The Truth About Secrets

by L. P. Dover

  Lena and I followed them into the tavern, and we grabbed a booth in the corner. The place looked exactly like an old western bar. It was built in 1937 by the owner’s grandparents. Knobbled pine covered the bar, and all around the place were painted scenes of the Western landscape. Also, you couldn’t have a western bar without the mountain longhorns on the walls and the saddle bar stools.

  A familiar face caught my attention and I waved. “Oh my God, it’s Billy. I haven’t seen him in so long.”

  Billy Martin was the owner and looking a lot older with his fully white head of hair and tanned, weathered skin. He was a true cowboy. He opened his arms, and I hugged him. “Hey, Billy.”

  “I always knew you’d come back eventually,” he said, squeezing me tight.

  He let me go and shook Zac and Drew’s hands. “I guess we’re celebrating tonight, huh?”

  Drew beamed. “Yep. My best friend landed his dream job and my wife’s gonna have a baby.”

  Billy burst out laughing. “Well, I’ll be damned, that’s the best news I’ve heard all night. First round of drinks are on me.” We all sat down and I moved in close to Zac while Billy went back to the bar to grab our drinks. It was just like old times. When we were in high school, instead of a free round of drinks, Billy would get us free bowls of ice cream after the football games. So much had changed, but it felt the same.

  Billy came back with three mugs of beer and a cherry soda for Lena. Zac handed him a wad of bills. “Keep them coming, Billy.”

  Drew chuckled and kissed Lena on the cheek. “I just love having rich friends.”

  Lena elbowed him in the side, her cheeks red with embarrassment. “I’m sorry, you guys. He doesn’t mean that.”

  Zac held up his glass, and Drew tapped it with his, both of them grinning wide. “Yes, he does,” Zac said, “but he’s still my best friend.”

  Lena glanced over at me, and I nodded. “Drew has always been notorious for saying stupid shit. I’m not the least bit surprised what comes out of his mouth.”

  Drew slammed a hand over his chest, pretending to be offended. “That hurt, Clara.”

  I grinned and drank a sip of my beer. “Truth hurts.”

  A slow country song played from the jukebox, and Lena gasped. She turned to Drew and grabbed his hand. “This is our song. We have to dance to it.”

  Drew stared at his beer, and then glanced over at the dance floor, clearly not wanting to dance. “Okay,” he gave in, his voice sullen. “Let’s go.”

  Lena squealed and pulled him onto the dance floor while Zac and I watched them. Drew wrapped Lena in his arms and they looked so sweet, staring into each other’s eyes as they danced.

  I peered around the tavern and there were so many people I recognized. People I grew up with, people who worked all around the town that I knew when I was younger.

  Zac leaned in close, his voice by my ear. “I’ve missed this.”

  “What?” I asked.

  Draping his arm over my shoulder, he pulled me in tight. “Being back here. Don’t get me wrong, I’ve loved living in Charlotte, but I’ve missed our small town.” He gently grasped my chin and turned me to him. “I’ve missed you.”

  “I’ve missed you, too,” I murmured.

  The song ended, and Drew and Lena came back. “Dude, look who just walked in,” Drew said excitedly, pointing at the door. “We have to go say hi.”

  I glanced at the door and it was two guys we graduated with, Tommy Danforth and Warren Buckner. Drew and Zac used to play football with them.

  Zac lifted his brows. “Do you mind? It won’t take long.”

  I waved him off. “Go. Catch up.” Zac and Drew walked away, and I smiled as I watched Tommy and Warren’s eyes go wide with surprise when they saw Zac.

  “If you want, I would love to cook you and Zac dinner one night,” Lena said, catching my attention. I turned to her, and she smiled. “Drew’s been so happy now that Zac’s back in town.”

  “Zac and I would love that,” I told her. “I have to admit, it feels like old times being around Drew. He hasn’t changed a bit.”

  Lena giggled. “It’s what makes him fun. I love his sense of humor. It’s one of the things I fell in love with first.”

  I winked at her. “I always knew it’d take a special woman to love him for who he is.”

  She burst out laughing. “That’s for damn sure. He better not forget it either.”

