“I have a right to know, Faith.”
“No. It’s not yours.”
“You’re lying.” He punched the wall beside her, ignoring the searing pain of his skin tearing against the concrete. A warm trickle began just before his fingers went numb. He ignored the crimson trail, along with the throbbing. The pain could wait. He wanted answers before he lost it.
“Why would I make this up?” It wasn’t anger making her voice shake. It was fear, her fear of him and what he’d do. Truth be told, he didn’t trust himself. He’d never been this angry in his life. Not with Dylan or Heaven or anyone.
Placing both of his hands against the side of the garage, he pinned her between his arms, narrowing his eyes on her. “If you can lie about an abortion, you sure as hell can lie about the paternity.”
“I know I lied about being pregnant, but I swear to you, I’m not lying about the father.”
Weariness plagued her eyes. He considered taking her at her word but couldn’t. If there was any chance the child could be his, he had to know. The baby was innocent in this. More importantly, it was part of him.
“I wish I could trust you to tell the truth, but I can’t.”
“It’s not your child, Layne.” Emotion welled in her eyes as she looked away. “I haven’t even told the real father. He’s with someone else, and she’s pregnant too.”
Shaking his head, he snorted and eased his hands from the garage. “He sounds like a hell of a guy.”
“He is. At least I know he cares about me, or he did for a while. You never did.”
“This isn’t about what we felt for each other. This is about a baby you lied about killing, a baby that has a fifty percent chance of being mine. That is, if you told the truth. I have to question if it was just me and the other guy.”
Her hand connected with his cheek, causing a burst of heat to explode over the side of his face. “Screw you, Layne Perry.”
“No thanks,” he grunted. “That’s why we’re in this predicament. You already screwed me, along with some other guy. So which one of us gets to celebrate Father’s Day this year?”
“I already told you. It’s not your kid.” She ground each word through her teeth, her best attempt to seem threatening. “If I was the bitch that you think I am, I could have easily claimed you as the father. But you aren’t. I’m alone, Layne. I’m pregnant and alone. Why would I suffer that hell by myself if you were the father?”
“You’d do anything to torment me, anything to keep me from what’s mine. If that’s my kid, I have a right to be in its life.”
“Why? So you can be a part-time father?” She left the question hanging between them and looked away. “You don’t have time for a child. You’re a Keeper, Layne. I know all about your role in my sister’s life and what it means. Even if this kid belonged to you, it would never see you. No one will ever come first, except Heaven.”
“Jesus Christ,” he mumbled, turning his back to her. She was still jealous of Heaven. That’s what this really boiled down to. The thought of her sister being happy made Faith angrier than anything, except the fact that he cared more about Heaven than her. Always had.
“I thought triplets had a stronger bond than the one you share with your sisters. It’s obvious to me that you know nothing about Heaven. She would want me to be a part of my kid’s life. She knows what it would mean to me.”
“Don’t pretend like you want kids, Layne, especially one with me. Who knows, if you’re a good Keeper, maybe you can knock up Heaven someday. Of course, she loves Dylan, so she’d want to pass it off as his. Unless, of course, the three of you are—”
“Shut your whore mouth.” He shouted the words in her face with so much anger that spit flew from his lips. “Don’t you ever speak about her like that again. Do you hear me?”
Footsteps sounded from behind him, but he didn’t bother looking away. She’d already tried to run from him once. He wasn’t taking a chance on her doing it again just so he could see who was approaching. He’d find out soon enough.
“Faith? Layne?” Delia called in the distance.
The footsteps multiplied and grew louder. Not quite as loud as the thump in his chest, but enough for him to know Dylan’s mother was running. She came into view a moment later with Anna at her side.
“We heard arguing.” Anna said through labored breaths. “What’s going on?”
Layne ignored both women. His eyes remained locked with Faith’s. The harder he stared at her, the more her face began to flush. She swiped it with the back of her hand then waved it in front of her face.
“I…I can’t argue with you anymore. I need to go…” she stumbled to the side, bracing herself with her other hand. “I need to lay down.” A yawn gaped her mouth as she continued fanning her face.
“You’re not going anywhere until we settle this.”
“Layne, calm down,” Delia pleaded as Anna wedged herself between him and her daughter. She gripped Faith’s arm with one hand, placing the other to her daughter’s face.
“She’s burning hot.” There was a break in her voice as she did her best to block Faith from his sight. Then she turned toward him. He met her eyes when they slanted in his direction. “You’re hurting her. Stop it.”
Anna’s words made perfect sense. He even wanted to obey them, but something wouldn’t allow him to walk away, not without getting answers from her. “Did you know about this, Anna?”
“Know about what?”
Laughter filled the air. He didn’t realize it was his own until all three women frowned at him. Maybe he was psychotic.
“Did you know that your daughter is a bold-faced liar?” Pointing a finger toward his ex, he used his other hand, motioning for Anna to join him. “You need to step back and take a good, hard look.”
Anna did as he said, coming to a stop beside him. When her eyes lowered from Faith’s face, they widened. A gasp came from her mouth as it fell open.
“Faith?”
