Need You Now (Martha's Way Series Book 2) (20 page)

Baby or not, no love, no marriage, she reminded herself.
And the first step to achieving love was to establish trust.
Call her selfish, but wanted it all from
Adam. His intensity and vulnerability
.
.
Wh
ile she was
drawn to his unguarded way of living, the reality was Adam had surrounded
himself by walls.

“Every time I see you, you look miserable.”

Claire’s voice startled her. Lily turned and smiled weakly
at the other woman.

“What did Adam do now?” Clair
e
chuckled. “Still no sex?”

In spite of the bitter taste of sadness inside of her,
Claire’s question brought a smile to Lily’s lips. “You look beautiful, Claire,”
she remarked as Claire spun in full circle to give her a complete view of the
modern, yet eth
ereal indigo backless dress. “Wow! I
love it!”

On any other, it might have come across as trying too hard,
but the pretty singer looked effortlessly beautiful and elegant.

“Thank you.” Claire smiled. “So what’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Lily answered with a sligh
t shake of her head. “Everything, I guess. Adam’s parents
think we are getting married.”

“It could be a misunderstanding,” Claire answered, her
eyebrows furrowed. “But what would be so bad about that?”

“Would you marry someone just because you find yoursel
f pregnant?”

A smile touched Claire’s lips. “You’re in love with him.”

Lily remained quiet.

“And you want him to love you, except Adam, like most men,
is slow in the love department.”

The slow part wasn’t the problem. Their relationship was in
a transition
al phase, and she had been willing to go
for the ride. That is, until the nightmare occurred. Lily peeked at Forrest,
still engaged in a conversation with his father; his mother and Jason’s father
had joined them.

Claire chuckled. “There’s nothing going on
between me and Forrest. We are friends.”

“Right.”
It was clear Claire had no intention to
divulge whatever was going on. At that exact moment, the hair on the back of
her neck prickled. Lily turned toward the door and her gaze collided with
Adam’s. He gav
e her a long calculating look, but
didn’t come to her. Instead he headed to where Jason and Blake were now engaged
in a conversation. “He has these dreams that he won’t talk to me about,” Lily
said in a whisper. “I’m mad at him.”

“You need to give him time
, my
friend,” Claire whispered. “Has he opened up to you yet?”

Lily’s gaze dropped to the floor as she shook her head.
“Quite the opposite.
He has completely shut me out.”

Claire squeezed her shoulder. “You know I love all of them,
right? But,” Claire cont
inued, “Adam is being really
stubborn right now.” She paused for a breath. “However, let me say, the baby is
a complete curve ball.
For both of
you.
The only difference is you’ve already fallen for him.”

“It’s not enough. His walls are so high, I can’t rea
ch around them.”

“I’m going to tell you a little story, and then we have to
go mingle,” Claire said, her gaze on the couple now talking to Keely and Minka.
“I once did an interview for this premier magazine in Europe, the reporter
thought he was clever and
shifted the topic to Adam.
It was then I learned there is no record of his life from the age of eight to
ten.”

Lily’s mouth opened but words couldn’t find their way out.

“Naturally,” Claire continued, “I immediately became
guarded and asked that we kept t
he conversation on my
upcoming record.” She shrugged. “I love each one of them as they are. They’ve
done the same with Jason after his mother’s death. Anyhow, the point to me
telling you this is I warned Adam and the next day the reporter was assigned to
c
over fashion or something. Last I checked
,
he was still calling Adam for an
interview.”

Lily peered at Adam. He smiled at something Blake said and
patted Jason’s back. On the outside one could never tell he carried wounds. She
was still clueless of their d
epth.

“His parents are very influential in Europe,” Claire
informed. “They love him very much and would protect him at all cost,” she said
with admiration.

“That was pretty low of that reporter to try to get
information through you.” But even she had to
admit
Claire’s words had piqued her curiosity.

Claire shrugged and seemed undaunted. “People are always
snooping. I’m going to mingle. Are you going to stay here sulking over Adam’s
dumb-ass move or enjoy the night and get to know his parents? They are a n
ice couple. I love them.”

Lily chuckled. “You love everyone. Even Charles,” she said,
referring to Jason’s father.

Claire smiled. “Hey, he raised me. And he’s a good guy.
Just made a stupid mistake.
We all do. And look.” She tilted her
chin in Jason’s dire
ction, who was once again talking
to his father. “It seems all is well between the evil father and the angry
son.”

