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Authors: Trice Hickman

Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies (31 page)

BOOK: Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies
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Chapter Eighteen
The Volcano That Was about to Erupt ...
V
ictoria's entire body stiffened when she saw Parker standing off to the side. He was talking with Ms. Snow, while Alexandria and PJ were busy playing on a mat in the playroom corner. She knew the only reason he was hanging around, chatting up his cousin's friend, was so he could run into her. She was pissed that he'd never told her about the connection, and wondered why he had kept that information under wraps. She took a deep breath and readied herself.
“Daddy!” Alexandria squealed when she looked up and saw Ted. She gleefully sprinted toward her father.
Ted bent down and scooped Alexandria up into his arms, while Victoria tried to pace her breathing. “How's my princess?” He smiled, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
Alexandria hugged his neck tightly, grinning from ear to ear. “I want you to see what I made,” she said, pointing toward a wall full of finger-painted pictures. She wriggled out of Ted's arms and led her parents over to look at the masterpiece she had created during art period.
Victoria stayed close as they walked over to the wall to see Alexandria's artwork. She looked down when she saw PJ come up and stand beside them. He flexed his adorable dimpled cheeks and offered a smile. “Hi, Ms. Thornton.” He grinned. “Me and Alie made pictures today.” He pointed to his own picture on the wall.
The way he sang Alexandria's pet name in his cuddly, soft voice made Victoria want to give him a big hug. “That's a very nice picture, PJ.” She smiled. His gentle-hearted demeanor, big brown eyes, and innocent charm made her nearly forget the trouble that was attached to him.
“So you're PJ,” Ted said and smiled, bending down to greet the little boy, who looked so much like his father that he was taken aback.
PJ grinned and nodded like a bobblehead doll. “You're Alie's dad?”
“I sure am.”
“There's my dad,” he said with excitement, pointing toward Parker.
No sooner had the words come out of PJ's mouth than Parker walked over and stood by his son. He had been watching them like a hawk since they'd entered the room. “Hello,” he said, looking directly at Ted. No smile, no handshake.
“Hi, Mr. Brightwood!” Alexandria shouted.
Parker temporarily averted his eyes, looking down at his son's new best friend. “Hi,sweetie. Did you and PJ have a good time today?”
PJ interrupted. “Dad, can Alie come over and play? I want her to see Noah,” he said. Alexandria had already declared she was getting a dog, too.
Alexandria looked at Ted. “Can I, Daddy? Pretty please?”
Victoria narrowed her eyes. “Not now, Alexandria.”
Ted stared back at Parker as he spoke to his daughter. “We'll see, princess.”
Parker didn't look away, and it made Victoria nervous as hell.
Parker wanted to say something to Ted, but he stopped himself because he could see the sheer panic and anxiety on Victoria's face. He hated the way Ted stood in front of him, holding Victoria's hand, with the satisfied look of a man who had just won a first-place trophy. He wanted to tell him that he had caressed his wife's most intimate spots, tasted her sweetness, and couldn't wait until their next rendezvous, so he could feel the warmth that resided between her legs. Although he didn't speak the words, he let his eyes do his talking. He wanted her, and he didn't give a damn if Ted knew it.
There they were, Victoria, Ted, and Parker, standing in complete silence as their children played and chatted away, oblivious to the volcano that was about to erupt.
Parker knew he should let the moment fade, that he shouldn't start what could become an ugly scene, but he couldn't resist. He saw an opening, so he eased into it. He looked at Victoria. “Roberta told me that she really wishes you'd change your mind about volunteering on the planning committee for the holiday social. I told her I'd ask you the next time I saw you.”
Victoria nearly swallowed her tongue. She could see the small vein in Ted's right temple pop out, which meant he was pissed to high heaven. She'd never told him that she saw Parker at the Jack and Jill meeting, too. He was still under the impression that their first encounter had been during school registration. Ted dropped her hand, and all she could do was look down at her feet.
