are we back to the picture again?”

  I shook my head. “No! when I called the other day, a female answered. He’s been weird when we talk and I feel like he isn’t including me in important decisions. God, how did things get so messed up?”

  We pulled up to the doctor’s office and Ty turned off the ignition. “You’re going to go in here and rip open your shirt and tell them be gentle.”

  I climbed out of the vehicle. “I’m going to go in there and put on a gown and wait for the doctor to stick a giant needle in my tit.” When Ty kept following me, I turned around. “What are you doing?”

  “I’m coming with you.” He looked away for a second and went from joking to serious. “Look Van, this doesn’t have to be weird. All fun aside, this is important and I want to do this for you. I owe you so much for always being my friend and I love you. I can’t imagine my life without you. Whatever it takes, Van, I’m going to be here.”

  I wrapped my arms around Ty and just hugged him so hard. “Thank you.”

  When we finally pulled away, he held out his arm and I put mine inside. He led me into the doctor’s office and even though I felt like everything was going wrong, I knew I had my best friend by my side. When Colt got home everything would work itself out and he would be glad I wasn’t alone.

  I hoped.

  Chapter 22

  Colt

  Noah woke me up bright and early, due to his excitement about starring in the music video. After having a heart to heart with Piper, being around Zeke was the last thing I wanted to do. We only had one more day until we could go home, and I couldn’t wait, because things were worse than when I had left.