Accidental Deception

by Tina Martin

  Tears ran down Shayla’s face while Carter unmercifully unleashed his anger towards her.

  Carter watched her cry but was so furious and insulted, he yelled, “You act like I walk around pretending to be so much better than you. Do I do that to you? I could care less about being seen with you in public. When I found you on the sidewalk, we were in public! When I was giving you mouth-to-mouth because you’d stopped breathing, we were in public!”

  “Thanks for throwing that in my face,” she fired back, her voice shaky.

  “I’m not throwing anything in your face! I’m trying to get my point across to you. If I was ashamed of you, I wouldn’t be here right now. If I thought I was better than you, I wouldn’t have stopped to help you that day when everybody else kept on walking. I wouldn’t have touched your dirty clothes, put my hands on your dirty face or my mouth on your dirty lips. I would’ve looked at you like the rest of the folks did, like a bum, and kept on walking by you, especially after the way you smelled. You were filthy but I stopped, gave you CPR and saved your life. But I guess none of that matters now, huh?”

  Having had enough of his tongue lashing, Shayla opened the car door and quickly got out, walking back towards the movie theater.

  Carter shut off the engine and caught up to her in the parking lot. He grabbed her arm and said, “Get in the car.”

  “Let go of me, Carter,” she cried.

  “Get in the car!” he demanded a second time.

  “No. I’m done. I don’t have to listen to you talk down to me like I’m nothing. I’m done.”

  “Okay, fine. Be done…whatever that means. But I’m not leaving you here in the parking lot. You can come to the house, get your stuff and leave. I promise I won’t try and stop you. Now get back in the car.”

  Shayla obliged, not because she wanted to, but simply because Carter’s grip on her arm was so tight, he wouldn’t allow her to move another step away from the car. Plus, gathering her things and leaving sounded like a better plan than her spur-of-the-moment decision to dash right there in the parking lot.

  Back in the car now, she slid on her seat belt and stared out the window as Carter began the long, silent ride home.

  Furious, Carter didn’t say a word more. He just replayed in his mind the moment he’d met her, the time he spent with her in the hospital and at his home. He asked himself over and over why he was so angry with her and why it had gotten to the point where he told her to get her things and leave.

  At home, he parked the car and Shayla immediately jumped out, déjà vu all over again. She slammed the front door after entering the house and marched to her room.

  Carter sat there, in the car, thinking about what was going down. His emotions were all over the place. She’d successfully gotten under his skin and that had never happened before. He shook his head, took a deep breath and got out of the car, finally.

  Shayla laid on her bed, her stomach in knots. She thought about the way she felt for Carter, how she used to be comfortable with him up until this point. And even after the movie-theater showdown, she could still admit that she loved him, but he didn’t love her. And he would never have the heart to tell her she was a nuisance, or maybe that the real reason he wanted her to ‘get her stuff and leave’ was so that he could move Genevieve in to play house. That it was an insult for her to think he would be interested in a woman he’d found homeless on Trade Street. That no matter how far she advanced in life from this point forward, he would always see her as the pathetic, dirty homeless woman.

  Chapter 27

  Carter left for work early, which meant Shayla had plenty of time to gather enough things to survive off of while she searched for a place to live. She’d packed two bags of clothes and a couple pairs of shoes and threw them in the trunk of the car. She arrived at the flower shop around ten. The place was silent, no customers.

  “Rebecca, I’m here.”

  Rebecca came walking from the back of the store wearing a green, logo-embroidered apron and garden gloves. “Hey, girl.”

  “I know this is a little last minute,” Shayla said, “And if you can’t do it, don’t worry about it, but do you think I can stay with you for a few days? I can pay rent and—”

  “What’s going on, Shayla?”

  “Um…things are getting complicated with Carter, and I can’t live with him anymore.”

  “Why? I thought you were totally into him.”

  “I am…I mean was.”

  “Then why are you moving out?” Rebecca asked, setting a bundle of flowers on the counter, giving her friend all of her attention. She didn’t know Carter all that well, only that he was one of her best customers and from the small talk they shared, she considered him to be a decent person, though she’d heard the rumors and knew his reputation with the ladies.

  Shayla’s eyes brimmed with tears. “It’s just that…ah…I have feelings for him. I mean, he saved my life.” She wiped her eyes and continued, “And I thought he felt the same way about me, but he’s been seeing someone.”

  “Oh, no.” Rebecca touched Shayla’s forearm with her gloved hand. “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “So why would he buy you flowers, take you to dinner and call so often while you’re here.”

  Shayla shrugged. “Trying to be nice, I guess. I should’ve known better to think he actually liked me. Look at me and look at him.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I mean, he’s gorgeous and successful. Meanwhile, I don’t even have a place to live. I was homeless when he met me.”

  “Listen, Shayla.” Rebecca patted her friend on the back. “It doesn’t matter that you were homeless…you’re a beautiful person, inside and out. You’re fantastic. Carter would be lucky to have a woman like you.”

  “Nah…I would never be good enough for him. Now the woman who showed up at his house, she was perfect for him.”