  Drew glanced over at us and he smiled at Lena. “He won’t,” I assured her, finishing off my beer. I stood and looked down at her glass which was still full of cherry soda. “I’m going to grab another drink at the bar. Do you want anything?”

  Shaking her head, she grabbed one of the menus in the middle of the table. “Not at the moment. I am getting hungry though.”

  My stomach growled. “Me too. When I get back, we’ll order something. I could really use some chili fries right about now.”

  She sighed. “That would be awesome.”

  Taking my empty glass, I headed over to the bar. Billy reached out for my glass. “I was just about to see what you ladies wanted next. I see the guys abandoned you.”

  “Yes, they did,” I said, laughing. I looked at what he had on tap, and there was one of Snowy Creek’s local apple ciders on there. The last time I had it was on graduation night where Billy had snuck me and Zac a glass of it. I pointed at the cider and smiled. “I’ll take that.”

  Billy nodded. “Good choice.”

  He poured it up and started to hand it to me, but then his brows furrowed when he focused on something behind me. I turned to see what it was, but I didn’t have time to register what had happened until after it was done. All I knew was that a set of arms grabbed me around my waist and the man in front of me kissed me. It wasn’t Zac.

  I jerked back and gasped. “What the hell?” That was when I saw him … Adrian Norwood. There wasn’t a single blond hair of his out of place, and he had on an expensive pair of dark gray Gucci slacks and a light blue Gucci shirt to go with them. He was a little overdressed for the tavern crowd.

  Adrian smirked and pulled me back toward him. “Hey, baby.”

  Mouth gaping, I looked over toward Zac, and his blazing eyes darted between me and Adrian. I stepped away from Adrian to get out of his hold. “What are you doing here?”

  His gaze narrowed. “You told me to come, didn’t you? I stopped by your house and your parents said you were here.”

  Closing my eyes, I sighed. I was going to call him to tell him not to come, but I didn’t think he’d show up unannounced. I looked around the tavern, and saw that he’d already gained the attention of everyone. People held up their phones and snapped pictures while Lena and Drew stared starstruck at him.

  “I did,” I replied, “but I was hoping you would call first.”

  He shrugged. “All that matters is that I’m here now.” He glanced around the bar and chuckled. “This is a nice place. Feels like I stepped into a Clint Eastwood movie.”

  “Everything okay?”

  The second I heard Zac’s voice, I froze. I didn’t know how he was going to handle Adrian’s appearance, but I knew it wouldn’t be good by his dark tone. I could feel him behind me, the tension filling the air.

  Adrian stared him up and down with amusement. “Everything’s fine. Just here visiting a close friend. I’m Adrian Norwood. And you are?”

  Zac snorted. “Zac Ward. I’m also a close friend of Clara’s.” They stared each other down, and I didn’t know what the hell to do. Luckily, Drew and Lena came to the rescue.

  “Oh my God, I’m such a huge fan,” Lena gasped as she clutched her chest.

  Drew grabbed Adrian’s hand and shook it, catching Adrian off guard. “I’m a fan, too. You’re amazing in your movies.” Zac glared at Drew, and Drew shrugged. “What? He is.”

  The smile on Adrian’s face was forced as he looked at Drew. “Thanks.” Then he turned that forced smile my way. “Am I missing something?”

  Drew and Lena stepped ba
ck, and Drew cleared his throat. “You know what? We’re going to head back to the table while you guys talk.”

  Zac gently took my hand and turned me to face him. I didn’t know what to say to him. He glanced quickly at Adrian and then focused on me, his hazel eyes boring into mine. Not a single word came out of his mouth, but I could see what he wanted on his face.

  “I didn’t know he was coming,” I whispered.

  He nodded. “I know. But you have to make a choice.”

  Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and then opened them back up. “Give me a few minutes, okay?”

  He sighed. “Go.”

  Turning on his heel, he headed back to our table. “Clara, what’s going on?” Adrian asked.

  I faced him and nodded toward the door. “Let’s go outside.” There were too many people with phones. The last thing I wanted was for our conversation to be splattered across social media. I may be from a small town, but the second someone posted something, the paparazzi would be here in a flash.

