Need You Now (Martha's Way Series Book 2) (30 page)

“He’s a murderer,” Rafa continued.

“You’re out of line, Rafa,” their father said sternly.

“Adam w
as a child,” her mother
pointed out.

“Seriously, man.”
Zander shook his head.

“For Christ’s sake, Rafa!”
Lily’s voice shook.

“Lily,” Rafa warned, glaring at his sister.

“Liliana,” Adam said, his ton
e telling her he had a handle on
the situation.

Both men c
alled to her with
barely a glance. She squared her shoulders and stood firm. “I’m not a child,”
she said between clenched teeth and whipped her head back and forth between the
two. “You,” she glared at her brother. “Stop treating me like I’m a child.” One
finger hit Adam’s wall of a chest. “And you stop
treating me like I’m a fragile little thing. Haven’t I proven to you that I’m
not?”

Neither man spoke.

“I trust Adam with
everything.
My
life, our baby’s
.
Why are you so against our
relationship?”

Rafa’s eye
s snapped around the
room. “So you’re all comfortable with her marrying this guy.” He chuckled.
“Well…”

Silence.
The atmosphere saturated with disaster.

“It was self-defense,” Adam’s voice cut through the thick
air in the room.

“Premeditated,” Rafa scoffe
d.

Adam released her hand and buried them in the pockets of
his sweats. “I didn’t catch the news, but did it mention that my birth parents
were both drug addicts?”

“It touched on that,” Max responded.

In other words, Souza made Adam out to be the crazy kid
. Adam fixed his eyes on Lily’s parents. The expression on
their faces silently telling him they were willing to listen. One of the many
reasons she loved her parents. They taught her to always give everyone a chance
and now they were demonstrating it as w
ell.

Adam ran a hand through his hair and moved forward in the
room. “My mother was a prostitute, my father was her pimp.” He paused, giving
them a chance to digest that little bit of information. “They were drug
addicts, and abusive to one another and to
me.”

“That doesn’t give you the right to take a life,” Rafa said
thickly.

“Rafa,” Lily interrupted. “Adam is not responsible for
Lea’s death.”

Another heavy silence filled the room. The air grew thicker
with tension. Adam looked at Lily then Rafa. Her brother’s face was a dark mask
of anger.

“We can’t bring her back,” Lily said, sadness heavy in her
voice. She knew the words hurt Rafa. Lea was a fragile topic that hadn’t been
touched or discussed since her unexpected death. She was all too familiar with
her brother’s pain of losing his wife. B
ut as much as
she wished she could take away the guilt, agony, it wouldn’t bring Lea back.

“Your brother is right, Liliana.” Adam’s spectral voice
interrupted her thoughts. “I was eight, and I made a mistake.”

Rafa sneered. “It’s bigger than a mistake.”

“I can’t edit or erase my past. I can only accept it.
Liliana has helped me a great deal with that.” He paused. Another wave of
silence filled the room. All of the Serrano eyes stayed on him, waiting to hear
his side of the story. “I was born an addict.”

“
Dios mío
,” her mother whispered.

“For eight years, violence and drugs were my normal,” Adam
continued. His gaze swept over each one of her brothers. “You’re lucky to have
never lived through that. You’ll never know what’s it’s like to not want to
come home
because you may catch your mother with a
needle up her arm, or a client walking out of the dingy house with his fly
still open.”

“Why did you shoot him?” Max asked.

“You need more reasons,” Zander spat.

“I came home one day and found my mother on the floo
r dead with a needle in her arm, gun by her side. It’s easy
to give a reason or to hide behind the fact that I was eight, but…” he released
Lily’s hands and shoved his own into his pockets. “I became a product of my
environment for a while. I was angry, ti
red of being
abused. It wasn’t until later did I find out that my father had held a gun to
her head and tried to sell me off. As crazy and sick as she was, she refused to
do it.”

He walked over to where her parents sat. “I care a great
deal for your daught
er.”

Lily watched her parents stand up. Her mother took his hand
in hers. In her loving way, she touched his face. The gesture made Lily’s heart
squeeze. “We know you do. We wish you and Lily had told us everything.”

“Me too,” Adam answered thickly.

“Do yo
u love her?” good ole Rafa
asked, his gaze intensely fixed on Adam.