“I think it's time to go.” Ted motioned to Victoria, not taking his eyes off Parker. He knew he had to get out of there, because despite his best efforts to remain calm, he was about to blow his cool. Now he understood why Victoria had suddenly lost interest in keeping Alexandria in Jack and Jill. The fact that she had kept it from him made him wonder what else had gone on between the two of them. He'd caught every glimpse that Parker threw Victoria's way, and he wasn't about to stand by and watch another man lust after his wife. At least not without punching his lights out.
“Alexandria, go to your cubbyhole and get your things. It's time to go home,” Victoria said.
PJ followed Alexandria like he was her shadow. The two walked over to get their small backpacks, laughing and playing without a care in the world.Ted waited until the children were out of earshot before he spoke again, saying exactly what was on his mind. “Our kids are in the same class, so we'll run into each other from time to time. But I want to make myself very clear.” He stared hard at Parker, giving a brief pause to set the tone for what came next. “Stay the hell away from my wife.”
“Oh, Lord,” Victoria said, barely above a whisper. She looked out of the corner of her eye and saw that Ms. Snow was staring with concern. Then she looked into Parker's eyes, silently pleading with him to back away from the trouble that was brewing. She motioned to Ted. “Let's go,” she said, reaching for his hand, attempting to usher him away.
“You better listen to her,” Parker said, never raising his voice. “You still don't know who you're fucking with, do you?” Although his tone was calm, his words were harsh and his jaw flinched as he spoke.
Just as things were about to explode, Alexandria and PJ came walking up.
“Let's go,” Victoria urged again.
Both Ted and Parker calmed down, because they didn't want to cause a scene that would frighten their children.
After saying good-bye to a watchful and worried-looking Ms. Snow, they all headed out into the hallway. Alexandria and PJ raced ahead to see who could make it outside first. Parker strode in front as Victoria and Ted walked behind him in silence. Victoria didn't even attempt to say a word to Ted, because she knew that his anger was beyond the pale. His nostrils were flared, his breathing was rapid, and the vein in his forehead was waving like a flag in the wind.
Victoria took a deep breath when they finally made it out to the parking lot, where Alexandria and PJ were already standing. Parker walked up to his truck. “Time to go, big guy,” he said, opening the back door. He buckled PJ in and closed the door.
Ted froze in his tracks, looking as if all the blood had been drained from his body. He stood for a moment, shaking his head from side to side in disbelief. He looked at the truck and remembered that it was the same lone vehicle that had been parked in the lot next to Victoria's office when he showed up there a few weeks ago. Since she had been working late, he'd made a mental note to scope out the area in case anyone was lurking around. He remembered the nervous pause he had heard in her voice that night, and that she had made him wait outside while, she claimed, she was in the restroom. “He was there,” he said, turning to look at Victoria. “Son of a bitch!”
Parker looked up and saw what was happening.
“That was his truck I saw parked outside your office the night I went by to see you,” Ted yelled at Victoria.
“I can explain,” she pleaded. “Nothing happened. He just stopped by unexpectantly, and—”
“Stop!” Ted yelled.
Alexandria froze in her tracks. She'd never heard her parents argue, or even raise their voices, for that matter. “Mommy ... Daddy ... what's wrong?”
By now a few parents who were gathering their children were staring in Ted's and Victoria's direction. Victoria reached in her bag for her keys and pointed the remote toward her car. She pressed the button and called out to Alexandria. “Get in, sweetie.”
Alexandria fumbled with the back door until it opened, then let herself in. She was visibly disturbed, but she climbed into the backseat and did as her mother asked.
Parker kept a careful eye on what was happening, preparing himself in case Ted decided to approach him.
Meanwhile, Victoria looked at Ted and pleaded again, this time with her eyes and her heart. “Let's go home,” she said. “I can explain everything.” She saw disappointment and rage zigzag across Ted's face. The hurt in his eyes made her want to bury herself under the ground.
Ted opened his mouth to say something but then fell silent, his face twisting in pain.
“Ted, what's wrong?” Victoria said with alarm, seeing that something very, very bad was happening.
Ted's eyes widened, and his breathing became labored. He grabbed his left arm and gasped for breath, reaching out for Victoria. He made an inaudible choking sound as he began to sink to his knees.
