Halley’s heart softened even more. “You’re welcome.”
“So I need to go because I have a late shift at the store.”
Halley nodded. “Today’s house cleaning day for me.” She planned to get started when her mother left.
“A woman’s work is never done.” Her mom laughed, gathered her things, and took off.
Halley spent the rest of the day scrubbing the bathroom, dusting the house, and doing laundry, feeling upbeat about her mom. The next time they were together she was going to gather the courage to ask about her sister, Juliette. She swallowed hard and continued her cleaning.
While in the bedroom, she noticed that her jewelry case was open, which reminded her she’d left the watch and ring she’d worn to go out with Kane on the windowsill in the kitchen.
A piece of hair had fallen out of her ponytail, and she pushed it out of her face, tucking it behind her ear as she walked to the kitchen and headed over to the sink. The watch remained in the same place but the ring was gone.
Her heart skipped a beat, her mind racing for an explanation that wasn’t the one immediately rushing through her mind. If Halley had put the ring back in the case and forgotten, she would have put the watch away, as well. And there was no way the ring could have fallen into the sink because she’d have heard the sound since it was a substantial piece of jewelry. She bit down on her lower lip and paced the room, still fighting the inevitable conclusion.
Instead of panicking, she picked up the phone and dialed her mother, but there was no answer. The call went straight to voice mail.
No. Her mother had genuinely fought her on taking the check. One for five thousand dollars, Halley thought, her agitation growing. She’d wanted her mother to have some breathing room. And her mother had known Halley had left the kitchen in order to write the check, so her mother had no reason to take the ring. Except the ring had been there, in the circle of the watch.
Why not take the watch, too? Because her mother had probably figured out the obvious, that the timepiece wasn’t worth money. It was a piece of junk, one with a nice look, but you could tell it was a fake. Halley bought it in a souvenir shop in town in case she forgot to take it off and accidentally wore it while painting.
But the ring? The ring was a family heirloom of sorts. It would have gone to her mother had she not been disowned, because October was her birthday, too, and the opal birthstone was unlucky, something that came from an old book in the 1800s. But she and her aunt had laughed about how fortunate Halley was to be able to own the gorgeous and expensive stone. She only took it out for special occasions, like her celebratory night with Kane. And now it was gone.
Her mother couldn’t have known she had the ring, but she could have planned on taking something of value. Or she could have gotten lucky and seen the ring on the windowsill and she couldn’t walk away from temptation. Did it really matter what her reason was?
She could have left the valuable piece of jewelry alone.
She could have valued her relationship with Halley, her daughter, above money, especially since Halley had gone to write her a check, anyway. The ring had just been a bonus. A windfall, really, since it was worth a small fortune.
Had this been her plan all along? Cozy up to Halley, pretend remorse, guilt, pain, soften her up so Halley would offer her money, which she’d done? Or had she just been waiting for an opening to steal something and run? She probably didn’t even have a shift tonight. In all likelihood, she’d needed to make her escape before Halley looked at the counter and realized the ring was missing.
Her heart was racing inside her chest, her mother’s betrayal pushing at her, mocking her for being such a fool. God, when would she catch a break? Her mother’s neglect and drug use landed her in foster care, most of the homes had traumatized her in one way or another, then her mother returned and Halley was pathetic enough to open her heart only to have her mother stomp all over it.
When her phone rang, startling her, she jumped and grabbed her cell from the kitchen table.
“Hi, sis.”
“Phoebe,” Halley said dully, unable to even muster a faked normal tone. Nausea rose in her throat at the thought of telling her sister. Phoebe was going to kill her, not for the ring but for giving her mother a check. For believing in her. For being a gullible, naïve idiot who couldn’t trust her own instincts on the one thing about which she should have known better.
“What’s wrong?” her sister immediately asked.
“I… I… Something happened,” Halley said, dropping to the nearest chair. Phoebe might say I told you so, but she’d also promised to be there for her, and Halley didn’t have the strength to lie about what had happened.
“I’ll be right there. Sit tight.”
But she didn’t. She couldn’t just wait, because the nausea that threatened bubbled over, and she ran to the bathroom and threw up what little she had in her stomach. She dry heaved afterwards, physically and emotionally spent.
This, this had been the last straw. She was devastated over her mother’s betrayal. This was the very reason she didn’t open herself up to people—because they inevitably destroyed what little faith she had inside her. She was sad, tired, and heartsick over it all.
Half an hour later, Halley was crying in her sister’s arms. She’d already soaked Monty’s fur, the little dog licking her tears.
She’d tried to dial her mother a few more times only to get voice mail. She really had been played.
“I wanted to believe in her so badly I ignored the two people I should have trusted.” Halley wiped at her eyes with her hands. “You and Aunt Joy warned me. I just thought—”
What? That she could wipe out the past by having her mother in her life in the present? Ridiculous, she realized now. She’d been blinded by hope and need and taken in by a woman who would always be a con artist.
Her sister grabbed a tissue from the box Halley had put on the kitchen table and handed it to Halley, then she smoothed Halley’s hair off her face.