“I know, Mom. I lied. Save the lecture,” she grumbled. She had quit fanning her face, but her hair had dampened from the amount of sweat she’d built. It clung to her cheek, each dark curl contrasting against her fair skin.
“She swears it’s not mine, but I know there’s a chance I could be the father, even if it’s only a small chance. I want a paternity test done once the baby’s born.”
“I think that’s a reasonable request, Faith,” Delia added.
“Fine.” Faith snapped the words and backed away from the protection of her mother. She didn’t say anything else but stormed up the steps instead.
Sympathy wavered in Delia and Anna’s eyes like a parent whose child had been bullied. He wasn’t a child. They didn’t need to coddle him like one.
“Layne,” Anna began, giving him an apologetic grimace. “I’m really sorry. I promise you, I had no clue she was still pregnant. I told you that Nicholas and I have barely seen her. When we did, she was always carrying something. She’s hid it well.”
“Believe me, I know. I stood here, having a conversation with her for a good ten minutes before I realized it myself. Hell, I still wouldn’t know if she hadn’t fallen back into the steps and dropped the basket she was carrying. And I didn’t push her either.”
“No one said you did, Layne. Just try to relax and breathe.” Delia used her usual, calming voice. It didn’t help him much tonight. Nothing would, nothing but his Seeker, who was well over a hundred miles away.
“Losing control is not going to help you get the truth,” Delia continued. She curled her hand around his arm, tugging him toward the cottage. “I hate to say this, but you won’t know for sure until the baby’s born.”
“Can’t you tell with your intuition or maybe a reading?”
She stopped just a few yards shy of where they’d been standing and stared him in the eyes. “Yes. I could tell you by either method, but will you accept my answer? Because if you can’t, it won’t provide you any relief.”
Her word had always been cr
edible. He’d trust it as much as he would a paternity test. If he could get his answer, he could be done with this situation, could be done with Faith. “I’ll accept your answer, Delia. I need to know something tonight.”
She still looked hesitant to say anything. Her eyes roamed his face, darted to Anna’s, and then came back to his. “I’ll have to grab my cards before I can give you a reading, but as far as my intuition goes, the answer is no.”
“No?” He echoed her answer, unable to decipher what she was saying no to.
“The baby isn’t yours, Layne. A reading will give you a more definitive answer, but that’s what my gut says.”
His skin prickled from the top of his head all the way to his feet. Part of it stemmed from relief; the other, from disbelief. He still wanted a reading to make sure her instincts were right, but he doubted the reading would show anything different. Delia had never made a mistake with her intuition.
“I didn’t want it to be mine, not after all the stuff I’ve seen her do to the people she claims to love. I wouldn’t want my child, or anyone’s child, living with her.” Glancing over his shoulder, he looked at Anna. “I’m sorry to say this, but your daughter is evil.”
Anna nodded with reluctance and bowed her head. A long, heavy sigh seeped past her lips. “Where’s Heaven at, Layne? She needs to know about this, and you need to talk to her.”
“She’s not here.”
Anna’s forehead wrinkled, regaining his attention, as did the way she gave Delia a strange glance. “What do you mean she’s not here? Where is she?”
Reaching into his back pocket, he pulled out the crumpled note and handed it to her. The painful words tumbled in his mind, making his heart ache again. Not only did he have to deal with the fact that he wouldn’t see Heaven for another day, he had a slew of new issues to torment him. Faith made sure of that. Yet knowing Heaven wasn’t there hurt more than anything, even more than the baby not being his.
He needed to be by his Seeker’s side. He needed to be with Heaven.
CHAPTER 18
Heaven leaned her head against the car window, studying the maple trees lining the driveway of her parents’ house. The bare limbs atop swayed in the wind, the same wind that had the car swaying from left to right.
There was a storm heading their way. The ash-colored clouds filling the evening sky darkened to slate in the distance. She hoped it was rain and not snow about to fall. Snow meant slick roads and hazardous conditions. If someone did come looking for them, they couldn’t escape on snow-covered roads.
Dylan adjusted his grip on the wheel, his eyes locked on the windshield. He hadn’t spoken for the last ten miles, nor had he bothered to spare her a glance. Too many other things weighed on his mind.
His guilt continued to consume him, guilt that stemmed from his actions regarding Layne. It had all but disappeared until he got the text from his mother this morning. A text that scolded him for not telling Layne they were leaving.
No one could punish him as much as he was punishing himself. Not his mom, not Layne, not even her. She’d lost count on how many times he’d apologized.
As much as it hurt to learn what he’d done, she understood why he kept the truth a secret. He wanted time alone with her, needed that time as much as the air he breathed. She’d needed the same. She hadn’t realized how much until they began making love. Not one second of their time together was regretted. She’d forgiven him for his actions. Whether Layne would do the same, she didn’t know.
The garage and main house came into view, as did the first drop of rain. Dylan slowed the car, bringing it to a stop just behind her mother’s. He killed the engine before turning in his seat to face her. Dark brown eyes roamed her face as if he were trying to memorize every detail about it.
“Is everything okay?” she asked.
“Yeah,” he nodded, reaching over to caress her cheek. “I was about to ask you the same thing. We’re okay. Right?”