“Oh, God!” Victoria screamed.
Parker immediately knew what was happening and was over at Ted's side before he hit the ground. He carried him by the shoulder as the school security officer on duty rushed over to help. Parker quickly fired off commands, speaking in a voice that was emphatic yet calm. “Victoria, call nine-one-one, get the kids, and keep them with you.”
Victoria stood frozen to the spot, with panic in her eyes and fear on her face.
“Do it now,” Parker ordered. He wasted no time as he and the security officer hurried Ted inside the school building.
Victoria reached for her cell and dialed 911, while concerned parents looked on, giving her words of reassurance. She glanced up and saw Alexandria peering through the car window with a wild-eyed look on her face. PJ had already undone his seat belt and climbed out of his father's truck.
Victoria finished the call, looking from the closed door through which Ted and Parker had just entered the building, to her daughter, whose eyes were now streaked with fear.
Ms. Snow rushed over to Victoria. “I'll watch them,” she said, grabbing hold of PJ's hand as she headed toward Victoria's car to get Alexandria. “You go and see about your husband.”
Victoria rushed up the steps and into the building.
Chapter Nineteen
I Don't Know What I'll Do....
“Y
es, sweetie, your father's going to be just fine,” Victoria said to Alexandria as she spoke into her phone. She was sitting in the waiting room of the Carlye Fraser cardiac care unit at Emory University Hospital. “Remember when we were riding over to the hospital and I explained to you about how sometimes when you don't feel well, Mommy has to take you to see Dr. Hutchins? Well, that's what we're doing with your father,” she said, forcing herself to sound steady. “Those men who drove your daddy here in the ambulance were taking him to the doctor, and the doctor's going to make him feel all better.”
Victoria had to pause as she choked back a tear. Then, suddenly, her mind went back to a moment that made her nearly lose her train of thought. She remembered the Saturday morning two months ago when Alexandria had burst into their room and pounced on their bed, excited about her pending Jack and Jill playdate and her sleepover later that afternoon.Ted had pretended that her loud commotion had caused him to have a heart attack, falling back onto the bed as if he was in cardiac arrest. Alexandria had put her hand on his chest, had looked into his eyes with worry, and had said that his heart wasn't right.
Just as her daughter's words had put a chill on her arms that morning, the same feeling ran through her now. Victoria shook her head, thinking about how strange and surreal Alexandria's premonition had been. And the fact that it had happened on the same day that Parker walked back into her life made her shiver from the eerie foreboding.
She tried not to fixate on the events of that day, forcing herself to push the troubling thoughts to another place, to be examined at another time. She knew she had to deal with what was happening in the present.
“I love you, sweetie,” she said to Alexandria. “Now, be a good girl and put your aunt Denise back on the phone.”
“How're you holding up?” Denise asked, taking the phone from Alexandria.
Victoria leaned back in the uncomfortable waiting room chair. “I can't lose him, Denise.”
As soon as Victoria had rushed back into the school building, she nearly lost her breath as she looked at Ted. He was sprawled out in front of her on the cold linoleum-tiled floor, while Parker hovered above him.
Parker had looked up when he saw Victoria enter, but then had turned his attention back to his patient on the floor. “There's a small leather bag in the back of my truck. Go get it and bring it to me quick,” he instructed the security officer.
Victoria stood motionless as the man rushed by her, obeying Parker's command. A small crowd of teachers and parents looked on, standing to the side of the hallway in order to give Parker room to work. The scene looked so bizarre that Victoria could barely believe her eyes. She stared at her strong husband lying helpless as Parker knelt on his knees beside him. He slid his hand down to Ted's wrist, resting his fingers there as he looked at his watch and counted the beats per minute. He brought his hand back up to Ted's shoulder, leaning in close to him.
Ted's breathing was labored. He squinted his eyes, opening and closing them as he tried to shift his body.
“Don't try to move,” Parker told him. “You need to lie as still as possible.”