  Adrian followed me outside, and I walked around the side of the bar to keep us hidden from prying eyes.

  “Who is that guy?” he asked.

  Taking a deep breath, I turned to face him. There was no humor in his brown eyes, only confusion and annoyance. “Zac and I used to date a long time ago,” I confessed.

  He huffed. “Doesn’t look like it was a long time ago to me. I saw the way he looked at you.” I stared at him and he huffed again. “I saw the way you looked at him, too.”

  With a heavy sigh, I nodded. It was only fair to tell Adrian the truth. He deserved to know. “I love him, Adrian. I always have.”

  His gaze narrowed. “Is he the guy that broke your heart? Why would you even consider getting back together with him?”

  “It was all a misunderstanding,” I explained. “Zac didn’t do what I thought he did. It just took us a long time to figure it out.”

  Adrian stepped toward me. “What about me? I love you, Clara. I want us to be together. That’s why I came out here.”

  “I know,” I murmured, feeling the guilt well up in my chest. “I’m sorry about everything. I should’ve told you earlier.”

  “So you’re picking him?”

  I didn’t want to hurt Adrian. He might be an arrogant pain in the ass at times, but he was still a great guy. “I am,” I murmured, lowering my head. “He has my heart.”

  Everything went silent, and I finally found the courage to look up into his brown eyes. He stared at me, and I could see the pain written all over face. “Guess this is it, huh?”

  I nodded. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want to hurt you.”

  His jaw clenched. “Just spend one day with me, Clara. Give me a chance. I know we belong together.”

  My eyes burned. “No … we don’t. I belong with Zac.”

  He averted his gaze and stepped back. “Okay. I get it.” He took another step back and looked right into my eyes. “Good-bye, Clara. I wish things could’ve been different.” Turning on his heel, he stormed off and disappeared around the corner.

  Heart hurting, I leaned against the building and hung my head. I had a feeling I was going to be the topic of discussion for Adrian’s next talk show interviews. That was one of the things I wouldn’t miss about being with a celebrity. I loved my privacy, but never had it when I was with Adrian.

  Footsteps sounded close by, and then Zac appeared around the corner, grinning slyly. I should’ve known he wouldn’t want me alone with Adrian. “So I couldn’t help but overhear your conversation.”

  I crossed my arms over my chest. “You mean you were eavesdropping,” I countered.

  He shrugged and walked toward me. “Did you mean what you said?”

  It took all I had not to smile. “Which part?”

  The distance closed between us, and I looked up at him. He brushed his thumb across my lips. “The part where you said I had your heart.” My breath hitched, and he leaned down to kiss me. “And the part where you said you loved me, that you always have.”

  Our lips connected again, and I breathed him in. “I meant it,” I murmured.

  Pulling back, he stared into my eyes. “What are we doing, Clara? I don’t want to lose you ever again. Even when you go back to California, I want to make this work.”

  My heart jumped. “Do you think we can?” I’d stopped myself from even thinking about it. I didn’t want to imagine our time together would end the second I left town.

  Zac cupped my cheeks. “I know we can. I love you and you love me. That’s all that matters. We can make anything work as long as we’re together.”

  Tears fell down my cheeks. “Promise?”

  His lips touched mine again. “I promise.”

  There was no doubt in my mind. I trusted him. That was all that mattered.

  20

  Zac

  Clara and I cut the night short at the bar and headed back to my house. There were too many people asking questions. Everyone knew that Clara had a past with Adrian. All you had to do was Google them and there were pictures of them everywhere.

  “At least we don’t have to worry about Adrian anymore,” Clara said as we walked into the house.

  I shut the door and locked it. “You don’t think he’ll keep trying?”

  Setting her purse down on the foyer table, she turned to me. “No. Even if he did actually love me, he wouldn’t beg to get me back. It’s not in his nature. He’s used to things being simple.”

  “That’s where he’ll fuck up in life.” It’s not worth it if you don’t have to fight for it. I learned that the hard way. I should’ve kept fighting to find Clara, even when I thought she didn’t want me. That was where I screwed up.

