02 Unforgivable - Untouchable (29 page)

She was angry with me, chewed me up and spit me out actually, but it was still good to hear her voice. Once she finished berating me, she began to forgive me and then to plead with me to come back home. She did pointedly mention Ryan was not welcome in her house, at least not for a while.

“
No, I’m sorry, Mom. I love you, but I’m staying in Colorado with him. I won’t be coming home, at least not to live anyway, maybe just for a visit. I’m honestly out of the nest this time and I guess it’s time to start really living my life.”

We said our goodbyes and I clicked the phone shut. Ryan returned after another twenty minutes, carrying coffees and a bag of pastries from the café.

“
Would you like to call your mom,” I said, offering my phone to him as he set everything down, “I’m sure she’s just as worried as mine.”

He smiled and accepted the phone.

By the end of the night, I purchased a pair of laptops for the house, a new cell phone for each of us, picked up a rental car, and placed an order for a new car.

It was late by the time we hit the bed, but we had church in the morning and Candace was supposed to be joining us so we needed some sleep. I got up once at six a.m. and unlocked the front door so she could get in while I was in the shower. She would be here around seven-thirty and she normally just came right in and relaxed while we finished getting ready. Ryan was zonked out in my bed which simply wouldn’t do, even though our relationship was platonic, no one would ever believe that we shared a bed without sex.

“
Hey sleepy-head, time for you to go get in your bed,” I yawned, lying back down beside him for a moment. He hadn’t moved a muscle. I let my hand gently stroke across his jaw line and then allowed my finger to brush his lips. The eyes fluttered weakly open as he stared at me through his blue orbs.

“
Don’t tell me it’s morning,” he said as if there wasn’t enough strength in him to get the words out.

I yawned again, “Yup, time to move to your room.”

His arm flopped across my side as he attempted to pull me toward him. A frontal embrace wasn’t a good idea, especially after the other night. I rolled my back to him and allowed him to pull me in tighter. It was late September and the weather had cooled to the point where being cuddled against his warm body was perfect.

“
What time is it?” he whispered.

“
Six-fifteen.”

“
We have time for a little more sleep. Set the alarm for another thirty minutes, please, Leese.”

I didn’t argue. I was as tired as he was as I reached over and set it for six-forty-five. I was going to pull away from him in a few minutes and slip into a hot shower, but my eyelids drooped and the soft bed and the warm body lulled me to sleep.

The next thing I heard was, “You son-of-a-bitchin’ liar!”

The alarm had not gone off and Candace was standing in the bedroom doorway with Andy and Ty standing behind her. She told us she was inviting them, but I didn’t know for certain they were coming.

I jerked up right, pulling Ryan with me.

“
She’s married!” was the first thing out of sleepy-heads quick-draw mouth.

“
This isn’t what it looks like,” I said, tumbling from the bed.

Ryan was still trying to clear his brain as he stared at all the people looking at us, “We didn’t do anything,” he finally managed to say.

Andy and Ty were all smiles, but Candace was on the verge of an explosion.

“
You both said you were just friends! You led me to believe… Aaah!” she turned to storm out and I knew I had to catch her before she got out the door. “Get out of my way!” she bellowed as I ran around to block her path to the front door.

“
Candace, do you know who I am?”

“
Yeah, you’re a freaking liar just like him!”

“
No. I know you recognized me when you met me—I’m Annalisa Winslett,” I said hoping it would give a moment’s pause before she tore out of the house.

“
The runaway princess?” she said, stopping and staring at my face.

The title was one I absolutely hated, but the national tabloid had dubbed me that after all I’d been through. They attributed Pensacola to me running away (although it wasn’t), my disappearance after the school shooting as running away, and, more recently, they published that I had married and then run away from my new husband with a mystery man. I was making the press a lot of money.

“
Ryan is the guy you… Why didn’t I realize this when I knew he was from Palm Beach and you have all this money to spend? So it’s true then, you dumped your husband for Ryan. You’re a real cheap piece of work, bitch!”

“
No she’s not,” I heard Ryan’s now fully awake voice. “You can haul ass out that door and never know the truth or you can sit down and let me explain. But if you go out the door then that blows the chance for us to be more than friends, Candace.”

Her eyes got big, as well as Andy and Ty’s. It was the first time Ryan made any reference to the fact that he had a ‘thing’ for her.

We didn’t make it to church as we sat around the living room and explained to them as much of what really happened as we could. I couldn’t give details, but I did let them know that the mob was threatening his whole family if I stayed. Ryan had put his life on the line to get me out of there. I told them how much I loved Micah and that I couldn’t sleep for days until Ryan offered to be his stand-in.

“
And now it’s just become natural for us to sleep in the same bed, but we’ve never made love to each other.” I blushed a little which I’m sure to my audience was for uttering those words, but for me it was because we had come way, way too close to not being able to state this as the truth.

“
Damn, Ryan, you’ve got more will-power than freaking Superman,” Ty stated honestly. “I hate to admit it, Leese, but I couldn’t handle
that
,” he said gesturing toward my body.

“
So you haven’t had sex together?” Candace wanted to confirm.

Ryan shook his head.

“
And you are honestly available to have a girl friend?” she continued.

“
Yeah, I am.”

“
Okay, I’m cool with all of this, but Ryan I don’t know if I can get used to the idea of you sleeping in the same bed with her. Can you try sleeping on your own, Leese?”