In less than a minute the security officer was back, handing Parker his bag. Victoria watched as Parker put his stethoscope to her husband's chest, listening with care before pulling out a small light and looking into Ted's eyes.
“Oh, God,” Victoria finally said, rushing up to them. “What's wrong?”
Parker spoke in a voice so calm that if it had been any other situation,Victoria would have felt at ease. “He's having a heart attack.”
Victoria dropped to her knees. Her skirt twisted up her thighs as she crouched next to Ted. Despite her shaking body and frantic state of mind, she reached down and stroked Ted's shoulder with gentle, delicate care. “You're gonna be all right, honey. Everything's gonna be fine.” She turned to face Parker. “He's gonna be all right?” she asked him.
Parker had a strained expression on his face, which she didn't like.
They both looked up when they saw the double doors open and the paramedics come through with their equipment and a gurney. “Stand aside,” Parker told her, speaking as gently to her as he could.
Victoria looked on, helpless, watching people moving about her husband's limp-looking body. The more they talked in rushed tones, the deeper her fears plunged. Parker showed the medics his hospital ID badge and gave them Ted's stats while they started an IV drip before lifting him onto the gurney. They rushed through the door, wheeling Ted toward the ambulance waiting outside. They moved through the small crowd of concerned parents and curious children as the security officer and teachers cleared their way.
“We're taking him to Emory,” Parker said, looking at Victoria. He gripped his medical bag under his arm. “Ask Ms. Snow to call Olivia. She's PJ's nanny,” he told her in a hurry. He looked over and saw Alexandria and PJ standing with their teacher, looking bewildered and frightened. “You and Alexandria can follow us. We'll meet you at the hospital.... I'm riding with him.” Parker rushed around the side of the gurney, looking at Ted, who was losing consciousness.
Victoria grabbed Parker's arm. “Don't let him die,” she pleaded, too panic-stricken to cry.
Parker took Victoria's hand in his. “Don't you know he's in the best hands?” He gave her a smile, which he knew did little to ease her worried mind.
Back in the present, Victoria thought about the circumstances that had led her to where she now sat. She wished that she had looked at her phone earlier, instead of hitting IGNORE. If she had, she would have seen that Parker had called and then sent her a text, saying he needed to see her. He said he would wait for her at the school if he had to.
She continued her conversation with Denise, speaking in a low voice. “He's still in surgery.” She sighed.
“Girlfriend, God will see you through this. Ted's gonna be just fine.You hear me?”
Victoria gave a silent nod, which Denise couldn't see.
“He's in good hands,” Denise said. “We both know Parker's the best. He may be an asshole, but he's a damn good surgeon.”
“I'm just so scared.”
“I know, but have faith. As soon as Alexandria finishes her reading assignment, we're going to eat dinner. Then I'll put her to bed a little later.”
“I can't thank you enough.”
“That's what friends are for. If you need me to come back down there, I can get Vernon to watch Alexandria after I put her to bed.”
“No, that's okay.Tyler's here. I'll be fine.”
“All right, but be sure to call me after Ted gets out of surgery and let me know that he's all right.”
“I will.”
Victoria ended the call and looked up at the large clock on the wall. It seemed as though the hands were moving slower and slower with each passing minute. Everything had happened with lightning speed before they reached the hospital, and now time was crawling, limping along at a snail's pace.
“You want me to get you something to eat?” Tyler asked.
Victoria shook her head. “No thanks.” She placed her elbows on her knees and rested her head in her hands. “God, let him be all right,” she said.
Tyler rubbed her back. “He's gonna be just fine. Ted's a strong man.”
“That he is.”
“And he's in there with one of the best heart surgeons around. One of the nurses was telling me that last year Parker was ranked by the AMA as one of the top cardiothoracic surgeons in the country. That's huge,” Tyler said, patting Victoria's hand for encouragement. “He might be an asshole, but the brotha knows his shit cold.”
Victoria managed a small smile. “That's what Denise just said.”
“She's right. Parker's gonna make sure that Ted pulls through this.”
Victoria lowered her head. “This is all my fault.”
“Don't say that.”