“You can put a stop on the check first thing in the morning,” her sister said, and Halley nodded. She’d do that. It wouldn’t change the emotions behind it, but it was something.
“Do you know what I love most about you?” Phoebe asked.
“What?”
“Your heart.”
Halley opened her eyes wider. “Are you kidding me? I’ve done my best to keep the world out. What heart?”
“The bruised one in here.” Phoebe tapped at Halley’s chest. “You keep it hidden but it’s there. You tell me you love me every time I see you. You want to make up for lost time. So as mad as I am at you for giving her a chance and worse for writing her a check, I understand why you did it.”
Halley sniffed and blew her nose into the tissue. “Screw my heart,” she muttered. It was as broken and damaged as the rest of her. Her mother had destroyed what was left along with any chance of finding Juliette, something she wouldn’t bring up to Phoebe now. She would hold that knowledge inside. Phoebe never thought they had a chance with their mother anyway.
Phoebe shot her a sad look. “This awful feeling will pass.”
“Doubtful.” She vowed she wasn’t going to allow herself to feel this kind of pain ever again.
“What about Kane?” her sister asked.
On hearing his name, her heart skipped a beat. “What about him?”
Phoebe shot her a knowing look. “Don’t play dumb with me, Halley. You know what I’m asking.”
She rubbed at her gritty eyes. “I’m going to tell him what happened and explain why we’re over.”
“No! You can’t end things with him!” Phoebe practically shouted at her. “You care about him.”
She loved him but it wasn’t enough. The emotion she’d been fighting all weekend flooded her now, when her defenses were down. Not just down, at their lowest. She loved Kane Harmon, but they couldn’t possibly be together, because he deserved someone whole, someone who was emotionally available.
&n
bsp; He deserved someone who wasn’t afraid, and right now that’s what Halley was. Afraid to live, to feel, to give of herself.
“I can’t keep things going with him,” she insisted. No matter how much it hurt to think about being without him, she couldn’t leave things as they were, because as much as she feared getting hurt, she was afraid of hurting Kane even more when he realized that she wasn’t capable of giving all of herself to him.
He’d said he loved her with his body, and she hadn’t been able to reciprocate the emotion, fear taking hold, and that was before she’d had her heart sliced out by her mother.
Phoebe looked at her with sad eyes but Halley couldn’t budge. “Kane needs someone who can give their whole heart and I’m not that woman.” She shook her head, knowing the safest, smartest thing to do was to return to her way of life before Kane, in her safe little bubble where she didn’t deal with people, and that way she couldn’t be hurt.
She’d gone into the relationship broken, and nothing that had happened could change the fact that her childhood had rendered her incapable of giving a wonderful man like Kane everything in life that he deserved.
* * *
Kane had had a shitty morning, coming off a shitty weekend. Monday dawned and his dad was banging around the shop, pissing everyone off with his bad mood and foul language. Kane had finally banished Joe to the garage to clean up in order to keep him away from customers and human beings in general.
He obviously wasn’t dealing very well with Andi’s proclamation that she was moving out. It’d probably hit him just how much a dent this new situation was going to put in his gambling money.
On top of that, Halley had gone MIA since midday yesterday when he’d left her house. He could have gone over, called, or texted her, but he’d had the distinct sense she’d needed time. Clearly his effort to push her into facing her emotions had backfired.
He’d given her last night, but he wasn’t going to give her more than that. After work today, they were having it out. One way or another she was going to face him and deal with her feelings. Too bad he didn’t know where they’d be when things shook out.
He walked into the garage only to find Liza there waiting for him. “Son of a bitch,” he muttered. Could this day get any worse?
“What can I do for you?” he asked her.
“My low tire pressure light is on,” she said, gesturing to her Porsche parked outside the garage.
“And a gas station could fix that in five minutes.” He wiped his hands on a cloth he had hanging from his pocket.
“Come on, Kane,” she purred, coming up to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. “We were good together. I know what you like in bed, and we can have a long month of fun before the summer ends.” The scent of her perfume made him want to gag, and he grabbed her arms from behind his head.
Instead of taking the hint, she pushed him back to the wall and put her lips on his. Breaking her hold and her lip lock wasn’t easy, not without hurting her, and he couldn’t believe he was in this position with the woman.
“Oh, my God.” Halley’s voice whipped through him.
He shoved hard, sending Liza reeling back on her high heels, twisting her ankle as she stumbled. “Ouch!” she cried.
“Fuck.” He reached out and grasped Liza’s elbow to keep her from going down completely.
Halley looked at him with wide eyes and an utterly betrayed expression. No matter that she’d brushed off Liza’s play at the restaurant the other night, this looked so much worse.
Halley spun around, clearly intending to go.
“Halley, wait.”
“Kane,” Liza wailed, but he ignored her. She’d done enough to fuck up his life in the last five minutes. He wasn’t giving her another second of his time.
Halley didn’t turn and strode out the door, so Kane brushed past Liza and ran after her. “Halley! It wasn’t what it looked like,” he said, well aware of how lame the words sounded.
She turned back. “It doesn’t matter.”
