What the Heart Takes (16 page)

“Save it, Faith. Spin this around in any disgusting way you want. I don’t care. I had a purpose when I came here, but I’ve decided it’s not worth my time. So spew your vile atrocities all you want, but stay away from my husband, my Keeper, and me. Enjoy the rest of your miserable life.”

Pushing herself away from the wall, she didn’t wait for her sister’s response before she turned toward the door. Step-by-step, she moved across the carpet almost as fast as she had when she crossed the yard. There was no way she would keep subjecting herself to Faith’s vindictiveness.

The second she curled her fingers around the doorknob, Faith’s energy shifted, as if the thought of Heaven leaving upset her. “Why
did
you come here, Heaven?”

If she could just open the door, Heaven would be free of her sister and her questions. Yet the question that brought her to her sister’s doorstep had gone unasked.

She trailed her fingers over the edge of the door, circling the latch bolt while debating on a reply. No matter how much she wanted to hate Faith or how many times her sister hurt her, some part of her would always care.

“I came here because I wanted to ask you the same question. Why are you here, Faith? What happened to your internship in New York?”

“I’m, uh…” Faith’s voice fell away. Maybe she was thinking of a good lie to cover the truth. Only God knew what really went through her mind. It was a dark abyss Heaven didn’t want to enter, no matter how much she wanted an answer.

A swooshing sound came from her sister’s direction as she released a breath and continued. “I’m here because of the media. My encounters with the paparazzi didn’t stop when I left L.A. Once the locals in the city figured out who I was, they were relentless. I didn’t want to deal with it anymore.”

It sounded like a plausible excuse. Part of it was probably true, but her energy said there was something more to the story. “Is that it, because I have a feeling you have more to tell me?”

A moment of silence passed before Faith found her voice again. “I guess your instincts are good, because you’re right. It’s only part of the reason I’m here.” Her coffee cup clicked against the counter as she cleared her throat. “Remember the guy…you know, the one I told you about?”

She couldn’t believe her sister would bring up this subject to anyone, let alone her. “Do you mean the guy you slept with while you and Layne were together?”

“Yeah. He, uh… We spent some time together while I was in New York.”

Making a slight turn in Faith’s direction, she couldn’t force herself to look at her sister. She stared toward the wall at a picture that read,
Believe in the unbelievable.
How ironic.

“I thought this guy lived in L.A.”

“He does. He came to the city on business about a month after I moved there.”

Great. As if the whole pregnancy debacle hadn’t been bad enough. Her sister still refused to learn from her mistakes. Getting involved with two men, sleeping with both, even though the guy was involved with someone else, just like her.

“Where was his girlfriend?”

“She stayed in L.A. His business kept him in town for three weeks, so he spent that time with me.”

Twisting her head toward Faith, she peered across the half-wall to the spot in the kitchen where her sister stood. “Did you tell him about the baby, that he could’ve been the father of a child you aborted?”

Faith’s gaze fell to the floor as she shook her head. “No, I didn’t. I started to tell him several times, but the time was never convenient.”

“That’s funny.” Heaven laughed. “You found the perfect time to drop the bomb on Layne.”

“Well, I guess I care more about this guy’s feelings,” Faith hissed, smacking her hand against the counter. “The point is we spent three amazing weeks together. I started thinking that he would break things off with his girl and start a life with me. We even looked at apartments around the city, trying to find one we both liked. It was his idea, not mine, but I fell for it anyway.”

Faith fell for a lot of things… Wait. What? “Saying
fell
implies that he lied to you. Is that what happened?”

Her sister shrugged her shoulders, aiming her eyes toward her feet. The flow of her energy hinted to the ache in her heart. Did she honestly care about this guy?

“He said he was going back to L.A. to tell his girlfriend it was over. He was gone for a couple of weeks, but we kept in touch until he came back.” She curled her arms around her chest, grabbing each shoulder with the opposite hand. “I was too afraid to ask if he talked to her. He didn’t offer the information. So we spent the next three days tiptoeing around the subject.”

“Something happened or else we wouldn’t be here having this conversation.”