“Why not? It's true,” she said. “I saw the look on Ted's face when he put two and two together and figured things out. If I hadn't been screwing around on him, none of this would have happened.”
Tyler took her hand in his. “Listen to me. You're not the cause of this.”
“Yes, I am, and you know it, too. Finding out about Parker pushed him over the edge. If he doesn't make it ... Tyler, I don't know what I'll do.”
“He's gonna make it. And you have to pull yourself together, because Ted's gonna need you to be strong for him during his recovery.”
“Humph, I'm sure he won't even want to look at my face.”
“He'll be hurt and mad as hell, but that man loves you,Victoria.” He looked at his friend with sincerity. “It won't be an easy road ahead, but believe me, far worse shit than this happens to couples every day.Trust me on that. Life's not wrapped up in a neat bow, and now it's time for you to dig deep and see what you're made of.You have to stand fast and fight hard for your marriage, if that's what you want.” Tyler paused, nodding his head. “You have to face your fears through the hurt and pain. Like I said, this ain't gonna be easy, but if you love him like I know you do, you'll get through this.” Tyler was speaking as much to himself about his own budding relationship with Samantha as he was to Victoria about her marriage.
“What would I do without you?”
“Stumble and fall worse than you already do,” he joked.
Just then Tyler's cell phone rang. Victoria listened as he spoke in a slightly higher tone, letting Samantha know that he was still at the hospital. “Okay, I will. I'll see you later,” Tyler said before ending the call. “That was Sam,” he said and smiled. “She got in town this morning. She told me to tell you that you and Ted are in her prayers.”
“That's sweet,” Victoria said, nodding. “This is getting serious, isn't it?”
Tyler smiled again. “Could be.”
Another hour went by and Victoria was at her wit's end. Finally, she got up and went to the restroom. She splashed cold water on her face, wiping away dried tears from her cheeks with a rough paper towel. She stared at herself in the mirror. Her eyes were puffy, her hair was disheveled, and her lips trembled as she let out a small cry. She shook her head back and forth, releasing the pain, regret, and fear that had been holding her hostage.
After she finished her cry, she splashed her face again, then raked her fingers through her hair as she tucked her stray strands into place. She reached into her handbag and pulled out her MAC compact, dabbing a small amount of cocoa-colored pressed powder onto her face before tracing her lips with her plum berry lipstick. She stared at herself in the mirror, then closed her eyes, praying to God for strength and forgiveness.
Victoria returned to where she had been sitting with Tyler, looking tired but also much better than she had before she left.
“You all right?” Tyler asked.
“No, I'm not. But eventually, I know that I will be.”
“That's what I'm talking about.”
A few restless minutes later, Victoria looked up to see Parker walking toward her. She leaped out of her chair and rushed over to him.
“Is he okay?” she asked. She held her breath, studying Parker's solemn-looking face.
“He came through just fine.”
Victoria brought her hands to her mouth. “Praise God.”
“After we went in, we found a bit more damage than we initially saw on the tests we ran. There was significant blockage, but he also had a slight enlargement, which isn't unusual with congenital anomalies.” Victoria looked at him with a question mark on her face, so Parker gently explained. “That means the enlargement is the result of a condition he's had since birth, and it's just now rearing its ugly head. It's not serious, but he'll need to monitor it.”
Victoria nodded with new understanding. “I know that stress makes things worse, and with what happened ...” She let her thoughts trail off.
Parker knew she felt guilty. “Victoria, he would've had a heart attack regardless of what happened today, and I'm surprised it didn't happen before now. He had ninety percent blockage in five arteries. That, combined with the enlargement, made him a walking time bomb. The truth is, he was on borrowed time with his condition.”
“Is he really gonna be all right?”
“Yes, he's going to be fine. Other than this trauma, he's healthy and strong, and I don't see any reason why he won't make a full recovery.”
Victoria let out a genuine smile. “So what's the next step?”
“We'll keep him here for a few more days. Then he's free to go home. I'll consult with his primary care physician, and you should take him in for a visit early next week.”
BOOK: Keeping Secrets & Telling Lies
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