The two women chuckled. For someone she only met recently,
Lily liked Claire’s easy confidence and attitude. “You’re back in L.A.
tomorrow?”

Claire nodded. “I’ll be back for the wedding. After that I
have a year of touring ahead of me to support my movie and new record drop.”
She rolled her eyes to the ceiling. “By the time I see you
again,
your little bundle of joy will actually be a couple of
months old.”

Lily admired Claire’s talent and was a fan of her music,
but the idea of spending a whole year on the road made her cringe. “Do you love
the whole thing that comes with the fame?”

Something crossed over Claire’s delicate features, but once
ag
ain it was quickly buried. “It comes with
sacrifices, but I love what I do.” She pulled a hand on Lily’s back. “Come on.
Let’s go join the fun. One more thing, have you told Adam you’re in love with
him?”

Just the thought made Lily cringed.
“Oh, God no.”

“
Well, don’t look, but the big
bad wolf is coming this way.”

She looked of course and caught sight of Adam’s imposing
figure approaching them, holding her gaze prisoner the whole time.

“I’ll leave you two alone,” Claire said as Adam closed the
distance betw
een them.

“Come with me,” he summoned in a controlled tone and took
her hand in his. The gesture was filled with such an innate claim that she
could only follow as he led her outside. He turned to face her. “All right, say
what’s on your mind.”

The authority in his tone removed Lily from the spellbound
trance she was under. She gazed up into the sky; the light of day had oozed
away.
“Your parents.”
She paused and cleared her throat. “You
told them we are getting married.”

He released her hand and
took a
few steps away from her. “You already know that’s what I want.”

Lily exhaled and glanced at him. Adam was leaning against
the wall, one foot planted on it. Eyes closed, he tilted his head back to rest
against the wall that braced his back. Static e
lectricity
vibrated off his body.

Her brain pulsed agonizingly. Her heart followed. “Yes,
but…”

“We’re dating, Liliana. We’re getting to know each other.”

Only they weren’t. He was shielded in his armor.

“You’ve shut me out since that dream. You didn’t sle
ep next to me last night.” Lily paused and swallowed the
loneliness inside. “You don’t trust me enough to share your pain with me.” She
walked over to him and slid her hand over his face.

He opened his eyes only to narrow them at her.

“Why can’t you just t
ell me what
you feel?” Her fingers traced his lips. “I need to know what’s inside you,
Adam.”

He caught her hand and held her still. “Liliana,” he said
in a gruff tone.

She shook her head and watched him. “How you act is
confusing me. I need you to trust m
e.” Under the
evening sky, she searched his face, the pained expression that met her. “You
don’t trust me enough to let your guard down and be vulnerable.”

Adam straightened himself to his full height and turned his
head away from her piercing stare. “Let’
s go eat.”

And just like that he closed the door on her once more. One
strong hand came to rest on her lower back as he guided her back to the room.

The aroma of the dinner prepared by Forrest filled the
house. Lily followed Adam to where his parents sat.
They
smiled at her and she caught a hint of concern in both of their eyes. As Lily
sat, she caught a glimpse of Claire walking over to where Forrest was working a
bottle of wine. She uncorked another bottle and the two fell into a natural
routine.

Adam lea
ned into her, his lips
brushed against her ear, and Lily trembled with awareness. “For the record, I
do trust you,” he whispered in her ear. “But all of this is new to me.”

Chapter Eighteen

“Let’s misbehave.”

Anonymous

Lily
adjusted her eyes to the glaring morning sun seeping into the bedroom.
Realizing she was still in the dress she wore for last night’s dinner, she
glanced at the empty space on the bed.
Another night of sleeping alone.
Sighing, she pulled her
weight to
a sitting position. Images of the drive
back to the house were a blur. They had stayed out late and fatigue had taken
its toll on her body, but she remembered Adam’s voice gently telling her to
close her eyes as he carried her to the bedroom. She asked hi
m to stay but he slipped out of her grip and left the room.

She took
a deep breath and exhaled.

On the
nightstand,
I’m Sexy and I Know It
ringtone echoed in the
room, immediately causing her heart to skip a beat. “You didn’t come to bed
again.”

“I left
you
coffee,” he said, ignoring her words.
“Decaf.”

Lily
would never understand decaffeinated coffee; it was like sex without the
orgasm. Oh yeah, she wasn’t getting that either. “Thanks.”