  Clara pulled out her phone and pursed her lips. “I’m going to call Trina again. If she doesn’t answer …”

  Walking past her, I headed into the kitchen. “What are you going to do?”

  Her eyes blazed when I glanced back at her. “Something I don’t want, but it needs to be done. I know she’s okay because I saw pictures of her online at a party last night.” She put the phone to her ear and paced around the kitchen table, huffing when Trina’s voicemail kicked on. I could hear her voice across the kitchen. When the beep sounded, Clara took a deep breath. “Trina, it’s me. I don’t know why you’re not answering me. At least I know you’re still alive because I’ve seen you all over the internet. I may be your friend, but I’m your publicist as well. If you don’t call me back by tomorrow, I’m going to rethink that decision. Perhaps it’s best for you to find someone else to represent you.” She hung up and set her phone on the table.

  “Did you mean that?” I asked.

  She shrugged. “Maybe. Depends on what she has to say for herself. If she deliberately kept me from talking to you then we have big problems.”

  “What if she doesn’t call you back?”

  “Well,” she began, “I guess I’ll be flying out to California to confront her in person.” Her eyes softened and she smiled. “You could always come with me. I can show you around San Francisco.”

  I pulled her into my arms. “Sounds like a plan.”

  She rubbed her body against mine and kissed me. “Good. Even if she calls, I still want to take you out there. We can go in a few weeks.” She kissed me again. “I’m going to go change clothes. Be right back.”

  I nodded toward the refrigerator. “Want anything? Our night of drinking got cut short.”

  Clara giggled. “No, I’m good.” She took off out of the kitchen, and I went to the refrigerator to grab a beer. I opened it and sat down in the living room. It took me a little while to calm down after seeing Adrian, especially after I watched him kiss Clara. I wanted to kick his ass right then and there. It took all I had not to.

  My phone rang, and I pulled it out of my pocket to see Drew’s name flash across my screen. “Hey, man,” I answered.

  “Dude, tonight was awesome. After you guys left, everyone came up to me and Lena, asking us what happened. I think this is
the most excitement our little town has ever seen.”

  Sighing, I leaned my head against the couch. “Thank fucking God he left. I was going to make him if he didn’t.”

  Drew laughed so loud I had to hold the phone away from my ear. “I would’ve dragged my balls through five miles of broken glass just to see you kick Adrian’s ass.”

  That visual made my own balls hurt. “Damn, Drew. That’s brutal.”

  “Hey, it’s the truth. Don’t get me wrong, I like Adrian as an actor, but I’m totally team Zac here.”

  “Thanks, man. He’s gone, so that’s good. She chose me.”

  Drew snorted. “Of course she did. Was there ever an option?”

  I trusted Clara, but I definitely didn’t trust Adrian. I just hoped he stayed away for good. I wouldn’t be so nice next time. Glancing down the hallway, I waited for Clara, but she never came.

  “Drew, I have to go. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  “All right, man. Have a good night.”

  Hanging up my phone, I set it on the coffee table along with my beer. “Clara, you okay?” There was no response. I got up and walked down the hall, only to stop when I noticed flickering candlelight coming from the bedroom.

  My lips pulled back and I stepped into the doorway, my dick twitching at the sight before me. Clara was on the bed in nothing but her bra and underwear. She patted the bed and bit her lip. “Care to join me?”

  I climbed up onto the bed, and she pushed me down on my back. Entwining my hands behind my neck, I laid back on my pillows and she straddled me, wearing only a pair of pink, lacy thongs that matched her light pink bra. I wanted to feel every inch of her, inside and out; to see her back arch, pushing her breasts higher as I fucked her with my fingers. I’d never felt another woman’s body as perfect as hers.

  “I think I like this,” I said, fingering the strap of her bra. “Got more like it?”

  With a smirk, she slowly slid her hand down my stomach and unbuttoned my jeans. I kicked them off and slid out of my T-shirt as well. My cock was so hard, it fucking hurt. She reached into my boxers, wrapping her hand around me; I thought I would go insane. “You’ll just have to find out,” she uttered breathlessly.