“I’m getting to that,” Faith grumbled. “On the third night, we were laying in bed, about to go to sleep when he curled up behind me. He told me how he wanted to hold me like that for the rest of his life. So I asked him if he’d talked to his girl.”

Faith was doing her best to torment Heaven. She continued to feed her just enough information to keep her hanging. It drove Heaven nuts. “Quit dragging this out. Just tell me what happened.”

Reopening the cabinet to her right, Faith replaced the canister inside while shaking her head. “Nothing at first. He just laid there in silence. So I turned around, looked him in the eye, and asked again.” The distant look in her eyes said that she was reliving every detail she shared with Heaven. “I could tell his eyes were watering, so I touched his face. What a mistake that was.”

“Why?”

Heaven leaned her weight against the doorframe. She wished Faith would get to the point. A quick glance at her feet showed signs of swelling in her ankles. Dylan would make a fuss when he saw it.

Her sister remained quiet just a moment longer but finally gave in and spoke. “Remember how I told you that my ability allows me to see the past? Well, I had a vision of him trying to bring the conversation up to his girlfriend. He came so close to telling her the words we both wanted him to say. But before he could get them out, she—”

Her eyes trailed off to the counter as she hung her head. She swiped at her cheek, keeping her hand near her eyes. Then her shoulders began to shake. Was she crying?

“Faith?”

She raised a finger, holding it in front of her to signify she needed a minute. Her shoulders shook again, with more emphasis. When they finally stopped, she rubbed her face and sucked in a breath so deep her nose rattled.

“Come on, Faith. Tell me what happened.”

Her hand dropped back to her side, revealing streaked cheeks and a red nose. She exaggerated a sigh before answering, “She told him that she’s pregnant.”

CHAPTER 11

The hinges creaked as the cottage door swung open, allowing Heaven to step inside. She hesitated on the threshold when the pulse of Dylan’s energy swirled around her. Each worry-filled vibe had her debating on keeping her distance or returning to the main house.

Dealing with Faith zapped her energy. The fact that she was still standing said a lot, but the energy keeping her on her feet was dwindling fast. She couldn’t handle the tension between Dylan and Layne. While their energy had settled from anger-fueled thumps, both still held resentment toward the other.

Something had happened since their earlier surge of energy, the same surge that nearly took her to the ground. If she hadn’t been hell-bent on talking to Faith, she could have focused on their emotions to get the answer. She wanted the answer, because nothing she said or did got through to them. Yet something had this time, something strong enough to decrease their confrontational vibes. Too bad it wasn’t powerful enough to decrease the ache in their hearts.

Pushing the door closed, she held the knob in her hand and leaned back. The cold wood radiated through her sweater, but she didn’t mind the coolness. It helped soothe the heat consuming her body, heat she knew as Layne’s energy.

An array of emotions spun within him, like he couldn’t make up his mind on which one he felt most. Irritation monopolized most of his energy, but fear was gaining ground. Fear coupled with defensive waves, an indication that he felt the need to protect her. His Keeper instincts were alive and well, even if he didn’t want to be her friend anymore.

She shook her head, as if to dispel the thoughts from her mind. Yet the ones that replaced them weren’t much better. Faith’s voice rang inside her head. Each shaky syllable revealed the pain in her sister’s heart as she discussed her mystery man. How he was the main reason she’d come home. How he told her that he couldn’t leave his pregnant girlfriend, at least until his child was born.

Her sister refused to be his second choice. She’d sent him a goodbye text, switched her number, and left for home. This was the one place she knew he wouldn’t dare show his face, and even if he did, she had a clear view to the driveway. She swore she’d disappear before he made his first step toward the apartment. Unless he snuck up on her, like Heaven had.

So it wasn’t a foolproof plan. At least her sister had one, which was more than she could say for herself.

Regardless of the reasons that brought them home, both she and Faith sought refuge at the one place they felt safe. She couldn’t ask her to leave for Layne, though she did get Faith to agree to leave him alone. Besides, her sister was too focused on her own personal hell to worry about tormenting her ex.