“One
cup,” he warned. “Forrest
said—
”

“Adam,”
Lily interrupted. “I neve
r have more than one cup,
and my doctor said I can drink regular coffee, you know. It’s not like it’s a
drug.”

“I would
rather you didn’t,” he said after a beat.

The
strain in his voice tore at Lily’s insides. “I won’t,” she whispered. “I
promise. Where ar
e you?”

“At Vapor right now.”

The bar
normally didn’t open until lunch time. Lily scrubbed her hand over her face.
“You’re avoiding me?”

“I have
a meeting with the guys to go over Vineyard Sound for a couple of hours.”
Vineyard Sound was the center the fiv
e of them opened
in Vineyard Haven to support abused children. “Then the four of us are going to
test the cold water in a paddle boarding race.
Nothing serious.”

He meant
nothing too dangerous. His way of reassuring her that he would not flirt with
death t
oday.

“You’re
feeling okay? You were pretty tired last night.”

“Yeah,”
she answered with a chuckle. “I’m always tired, but I’m okay.” She paused,
wanting to say the words bottled up inside her, tell him she loved him, or
worse ask him to spend the day with
her. “
\
I
guess
I’ll see you later.”

“Yes.
Take it easy today.”

She had
to meet Minka, but other than that her calendar was empty.
Because all of her time was supposed to be with Adam.
That was the reason she
came a week early.

About
twenty minutes later,
freshly showered, she wiggled
into a pair of broken-in jeans. Lily paused to catch her reflection in the
mirror and examined the little roundness of her belly. She flicked the thin
silver bar going through her navel, wondering how long she’d be able to kee
p the belly ring. No baby bump yet, but her waist had
changed, making the jeans a little difficult to snap closed. Smiling, she
slipped into a black silk camisole, grabbed a pair of beige pumps along with an
oversized cardigan from the closet, and made her
way
down to the main floor. Like everything about Adam, the kitchen was an exciting
mix of classic and up-to-date amenities, keeping the room timeless in style but
modern in functionality. Vintage wide-plank French oak floors, Old Masters oil
painting as
featured art wall in the kitchen, and a
marble-topped island added a farmhouse style. She stopped and glanced at the
picture of Adam and his parents on the counter before walking over to make her
coffee.
 
The sound of a car engine
caught her attention. She
peeked out the open window
and caught a glimpse of an old pickup pulling into the driveway. Seconds later,
Adam’s parents stepped out.

She
gripped the coffee mug and tried to breathe slowly, telling herself to calm
down. She’d tell them Adam was out and m
ake a dash
for it. And of course use Minka as an excuse. It wouldn’t be a lie; she was
scheduled to meet her friend. They didn’t have to know she still had three
hours to kill. Putting on her brave face, Lily walked out of the kitchen to
greet Adam’s paren
ts.

When she
opened the door, a delighted look stretched across their faces. Lily nodded in
their direction, but they reached over for a warm hug.

“Liliana,”
his mother said as she took in Lily’s appearance. “You look much better. We
were worried about you
last night.”

Lily
found herself smiling. “I’m fine. I was a little tired. Please come in.” Wait.
She didn’t mean to say that. The plan was to make a run for it and avoid any
marriage conversation. “Adam’s not here,” she added for a little sanity check.

“W
e know,” his father responded. “We wanted to make sure you
were all right.”

Geez,
could two people be any nicer?

They
were running a close second to her parents. “Thank you. I was about to have a
cup of coffee. Decaf,” she added with a smile and they chuck
led. She sensed they knew Adam had something to do with it.
“Adam has strong views about me having caffeine,” she said as they entered the
kitchen.

“We’re
not surprised,” his mother replied.
“Although
a small cup is fine.”

“But
that’s our Adam,” his father
quipped.

No shit
,
thought Lily as she found
two extra coffee cups. “I don’t know how you like your coffee.”

“Don’t
worry about us, we can make our own,” his mother said as she sat on the stool.
“We wanted to talk to you.”

Lily
quickly glanced at them.

“Co
me sit with us, dear,” his mother
continued,
her voice warm and
encouraging.

She
edged a cautious inch closer. “I’m sorry if I came across a bit rude yesterday,
but…”

“You
were caught off guard,” his father chimed in.

“I
didn’t realize Adam told you we wer
e getting married
soon.”

“You
don’t want to marry Adam?” his mother asked with a thoughtful expression.

Lily
cleared her throat with guilt. Put aside the initial shock from last night, she
liked Adam’s parents. They were warm and obviously loved their son.
“It’s not that. It’s…” she let out a deep breath. “It’s
complicated.”

His
mother smiled. “You love him,” she said then turned to her husband and beamed.
“See, I told you she was in love with him.”

His
father nodded, leaned over and kissed Adam’s mother. “
That’s
the best news we’ve heard,” he said, his gaze now on Lily. “When Adam told us
the two of you were getting married, we were concerned.” His father ran a hand
through his hair.

The
motion made Lily smile; it reminded her of Adam. “I can’t marry someon
e who doesn’t love me. I’m sorry.”

His
mother stood up, walked over and hugged her. “Adam is difficult. We love him.
But he’s built walls.”

“A
fortress he lets no one penetrate,” his father added.

The
words described someone who had been deeply hurt and was refusing to allow
himself to feel love again.
A
forced solitude.
Lily nodded and batted her eyelashes in
an attempt to hold back the tears that threatened to spill down her cheeks.

“Why?”
she ask
ed, wanting to know what brought him so much
hurt.

His
father smiled warmly at her. “It’s for him to tell you. It’s not our story.”

“You’re
a strong person, Liliana,” his mother said gently. “Give him some time.”

Lily
winced. “He won’t even open up to me.
I don’t know…”

His
mother rubbed her shoulder. “We didn’t mean to make you sad. We wanted to make
sure you were all right. No matter what happens between you and our son, we
look forward to getting to know you. And…” She smiled brightly. “We can’t wait
to
meet the little boy or girl. How many weeks are
you?”

“Seven.”

“You
guys have time. Don’t be sad.” She glanced over at her husband. “How about we
take Liliana out for breakfast?” Her attention returned to Lily. “Are you up to
it?”

“Oh, as
much as I’d love to, I have to meet Minka.
Maybe another time?”
To her surprise, she
found herself a little disappointed. She liked Adam’s parents even if the state
of her relationship with their son was out of their control. “Maybe we can do
dinne
r soon.”

“That
would be great. Why don’t you confirm with Adam and let us know a day?”

Lily
nodded.

His
mother clapped her hands. “Well, we must be going. I’m glad we were able to
talk Liliana.” She leaned in and hugged Lily. “Don’t give up on him. He’s a
good person,” she whispered.

By the
time Lily returned from meeting with Minka, it was dark. She stepped onto the
paved driveway and the night swallowed her into darkness. Stars blossomed in
the blackness. Not a light was lit in the house, but she spotted
Adam’s Maserati. Opening the door, she walked inside and
made her way to the bedroom. The room was empty. Her heart fell. She went to
the kitchen and switched on the light. Nope. Not there either. She crossed the
hall, turned left and entered the den. She
caught his
silhouette sitting in the dark with a drink in his hand. She flipped the switch
and he looked up sharply, his face a black mask. The mere presence of him
caused her stomach to contract, and a rush of heat flooded her entire body.

“Come to
bed wi
th me.” She waited. Her heart pounding against
her ribs as if trying to fulfill a thousand beats.

“
I was adopted.”

His eyes
locked with hers. There were no words to sum up the intense wave of emotion
that shot through her. He was opening up to her.
Ready t
o spill his secrets.
She rushed over to him
and dropped to her knees between his legs.

“Adam,”
she said through quivering breaths. “It’s all right. We can talk in the
morning,” she pleaded, unable to bear the anguish in his voice.

He
chuckled, a dry, lifel
ess laugh. It shattered her
heart and she wrapped her arms around him.

“My
mother was a prostitute.”

His
voice was void of emotion, but Lily felt every bit of his pain. A dark,
sickening grief filled her heart. She bit her lip to keep from crying.

“A drug
addict,” he continued and paused again. “I was born an
addict.”

A gasp
escaped her throat, as the shock washed over her like a tidal wave. Images of
Adam as a baby, born addicted, a result of the drugs used by his mother. She
didn’t know much about it, but
she remembered Paige
talking about it once. The drugs traveled the placenta, causing the baby to
become dependent on the substance, developing an addiction just like the
abuser.

Her
stomach quivered and she fought back the nausea that threatened to take o
ver her body. Lifting her head, she caressed his face.
“Adam, oh, Adam.”
Her voice shook with
pain.

“There’s
more,” he added harshly.

Lily
clung to him like a lifeline and shook her head. “No more. Not tonight.”