  Rebecca’s mouth fell open. “She actually came there?”

  “Yeah. She had this long, flowing hair, smooth skin…she was gorgeous…looked like a model. Said she was supposed to meet Carter at the hotel but he didn’t show up.”

  “What!”

  “And when I answered the door, she thought I was his housekeeper.”

  “Are you kidding me?”

  “Nope.”

  “I don’t get it…I’ve seen the way he looks at you….could’ve sworn he was into you,” Rebecca said to console her friend, when she knew that Carter had ordered flowers for plenty of women in the past and she could recall one occasion where he’d sent roses to two different women on the same day earlier in the year. He wasn’t into them…why would he so suddenly be into her?

  “Like I said, that’s his way of being nice to me.”

  “Men…” Rebecca grunted. “Well, listen. You can stay with me for as long as you like.”

  “Thanks, Rebecca. I really appreciate it.”

  “You’re welcome.”

  “Oh, and do you think we’re gonna be really busy today?” Shayla inquired.

  “Um…I don’t know. Why?”

  “Well Carter’s aunt is gonna be by today to buy flowers and I told her I would go with her on and errand. It shouldn’t take any longer than an hour and I’ll be back. Is that okay?”

  “That’s fine. I’ll manage until then.”

  “Thanks Rebecca.”

  * * *

  Carter arrived home around five, noticing Shayla wasn’t there. He assumed she was still at the flower shop – that is until he saw a note on the kitchen table along with the necklace he bought for her. He picked up the note and read Shayla’s words: I’ve moved out. Will be back later to get the rest of my things.

  Sucker punch.

  Carter froze when he read her words. He’d told her to leave but he didn’t actually think she would go through with it. He stared at the note until the reality of it sunk in and after the initial shock was over, he rushed upstairs to see if her stuff was indeed gone. Most of it was, he noticed, with the ex
ception of some clothes and shoes.

  Carter sat on her bed and rubbed his hand across his face. He felt horrible for this. He definitely didn’t want her to leave. And where was she exactly?

  He loosened his tie, took out his cell and dialed Shayla’s number. When she didn’t answer, he immediately called the flower shop. As he listened to the phone ringing, he remembered the place closed at five. Still, he jumped in his car and drove there, but the parking lot was empty and a black and neon orange ‘closed’ sign hung diagonal in the front window.

  From there, he drove on to his Jacqueline’s house. He was supposed to be having dinner at her place tonight, along with Shayla. He thought she might’ve gone there ahead of him and maybe she was even staying with her. Where else would she go?

  He swung a left on The Plaza Road, then a half mile down the street, he made a right turn into her driveway. He didn’t see the Lexus, so he knew Shayla wasn’t there. Still, he walked up to the door, was greeted by a warm hug from his aunt.

  “Where’s Shayla?” Jacqueline asked as they stepped in her living room.

  “Um…I don’t know.” Carter sat on the couch and stared down at the floor. He looked around the place, it being his first time there. Particularly of interest to him were the pictures that lined her coffee table all in different frame sizes – one of Jacqueline and his mother, another or Jacqueline with a man and a few miscellaneous photos of children.

  “What you mean, you don’t know?” Jacqueline pried as she took a seat on the couch with him. “Is something wrong, Carter?”

  He glanced away from the pictures. “Um…she...ah…she moved out, Jackie,” he said calmly.

  “What? She didn’t tell me that.”

  “What do you mean? You talked to her?”

  “Yeah. I went by the shop today to buy flowers for Lenora’s grave. Shayla actually came with me this time.”

  “Really?”

  “Yeah.”

  “What time was this?” Carter asked evenly, but feeling his heart rate quicken.

  “Around three.”

  Carter successfully controlled his emotions as he listened to his aunt, thinking about his mother, brother, Shayla – everything was becoming too much.

  “So what happened, Carter? You two get in a fight or something?”

  Carter buried his face in his hands.

  Jacqueline dropped her hands on her knees. “Talk to me.”

  Carter sighed deeply. “She loves me, but I told her I couldn’t be with her.”

  “But she’s perfect for you. I couldn’t have hand picked a better woman for you myself, Carter. She’s such a sweet young woman.”

  “I know.”

  “And you don’t find women like that no more.”

  Carter nodded. “I know, Jackie.”

  “So what’s the problem?”

  “It’s too complicated to explain.” Carter’s face turned a shade. He was clearly in anguish. Confused.

  “Try me.”

  He shook his head. “I can’t. Not now.”

  “Do you love her?”

  Carter looked at his aunt with glassy, troubled eyes. “Yeah. I love her.”

  “So why can’t you be with her if you love her?”

  “There are things you don’t understand,” he said standing, his frustration growing. “Gosh, why does she have to be so perfect?”

  “Carter, sit down a minute and tell me what’s going on. You’re obviously upset…might as well talk about it.”

  Carter took a deep breath and sat down again.

  “There’s something about her you don’t know.” He dropped his head in his lap, then took a deep breath, but that didn’t relieve the tightness in his throat. “When Jacob committed suicide, he was engaged. I didn’t know he was engaged…didn’t even know he was seeing someone, but he was.” He took his wallet from the right back pocket of his jeans and took out an old, folded piece of paper. He handed it to her and said, “Read this.”