Because she’d learned so much about Adam in the last two
weeks, Lily was able to detect the muscles in his neck and shoulders tensed.
Time seemed to have stopped, waiting for Adam to answe
r.
Lily stood still, heart thundering.

Adam said nothing for a long moment. When he spoke, it was
in a voice of breathtaking, ice-cold venom. “Love is a word used too much, too
soon, and too carelessly.”

Her heart jumped. But she dare not move. Rafa shook
his head, gave Lily a long look, glanced at Adam, then back
at his sister. “You asked why I’m so against your relationship and this is why.
He doesn’t love you. He doesn’t know how to.”

The words stabbed her in the gut. Pain as strong as one
hundred dagger
s sank into her stomach. She met Adam’s
gaze and searched, pleaded for some indication that the last two weeks were not
a figment of her imagination. Adam’s jaw clenched. He stood rigid.
Unwavering.
And her heart dissolved to her toes.

“You’re an asshole,”
she heard
Max say to Rafa.

“Fuck off,” Rafa replied.

She stood still in the room; tears, large and profuse,
flowed down her cheeks.
All the
faces around her blurred.

“Adam and Lily need time to talk. Let’s give them that.”
Her father extended his hand to
Adam and the two
shook hands. “Our hearts tell us you’re a good man. Thanks for coming to us
today. It meant a lot.” Reaching for her mother’s hand, the two stopped to give
her a hug then walked out of the room. Her brothers followed.

Once alone, they stoo
d in silence
for what felt like hours. Her eyes fixed on Adam’s face.

“Let’s go home.”

Adam reached for her, but she took two small steps
backward.

“Liliana.”

In her heart of hearts, she knew he loved her. She’d seen
it in his eyes on many occasions. Yet,
he stood there
in front of her parents and acted so cold. “I love you so much that it hurts my
heart,” she said, her voice breaking as she did so.

A frown fell upon his lips and she let out a soft bitter
laugh. Her gut wrenched in pain for him, for her, an
d
their baby. “I thought you loved me. I thought,” she paused, fighting back the
cascade of tears she met his gaze and let out a low bitter
laugh. “I saw it in your eyes.”
Adam walked over to the large bay
window. Gray clouds blanketed the earth. He turned
his back to her, shoved his hands into his pockets and focused his gaze into
nothingness.

“You’re scared to love me, or at least to say it, because
if you say it then it becomes real.”

She waited for him to say something. Anything to prove her
brother
wrong and confirmed everything she thought
she saw in him. He said nothing and the blow of defeat painfully clobb
ered her heart against the cage
of her ribs.

“I can’t settle, Adam.” She took a deep breath to stop
herself from breaking down again. “I love y
ou too
much to ever give you just a portion of me. It’s all or nothing.”

From the sheltered corner where he stood, Adam turned to
meet her gaze. His expression told her once again he
’d
had shut down. With her emotions strangling her whole, she
dragged herself away from the scene, with a broken heart and a battered soul.

Chapter Twenty-Eight

“When you meet the one who changes the
way your heart beats, dance with them to that rhythm
for
as long as the song last.”

Kirk Diedrich

Lily adjusted the shoulder of the
haven blue dress. She studied her reflection in the mirror; the fluid cut fit
her perfectly. She blew out a breath and strands of her bangs danced away from
her eyes.

“Ready?”
 
Minka whispered in her ear.

She smiled. “Yes.”

The door to Martha’s Way that lead
to the acres of land swung open and she stepped into the sunny afternoon. A
hush settled over the crowd. With slow strides, she walked down the aisle. Her
parents blew her
a kiss, her brothers smiled. She
caught sight of Adam’s parents sitting a few rows over and they smiled warmly
at her.

It was early October. The leaves,
having lost their green hue, seemed to be a mirror for the sun that day as both
burned a delicious shad
e of orange.
A sunny day with a few puffy, white
clouds.
A perfect day for Minka and
Jason’s wedding.

Claire and Keely had already walked
down the aisle and were now standing on the opposite side of Jason and his
groomsmen. Blake blew a kiss across to Keel
y. Forrest
and Claire made brief eye contact then eventually broke the connection. She
peeked at Jason. He stood under the oak tree, strong and stunning in the navy
shawl-collar Italian wool tuxedo with his three best friends at his side,
patiently waiting
for his bride. Then her eyes
drifted to Adam. His face was carved in a granite expression. He returned her
gaze, sending a startling jolt through her limbs. She hadn’t seen him since the
whole ordeal with her parents; that was two days ago. He even skippe
d the rehearsal dinner. Her immediate reaction had been to
go to him and made sure he was okay, but she sucked it up and stayed away.

She took her spot by Keely. Minka’s
sister took her hand in hers and gave it a small squeeze. Lily smiled,
appreciating th
e warm gesture. They all knew she and
Adam were on the fence.

A pleasant breeze rustled in the
surrounding shrubs. The smell of fresh cut flowers filled the air. Claire
stepped forward to the microphone and her plangent voice drifted through the
crowd as s
he sang the lyrics to
I Feel That Too
by Jesse Baylin. Guests and family
members came to their feet, all heads turned to face the far end of the walk to
greet the bride. Down the aisle, Minka stood in the beautiful embroidered gown.
She held a bouquet mixe
d with rich reds, fiery
oranges, and beautiful yellow fresh flowers. The combination captured the
exquisite fall hues. Her father held her left arm and smiled at her as they
reached the bottom step. The lighter-than-air floor length veil border of
dainty c
rystals subtly flashed as the wind gently
batted at the ends of her dress.

When Minka and her father reached
the bottom step, her father leaned and placed a kiss on his daughter’s cheek
then brushed his eyes. He shook Jason’s hand, let out a breath and pla
ced Minka’s hand in Jason’s. Minka’s father was visibly
shaken. Lily understood and shared the sentiment. Minka was her best friend,
the sister she never had.

Claire’s voice faded, the clergyman
stepped forward and so did Jason and Minka. Lily watched. Her
eyes became moist; she didn’t care to brush them away. She
caught the faint sound of Keely and Claire’s sniffles and knew they were all in
the moment just as she was.

“Family and honored guests, thank
you for coming to witness the beautiful union of Jason
Montgomery and Minka Greene,” the clergyman’s voice carried over the crowd.

Lily steadied her breath and tried
to compose herself, but Adam’s intense gaze drew her back to him. His eyes
lowered to her left hand and she realized his gaze was fixed on the e
ngagement ring she was
absently
rolling with her thumb
. When he looked at her again, a hint of a smile teased his
lips.

Her body reacted to him as always,
but it was more than that. Her mind was aching for him too.
I need you to love me.
Shaking her
head,
she looked away, but not fast enough to miss
the way his brows creased.

Lily wat
ched the
couple exchange rings. “
By the power vested unto me I now
proclaim you husband and wife.” Everyone came to their feet. A wave of applause
echoed throu
gh the crowd. “Yo
u may now kiss—
”

The word bride was never spoken.
Jason wrapped one arm around Minka’s waist and pulled her to him. Their lips
sought one another and they kissed passionately to a thunderous standing
ovation.

Arms linked, Jason and Minka, with
identical
smiles on their faces, walked down the
aisle as husband and wife for the first time in their lives. Blake and Keely
held hands. Claire slipped one arm in the crook of Forrest’s. They stopped near
the end of the walk, forming the start of the receiving line
.

Lily stood still for a beat, her
body tensed and very aware of Adam as he came to stand next to her. He reached
out with arm extended. She bit her lower lip with hesitation.

“Liliana.”

“I can’t touch you…”

He stared at her, brow arched.
“Why?” he asked i
n a husky voice.

“Because I’ll give in,” she
confessed. “But I need to be…”

“Stubborn,” he finished.

She shook her head. “It’s more than
that, Adam.”

Adam leaned into her a little bit,
his lips brushing her ear. “I miss you.”

A whimper slipped through her
lips.
Her body
would have collapsed had Adam not place his hand on her lower back for
stability.

“Adam—
” she
started in a tortured tone.

“Sshh…later.
Right now,
it’s about Jason and Minka.” He gave her a gentle shove ahead of him. His hand
stayed on her lo
wer back until they reached their
friends.

Shortly after family and guests
filed down, pausing for hugs and kisses and congratulating the married couple.

* * * *

Adam watched Lily take center stage
with microphone in hand, ready to make the traditional Maid-of-Honor speech.
Her bangs swept to the side, giving everyone full access to her face. Her eyes
were bright. Her lips, the color of a red rose, smiled and light
ened the room. She looked happy with no care in the world.
This was the Lily he’d known for the last year, always ready to face the world
head-on. She didn’t dwell on obstacles, even if the obstacle was him. His heart
clenched at the sight of her, just as
it had done
earlier when he watched her walked down the aisle. She made him feel way too
fucking much. He lowered his gaze to the aged scotch in front of him, brought
the glass to his mouth and let alcohol burn his insides.

“Life is about risk. Love is ris
ky. Often time it leaves us heartbroken and empty.” Her
voice flowed like a river in the room, grabbing everyone’s attention. “Common
sense tells us not to expose so much o
f who we
are to another person.
Our insecurities, fear, wounds, and even what makes
us happy. Because really then we become exposed, naked.”
She lets out a little chuckle. “But then love tends to happen. Usually we
stumble upon it. And everyone knows falling in love is a crazy roller-coaster
ride.”

Heads nodded in agreement. Voices
echoed
her sentiment. Adam continued to look on.

“When we fall in love, our heads
tell us we’re going to die.” She paused, glanced at Jason and Minka and smiled.
“But our hearts tell us that it’s okay to become less guarded and to trust
because we can fly.”

She
absently
touched her stomach and Adam’s heart bumped against his ribs.

“I’ve watched this beautiful couple
fall and learn to fly together. Neither was looking for love, but the best
things in life tend to happen unexpectedly.” She smiled. “I.” She paused,
waved a hand toward the crowded room. “We celebrate your
love.
Your trust in each other.
Kiss
often, and don’t ever stop showing or telling each other the love you carry in
your heart. I love you both.”

Applause exploded in the room.
Adam’s blood rushed th
rough his head. Once upon a
time he used to not feel anything deep for the female gender. Lily had managed
to change that. She got to him, big time.

As she walked back to her table,
she looked in his direction and their gazes collided. She
paused,
studying
him for an exceedingly long minute, then walked back to her table and joined
her family. They sat distance away facing each other but her attention now
belonged to everyone but him. Max placed an arm over her shoulder and pulled
her to his side. The two e
xchange words, Lily smiled
and reached for her purse. She pulled out her phone, frowned and excused
herself from the table.

Adam counted to twenty, pushed his
chair back and left the room.

“Stop texting or calling me.”

Adam slowed his steps at the sound
of
Lily. The pitch of her voice rose slightly with
anger and frustration. She stood in the garden of Martha’s Way, under the
smeared autumn red sky, with her back to the door. He had followed her with the
intention to talk and make her understand they didn’t
need damn words to express anything between them. Now he stood stiff, listening
to her talking to whoever was on the other end. “You had your chance, Nate,”
she continued after a slight pause.

Nate.
Her fucking ex-cheating fiancé.
Adam
stepped closer and
leaned against the doorway. She
stood in the garden with her back to him, one hand holding the mobile phone to
her ear, the other rubbing her bare arm. He fought the urge to go to her and
warm her with his heat.

“No, I’m not angry at you. Not
anymore. I ha
ven’t been for a long time.” She paused
again, giving the jerk a chance to say whatever he needed to say. From what
Adam gathered, the asshole was trying to get her back. Well, too bad. She was
unavailable.

“You’re my past, Nate, not my
future.”
Another pa
use, this one a little longer.
She gave
her body a little shake under the cool breeze. “I’m pregnant.” She exhaled.
“And no, it’s not rebound sex. I’m in love.” Her voice trembled on the words,
tearing Adam’s inside.
Another
pause.
“Yes, that mad, crazy lo
ve I’ve
always wanted.” She paused again. Adam imagined the cheating bastard was
probably measuring the love she once had for him. “I let you go, Nate, a long
time ago. Now it’s your turn. Goodbye.” She disconnected the call and stood
there for a beat.

Ada
m
remained by the doorway, fighting the urge to throw her over his shoulder and
take her back home where she belonged.

“You can come out now,” she said
over her shoulder.

He closed the space between them
and pressed up against her back. “I wasn’t eavesdrop
ping.”
His hands ran up and down her arms and she shook a little from his touch.

“What do you want, Adam?”

“You,” he answered without a beat.
He’d missed her terribly the last two days. Everywhere he turned, Lily’s face
was there.
Her smile, her laughter.

She whirled around to face him,
their faces inches away. Her heart-baring eyes searched his.
“For sex.”

The sharp-edged words cut him. He
deserved her venom in a way. His hands fell to his side and he took a step
back. “You know it’s more than that.”