So many men had come in and out of Faith’s life, all by her own choosing. She’d get tired of them after a while and move on to the next one. Knowing that alone made her current reactions confusing. Twice she’d cried over this man—on the day she confessed her indiscretions and less than thirty minutes ago. Heaven doubted they were the only instances, because everything about Faith’s behavior confirmed one thing, something she could never say about her sister before. Faith was in love with this man.

Unfortunately, their situation proved to be complicated. Of course it would be. Anything Faith did was half-assed or ass-backwards. It was hard for anyone to feel sympathetic to her problems, especially after her actions toward Layne. And even though it seemed that karma had caught up with Faith, she wasn’t paying for her sins alone.

Somehow, admitting that stirred another thought. Faith’s choices brought misery to all of them. Did that mean she was part of the unfortunate pair, the soulmates who would not stay together? If so, was Layne really her soulmate, or was this other man?

The question was fleeting to say the least. Quick thumps echoed outside the door, like someone had taken the porch steps by twos. She didn’t have time to step away before the door swung open, pushing her across the floor. The ground shifted beneath her as she lost her balance and tumbled toward the corner of the couch.

“Oh shit—” The words came out in a rush as rough fingers gripped her arm, jerking her back into a hard chest. “Are you okay?”

She didn’t have time to nod before her body shifted again. Broad shoulders filled her vision, broad shoulders that cradled her head as warm arms wrapped around her body. How amazing it felt to be cocooned in his embrace, to feel the comforting pulse of their connection. To know each time his heart thumped against her cheek, the beats were for her.

God, she loved him, loved the way he made her heart race, loved the way his touch sent thousands of jolts tingling through her body. Didn’t he sense that? Didn’t he feel how much she loved him, how much she needed and wanted him?

“Please, tell me what I’m feeling is real. Tell me you’re okay.”

She focused on his voice as she shut her eyes to the spinning room. “It’s real, Dylan. I’m okay.”

Pressure increased in her sides when he tightened his arms around her, crushing her chest to his. He pressed his face atop her head and released a shaky breath. “I didn’t know you were in front of the door. My God, if I’d pushed any harder, I could have hurt you, both of you.”

“We’re fine, Dylan.” She wrapped her arms around him, squeezing him tighter, but it didn’t relieve the worry and guilt pulsing through their bond.

“I had this overwhelming feeling that you needed me, so I rushed outside to find you. When I stepped into the backyard, the pull came from the cottage instead of the apartment. I thought…” He shook his head as his emotions got the best of him. Whatever reason he had for not finishing his sentence, he didn’t want to discuss it. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

“I promise. You saved me, just like you always do.”

He cupped her face with both hands, tracing his thumbs over her skin. Silence resurfaced between them, yet she didn’t need his words, not when his eyes showed the emotions burning in his soul. They danced over her face as he thumbed the space beside her lips.

It felt like it took him forever, but he finally pressed his mouth to hers. Cinnamon rushed through her nose as she gave into the kiss. Each sweep of his lips grew hotter than the last, leaving her knees shaky. This was the side of him she needed. This side knew how to comfort her, how to protect her, how to diminish the ache in her soul. This side made her complete.

Once the fear in his heart had eased, he parted his lips from hers. Hesitation played in his eyes as he struggled to speak. The longer they stared at each other, the harder it became to say anything, even for her. Words would ruin the moment. Words would remind them of what caused the fear and anger that had them clinging to each other.

The warmth of his lips returned to hers, setting them ablaze, again. She wanted to cling to him, wanted to forget everything else and focus on the love they shared. He wanted the same, needed the same. The more he fought to control the need, the more it consumed him. It came through with each swirl of his tongue, each grip of his hands, even the groan he made when he finally pulled away and held her to his chest.

“I’d love to show you how happy I am that you’re okay, but we’ll have company in a few minutes. Our parents volunteered to help Layne so we could go to sleep.”

And once again, reality came rushing back. The words she knew would ruin the moment did just that. They stole what little relief their intimacy had given them, replacing it with confusion.