I smiled, “I’ll do you one better: how about if I get my own place?”

“
No!” Ryan snapped, “We can sleep in separate beds, but I don’t fully believe Micah isn’t keeping tabs on you. As soon as I’m out of the picture, he’ll be back and then what the hell are you going to tell him?”

“
He annulled the marriage, Ryan. I—I don’t think—I don’t think he wants me ba—” I bolted for the bathroom. It hurt so bad to say it out loud, but I was pretty certain ever since David delivered the papers, Micah had completely let go. The hard cold reality was it was over between us emotionally. I knew I couldn’t go back to him, but it hurt worse to know he probably didn’t love me anymore anyway. Damn, D’Angelo—I hated that man.

Candace joined me in the bathroom and tried to comfort me. She told me I didn’t need to move out. Ryan was right about that. “I guess this proves you can’t believe everything you read,” she said as she rubbed my back. “I had this impression you were just some selfish, spoiled brat, but I don’t think I could have done what you did. This hit man of yours must really be something if you’re willing to go through all of this for him.”

I dried my tears and tried a smile, “He was the most perfect thing in my life, even if he didn’t believe it himself.”

“
It’s kind of funny, but I look at Ryan the same way—he’s so perfect and I’m such a nothing in comparison.”

“
Don’t go selling yourself short, I think he’s had a crush on you since middle school. Just do me a favor and take it slow with him. I know this whole business of watching over me has rattled his brains. If he acts a little confused between the two of us, just give him a chance.”

She hugged me really hard, “Leese, I hate to say this when you’re so sad, but damn I’m happy.”

I squeezed her back, “Let’s go tell the guys we want to go out for breakfast.”

It turned out to be a great day in Colorado Springs.

Chapter Fifteen

“
So what car did you order?” Ryan asked again, for the hundredth time as we sat at a sidewalk table at the bistro. This had become our favorite place to hang out. Besides having good food, the atmosphere was carefree and fun.

“
I’m not telling, you’ll just have to wait and see. But I promise you this, I’ll kick your ass in anything you want to match against it,” I laughed. I knew he hated the idea of a girl whipping him in a race, but his pride was just going to have to take a beating when my new car arrived.

“
Yeah, I hear you,” he said, sounding doubtful that I was telling the truth, “I’m having my Trans-Am shipped out here you know, so you might be in trouble.”

“
Do you see me shaking? You better bring a soft pillow.”

“
For what?”

“
Because I’m gonna bruise that male ego of yours.”

He pushed my head as if he were going to knock me off my chair. It had only been three days since I ordered my car and it was being rolled off the showroom today and getting ready to take a cross-country ride in a semi-truck and be sitting at our door by Friday afternoon. I couldn’t wait to see Ryan’s face, or Andy and Ty’s for that matter. But the car wasn’t my only secret.

I didn’t tell him, but I was looking for another house. I knew how he felt about me moving, and his reasons why it wasn’t a good idea, but I was starting to feel like an intruder when he spent time with Candace. Since she knew the whole story between us, she had become more aggressive in staking her claim to him. She hugged him now when she greeted him, leaving her arm around his waist and staring into his eyes when they talked. And then last night, just before she left to go home, I watched her place a brief kiss on his lips. I was jealous and I couldn’t help it. He was the perfect catch and I had thrown him back.

I had brought my laptop and was just signing off on an assignment as we finished the last of our lunch. Ryan thought about going back to high school with Candace, but he finally opted to complete the few credits he needed online, which was what I was doing as well. I was just a little further ahead than he was because I started my classes’ right after I got out of the hospital back in March and then stopped when Micah came back into my life. I was only weeks away from my diploma and finally anxious to close that chapter of my life. I snapped the lid shut and asked him if he was ready.

We were just about to get up and leave when a gentleman approached our table and stated my name as if he knew me. I had no clue who he was. He was about my height, slender built and in his mid to late thirties with graying hair and a salt and pepper close trimmed beard and was wearing a pair of small, expensive sunglasses.

“
What did you do to your hair? Annalisa, that will never do,” he continued. “We’re going to have to get some hair extensions and dye it back to brown.” He stated as if I should know what he was talking about.

“
Excuse me, but I don’t know you.” I was getting a strong suspicion he would end up being a reporter.

Ryan stood preparing to get this guy away from me.

“
No, but I do know you,” he said extending his hand.

I refrained and he withdrew as Ryan moved toward him.

“
My name is Don Bollson, I’m working for a production company in L.A. and we’ve been trying to find you.”

“
For what?”

“
We’re putting together a new show for ABC and you’re on our hit list, girlfriend. Do you mind if I sit? We’ve got a lot to discuss.”

“
A television show?” Ryan questioned.

“
Yes, it’s called Remake. We debut this November and it will be prime time.”

“
I’m not going on a television show. I’ve got enough problems with the press.”

“
Well, just answer me one question because you might not even fit our needs anyway,” he stated and then leaned toward me from across the table and asked quietly, “Can you sing?”

“
Like an angel,” Ryan replied, before allowing me to speak.

“
Perfect!” was the exuberant response.

“
I’m not going on a television show!” I snapped. Heads began turning our way.

“
Could we at least discuss this somewhere privately? I can give you all the details and you can give me an informed refusal.”

“
Sure, you can come back to our house.”

“
Ryan!” I said, slapping his arm. “No, I don’t—”