“The hell it doesn’t. We matter.”
She shook her head. “That’s what I came to tell you. We’re over.”
“What?”
Sadness reflected back to him from her blue eyes. “I can’t do this and it’s not about Liza.”
He was certain her seeing him looking like he was kissing another woman hadn’t helped, but something else was clearly wrong. “Talk to me,” he said, as Liza strode out of the office and headed for her car.
Halley shook her head. “Just know it’s for the best.”
She pivoted back and walked to her car. Sensing he’d get nowhere if he pushed her now, not after what she’d just seen, he backed off.
But that didn’t mean he was going down without a fight.
* * *
That night, Halley walked down to the beach and stuck her toes into the lapping water. She left Monty in the house because she didn’t want to lose sight of him in the dark or worry about him even on a leash. She wrapped her hands around her knees and watched the waves crashing over the sand, but she didn’t find the peace the scenery normally gave her.
Her stomach churned harder than the water rising up and then receding. How had her life gotten so out of control in such a short time? First, her mother, who still wasn’t answering calls. If they hadn’t fallen into a pattern of her mother calling often or getting back to her quickly, Halley would have given her the benefit of the doubt.
But this felt like a complete ghosting. Meg had gotten what she’d needed from Halley and now she was gone. Until next time, when she needed something. Who knew what she’d do then. The only thing Halley was certain of was that she’d never let herself be open or gullible again.
Then there was Kane. She’d gone over to talk to him. To explain what had happened with her mother and let him off the hook because he deserved someone stronger, smarter, better in his life. And she’d seen Liza wrapped around him like a leech.
She swiped at her eyes, wondering how had he gotten into a position where he was kissing Liza. Her stomach cramped at the painful memory. Halley didn’t think he’d initiated the kiss, nor did she believe he desired it. Deep down, she knew there was an explanation that revolved around that bitch pushing herself on Kane, but as she’d told him, it didn’t change things.
Halley knew she wasn’t easy to be with. A relationship with her wasn’t simple or laid-back. She was a loner for a reason, and she was so sick of reiterating to herself all the reasons he deserved someone unafraid of living. He just did, and for that reason, she’d had to let him go.
Chapter Ten
Fuck, fuck, fuck. How the hell had things with Halley gotten so screwed up? Kane ran a hand through his hair and groaned. His head was still spinning. From Friday night to tonight, things had gone sideways.
He’d called and texted Halley but she wasn’t replying. He could go over there but he wanted to respect her space for now. Giving her time to accept that Liza had all but attacked him seemed smart. After all, he’d explained himself in nauseating detail via text and messages. If she’d wanted to talk to him, she’d get in touch.
Her silence was killing him.
As the days passed, he wanted to throttle Liza more and more because that kiss hadn’t helped his cause. If Halley had come to break up with him, without that clinch, he might have made a strong appeal to her emotions. Instead she’d frozen him out.
And the fact that she’d come to end things regardless confused him. What had happened to make her want to call things off?
Knowing he needed answers and understanding they wouldn’t come from Halley, he drove to the Ward estate on the outskirts of town, intending to talk to her sister.
He pulled past two large pillars with a plaque on which the family name was engraved and past the main house to the guesthouse on the far side of the estate. He knew from Halley that her sister lived there, and since it was late in the evening, he hoped to catch up with her there.
He knocked on the door an
d Phoebe answered immediately. “Kane!” She stepped aside so he could enter.
The sisters looked so different it always surprised him, Phoebe with her white-blonde hair and Halley with her brown. Their features weren’t similar, either, but they clearly had a bond, which was the reason he was here.
“I wish I could say this was a surprise.” Phoebe frowned. “This is about my sister, isn’t it?”
He nodded and stepped into the house.
“Come, we can talk in the living room.”
He followed her past the entryway and into the house, turning when they reached a room with two floral couches where they could sit.
He settled in across from Phoebe.
“So I’ll break the ice,” she said. “I heard what happened yesterday.”
He winced. “Yeah. Well, it wasn’t pretty. It also wasn’t what it looked like, no matter how bad it appeared.” He knew he was justifying, but it was the truth.
“I know. And I think deep down Halley does, too.”
He ran a hand through his hair. “The thing is, she was coming over to end things anyway… and I want to know why. No, I need to know why. Because I can’t fix what I don’t understand.”
Phoebe crossed her legs and leaned back in her seat. “Normally I’d say it was Halley’s story to tell, but in this case we both know she won’t do it. So I agree with you. You need to know.”
She twisted her hands in front of her while Kane waited.
“It’s about our mother.”
His shoulders tensed at that. “You’re fucking kidding me.”
She shook her head. “My too naïve sister felt bad for her and gave her a check for five thousand dollars. While she was in the other room writing it out, our mother stole a family ring that Halley had left on the windowsill above the sink.”
He winced and let out a groan. That ring had meant so much to her. Kane wasn’t sure what shocked him less. That Halley had reached into her pocketbook to help the woman she desperately wanted a relationship with or the fact that her mother had stabbed her in the back.
Fearless (Rosewood Bay Series Book 1) Page 14