She nodded as she wrapped her fingers around his wrist. “We’re fine, Dylan. I promise. I enjoyed our time together just as much as you. You were right. We definitely needed it.”
“I agree,” he said, his eyes falling toward her lap, “but it doesn’t change the fact that I went about it wrong.”
“Layne will be okay. Yeah, he’s mad, but it’s because he was worried. If something had happened, he would have blamed himself.”
A few more drops of rain splashed against the windshield, drawing their attention back to it, at least for a moment. Dylan released a sigh and stroked her cheek again. “Guess we better go inside before it starts pouring. Think we should check in with our parents first?”
“It wouldn’t hurt to pop in and say hi, let them know we’re back and all.”
He nodded and leaned toward her. His face hovered mere inches away. “Thank you,” he said, rubbing the tip of her nose with his.
“For what?”
“For your patience,” he whispered, sweeping his lips across hers, “for your understanding,” another sweep, “but most of all, for your love.” He said nothing else, nor did he tease her lips again. He pressed into them, suckled them, bit them ever so softly.
When he finally pulled away, she sat there, eyes closed, breath heavy and quick. It wasn’t until she heard him chuckle that she looked at him.
“What’s so funny?”
Shaking his head, he brushed his hair from his face and smiled. “Love is.”
He said nothing else as he opened his door and stepped outside. It only took him a few seconds to reach the passenger side, open her door, and help her out. He headed toward the trunk right after.
As she watched him pull the bags from the back, the rain picked up. Its icy cold droplets splattered against the ground, the car, even the top of her head. Dylan shoved the trunk closed then motioned for her to join him. Once she grabbed his hand, they ran for the front door, both a little out of breath by the time they reached it. The heat of his body remained at her back as they stepped inside, closing the door behind them.
Soft murmuring came from the back of the house, most likely the kitchen. She didn’t bother checking any other room. There was no need. Had it not been for their voices, their energy would have led her to their exact location.
Sure enough, their parents were huddled together in the kitchen near the coffee maker. All three turned to face her and Dylan at the same time. A mixture of relief and concern bounced between their energies.
“Sweetheart, you’re back,” her mother said as she walked over to greet them. Delia came too, but her father remained by the counter, leaning his back against it.
“Did you have a good time?” Delia added.
Dylan wrapped his arms around Heaven. His chest provided comforting warmth as he drew her close and rested his chin on her shoulder. “It was perfect.”
“Good,” Delia answered, gazing just past them to the empty dining room. “I’m glad to hear it.”
It wasn’t until an odd moment of silence fell that Heaven noticed the circles under her mother-in-law’s eyes. They mirrored the ones under her mother’s. Each time either would look at her, they’d look at each other right after.
“Is everything okay?” She gazed around the kitchen again, unable to find what, or rather, who she was looking for. “Where’s Layne?”
No one answered at first. Her mother and Delia gave each other another glance, but this time, they did the same with her father, who remained leaning against the counter. He frowned at both women before crossing his arms in front of him, mumbling something indiscernible with each shake of his head.
“He’s in the cottage.”
His voice was gruff, irritable, and the way he narrowed his eyes on her mom made her heart beat faster. She felt Dylan’s chest rise and fall with a sigh. His guilt resurfaced, leading him to ask the one question she couldn’t answer, the one question that weighed on his conscience.
“Is he still pissed with me?”
“He’s…a lot of things right
now.” Delia answered this time, though she hadn’t looked away from Heaven’s mother. She flashed Heaven a quick glance before looking up at Dylan, “It’s not all directed toward you.”
Dylan’s energy spun, though she couldn’t tell if it was from confusion or remorse. He hadn’t released her from his embrace. He kept holding on to her like she was a security blanket, providing him the courage to ask the difficult questions. “What do you mean by that? He can’t be pissed with Heaven. She didn’t know what I did.”
“He’s not angry with Heaven,” her mother chimed in as she joined her father at the counter. “He and Faith had a run-in Friday evening.”
The words had Heaven’s stomach knotting. A combination of fire and ice shot through her veins, making her cheeks heat like she’d stood in the cold for too long. As if her departure hadn’t upset him enough, he had the misfortune of running into her sister.
She knew it would happen at some point. That it occurred while she was gone is what upset her most. She should have been here for him, should have paid closer attention to the disturbance she’d sensed in their connection. Maybe if she and Dylan hadn’t been making love, she would have.
Breaking free of Dylan’s embrace, she turned to meet his eyes. He already knew what was on her mind. His mouth turned down, hinting to his sadness. This is where he kept his promise to her, to allow her relationship with Layne to evolve. He knew that, but nothing would ever make him content with it.
“I better go check on him.”
Dylan gave her a nod just as his mother spoke up. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” She left her spot near the counter, her quick steps propelling her to the side of the kitchen where they stood. She stopped beside Dylan, blocking Heaven’s way out of the room. “No one’s been able to get close enough to check on him. He’s putting off a massive amount of heat.”
While she appreciated his mother’s concern, it didn’t change the fact that her Keeper needed her. She’d already let him down this weekend. She couldn’t do it again. “I know you’re worried, Delia, but I have to check on him.”
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