  Jacqueline unfolded the paper and began reading it aloud:

  If you’re reading this, I’m probably already dead. So you win again big brother. Mama always said you would have it all. She said I wouldn’t compare to you. She was right, wasn’t she? You remember when we were younger? She always cheered you on when you played basketball, but never made any of my baseball games. The crazy thing is, I hated baseball. I just wanted to do something so she could be proud of me, the same way she was proud of you. But you were the one with the scholarship. You were smarter, more talented and I couldn’t hold a candle to you. So in the end, you win. Tell mom she can be proud of me now. She can be glad that I’m no longer breathing the same air as her, or you for that matter. I know you don’t owe me anything and I don’t owe you anything, but all I ask is that you take care of my sweet Shayla. She loved me, but she deserves a lot more than what I was able to give her. I can’t even keep a roof over her head, can’t even be a real man for her. So I’m asking you to take care of her. She was the only thing in my life that has ever meant anything to me, my beautiful doll. I owe it to her. I know you’re under no obligation to do this, but this is my last and final wish. I’ve never asked you for anything, even in my most dire straights, but this I ask of you because I want Shayla to be happy. I want her to have the kind of life that you can give her. Please tell her I’m sorry I left this way. Tell her it’s for the best and that in some way, I’m doing this for her. Take care of her for me. She’s innocent in all of this and I want to make sure that she’s taken care of. I love her, Carter. Make sure she knows that. Make her happy. In the end, I’m sorry it had to be this way.

  ~ Jacob

  - - -

  Jacqueline looked up at Carter. Her hand was still trembling as she held Jacob’s last words.

  “That’s what I found in my mailbox the day after he killed himself.”

  “So let me get this straight,” Jacqueline said, still in shock. “Shayla was Jacob’s fiancée?”

  Carter nodded.

  “Oh my.”

  “But I didn’t know that when I found her. It was just by coincidence that I stumbled upon her one morning while I was headed to my office. I saw a homeless woman lying on the sidewalk and I stopped to help her. And I don’t even know why, Jackie, because normally I don’t stop to help anyone. But that day I did. I even rode in the ambulance with her and at the hospital, I finally found out who she was. She talked about Jacob a lot – the suicide and everything.” Carter rubbed his red eyes. “Jacob wanted me to take care of her. That’s the only thing my brother ever asked of me. And I go falling in love with her. What kind of man would do that to his brother?”

  “Carter, we can’t help who we love.”

  “But why her, Jackie? All the women in this world, all the women I’ve been with and I end up falling in love with her.” Carter sighed. “And the worst part of it all is that she has no idea that Jacob was my brother. How am I supposed to tell her that now?”

  Jacqueline shook her head. Then she had an epiphany. “So that’s why you told me not to mention Jacob’s name around her that day I came to your house?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Wow. I um…I really don’t know what to say, Carter.”

  Carter rubbed his head and let out a worrisome sigh. He didn’t see a way out of this one.

  “What are you gonna do?” Jacqueline asked him.

  “I don’t know.”

  “I hate to say this, Carter, but maybe her moving out is a good thing.”

  “Why’s that?”

  “Well, I honestly don’t think she will accept the fact that you kept your relation to Jacob a secret from her all this time. Had you told her, she would’ve left anyway, right?”

  Carter thought for a moment. The idea of actually letting Shayla go made him skip a breath but he knew Jacqueline was right. If he told her about Jacob, she would feel deceived and rightly so. He buried his face in his hands again, in extreme mental agony. He realized what he had to do although it was not what he wanted
to do, and hearing Jacqueline read Jacob’s suicide note aloud reinforced his decision. He had to remain loyal to his brother, not his heart. He had to let Shayla go.

  ###

  To Be Continued…

  Accidental Deception - Reading Group Guide

  1. What is your first impression of Carter Williams?

  2. How do you feel when you see a homeless person on the street? Does your local government do enough to help the homeless?

  3. When Carter finds out who Shayla is, do you agree with his decision not to tell her about his relation to Jacob?

  4. Do you think Shayla is intimidated more by Carter’s looks or his status? Do men with money and high-ranking positions come across as arrogant or confident?

  5. What do you think about Carter’s friend, Terrance? Is he a good or bad influence?

  6. Is Shayla confusing Carter’s kindness with love? Why or why not?

  7. Do you agree with Carter urging Shayla to see a therapist?

  8. Is Shayla justified by leaving Carter’s house after the movie theater fight?

  9. Do you think Carter will take his aunt’s advice and let Shayla go? Why or why not?

  10. Is it possible to care deeply for someone without actually loving them? Explain.

  Look for part two of this series, Accidental Heartbreak, coming soon.

  Check out other titles by Tina Martin available in Paperback, Kindle, Nook, Android and PC download:

  Secrets On Lake Drive

  Another Man’s Treasure

  The Baby Daddy Interviews

  Visit www.tinamartin.net to browse books, read excerpts and watch book video trailers.

  About the Author: