Lies Beneath the Surface (Buried Secrets #2) (10 page)

“I
don’t know how to fight for her without smotherin’ her. It seems like everything I do is wrong. I know I did her wrong in the past, which is the only reason I’m here askin’ for your advice.” A sour taste coats my tongue as I admit defeat. “I don’t know how you got so close to Carly Jo, or why. But she trusts you. A little too much for my likin’ but if I have any chance in hell at forever with her, I guess I need to accept that you’re in her life. Tell me how I’m supposed to do that?” Luke releases the deep pent up breath he’s been holdin’ onto for far too long, and the red in his cheeks melts away with his deep breath.

“Your number one mistake was taking her for granted. Secondly, you thought that just because you had a grip around her, your hold was too tight for her to wiggle from. Yo
u seem to have forgot that she’s as tough as nails. You lied to her once before, and when you hid the truth from her causing your accident, you stripped her trust in you. She over reacted because she really didn’t know how else to deal. She thought that if you would have hidden something from her that could consequently cost her the company that it was hard to tell what other secrets you would have left buried.” He explains in a low tone. “She, no” he shakes his head, “we both know that what happened between us was one big ass mistake. Hell, Carly ignoring me for the entire month after was clear enough of a signal for me to know that I had no future with her. I’m fine with that, but I need her friendship. I want her happy, Weston. You are the only one who can make her happy. You just need to see that I’m not your enemy and learn to forgive her and me, like she forgave you.”

“How do you know she forgave me?”

“She was with ya, wasn’t she? She loves your daughter like she’s her own. I’ve seen the way she looks at you, Colton. It’s how I wished a woman looked at me.”

“What about the baby, Luke? Wh
at the hell am I supposed to do if that baby’s yours?” Luke pinches the bridge of his nose while shakin’ his head.

“Big picture, Colton. Stay focused. The
most important thing right now is that you fight for Carly and that she knows how much you love her. She’s sick all the time, and she’s scared because she’s basically doin’ all of this alone. She needs you. That’s what matters right now. You make amends, promise her the forever she deserves then worry about everything else as it comes.”

“Shit, man. Are you serious? Do you not even care that the baby might be yours, or that an
other man may end up raisin’ it? Or are you prayin’ that you get to skimp out on raisin’ a kid in this hell hole?” I say, tossin’ my hands about on display of the room we’re sittin’ in.

“Weston, first of all, don’t act like you know me. Just because I came from shit, don’t make me shit. You don’t know the man I am today, only what you see. And we both know you only see what the hell you wanna see. Blind as hell. Secondly, I promised Carly the day sh
e told me that she was pregnant that I would stand by her, hand in hand through any storm life brings her, and I always keep my promises. But I also told her that I prayed that baby she’s carryin’ belongs to you. Because you’re the man her heart belongs too.” He says pointin’ his finger at me as his voice escalates. “I can never love her like you can, Colton. So why try? I’m bein’ the bigger man, stepping back and lettin’ Carly have the happiness she deserves. I’ll be a part of Carly’s life for as long as she wants me in it, but as a friend only. If the baby’s mine, I’ll take care of it. But just because I may be the daddy doesn’t mean that you and Carly can’t move on together.”

“Cause it’s just that simple?”

“If you’re dumbass would quit over analyzin’ shit, yes, it’s just that simple. Man, look at it like this. You and Carly Jo keep being pulled back into each other lives like the rotation of the earth depends on your connectivity. It’s fate. She left you when she found out about that druggie at the mines, but now she’s pregnant and it just might be yours. Sure, karma bein’ the bitch that she is keeps tossin’ shit in your path, but if you’ll fight hard enough, Fate will kick Karma’s ass every time.” He looks down, pullin’ in a deep breath as anguish mars his face. “I’ve loved with every ounce of my being, only to have everything that I love, everything that made my life worth living, stripped from me. Never take the woman you love for granted.”

I
scrub my hand against my chin lettin’ the day old scruff scratch my fingers as I soak in Luke’s advice. I ain’t about to ask about his inner demons. Men don’t chit chat and trade stories and shit. Hell no, that shit’s for pussies. “Man, that’s some deep shit.” He tosses his head back and laughs before continuin’.

“So, you got that shit figured out. How ‘bout all this damage, huh?”

“Yeah man, what the hell happened in here?”

Luke
’s laughter stops and he just peers at me, dazed. “Shit, you seriously don’t remember?” I shake my head, because I ain’t got a clue what the hell he’s talkin’ about.

“The night Carly told you about us, you came over. You flattened my Harley, leaving it in pieces, literally. You rammed my truck, then ripped the screen door off the hinges tryin’ to get inside to get your hands on me.”

“That’s what happened to the splintered door jamb?” I ask in astonishment, and Luke nods. “What the hell did I do?” I mutter.

“When you got inside, you had your hands around me in seconds and that was that. You’re worse than a damn bull in a China shop when you’re pissed. You really don’t remember, anything?”

“No man, not a damn thing. I remember leavin’ Carly Jo’s house and her wakin’ me up three days later. Nothin’ in between.”

“I thought fo
r sure you would have killed me if our fight wouldn’t have woke my old man up. But the gun against your neck sent you runnin’ outta here with your tail between your legs, thank God.” He laughs, but I shoot him a deadpan glare that reins him back a bit.

“Man, I’m sorry for everything. I’ll pay for all of the damages. I’ll have my insurance adjuster get in contact with you this week about your bike and truck.” I sigh. “Thank you, Luke. Than
ks for bein’ there for Carly Jo when I wasn’t man enough to put my insecurities aside. Thanks for bein’ a friend when she needed it most. I don’t know how she’ll ever forgive me, but I think puttin’ this shit between us,” I say motionin’ between him and me, “behind me, may just be the right track.” Luke nods, silently acceptin’ my apology and gratitude. As I stand to leave, I offer him a hand shake, to which he accepts.

To forgive and forget. Tha
t’s the only way I’ll get past this shit storm. Now I pray that I can win my girl back after all the pain I’ve caused her.

I don’t want to move on alone, but I’ve been left with no other choice. My baby deserves a family. Luke doesn’t have the emotional stability to be a father, not with the ghosts of his past haunting him. Colton? He simply doesn’t want me or the baby.

When I left Colton’s house last Friday night, I promised myself that I would give him the time and space that he needed
to come around. But here I sit wrapped in a stiff paper gown, with dry paper sticking to my ass, tearing tiny holes into the bench of the exam room…all alone. He knew I had a follow up appointment today. I truly thought that giving him nearly two weeks to blow off steam would have given him a clearer sight of our future, but apparently it hasn’t.

Dr.
Staton enters the room, pulling me from the depressing thoughts that evade my tired mind. I’m truly sick of worrying over this elusive heartache, but it will never leave me. “Carly Jo, you are terribly pale. How’s the morning sickness?” The good doctor asks with a concerned expression as she pulls the rolling stool beneath her to sit. She opens her laptop then begins scrolling through my chart, nodding silently to herself as she waits for my reply.

“I’m fine, Dr. Staton. Just tired is all.”

“Mmhmm, I see. Have you been taking the pre-natal vitamins I prescribed you? Drinking plenty of water and getting lots of rest?” She asks, peeking out of the corner of her eye. I shake my head up and down with a low mutter.

“Fatigue is common in the first trimester, my dear.
Try not to worry, the second trimester is well within site. Now, I see here that your CBC panels all look nice. Let’s have a look and listen, shall we?” She says as she motions for me to lie back against the stiff exam table. I lie back pinching my eyes shut as Dr. Staton does her poking and prodding. She pulls a measuring tape from her jacket pocket, stretching it across my abdomen, then makes notes on her notepad. She squeezes blue, cold goop on my belly then scans the top of my abdomen with the Doppler. A loud swooshing sound fills the room almost immediately. Tears fill my eyes hearing this miraculous sound for the very first time. Seeing the pink lines on the pregnancy test only told me I was expecting, but hearing this amazing sound makes it real. Dr. Staton smiles down at me as she concentrates on the baby’s heartbeat.

After she has finished her exam, she
asks me to get dressed then to meet her in her office. I wet a napkin to clean the smeared blue goop from my stomach, but ain’t nothing but a shower gonna clean away that nasty residue. Pulling my clothes on quickly, I gather my things and make my way down to Dr. Staton’s office. She is concentrating on entering her notes when I take a seat on the opposite side of her desk. When she realizes my presence she closes her laptop, giving me her full attention.

“Everything looks really well. T
he baby is growing right along with your expected due date.” She pulls her glasses from her face, and peers at me before releasing a short sigh. “Have you talked to the possible fathers yet, Carly? You’re still a few weeks away from being able to get a conclusive reading on the Pre-natal Paternity Test. Have either possible father agreed to the test yet?”

“I have. Both men are aware of the situation, and one has agreed to be tested so far.”

“Only one?” She questions.

“The other is bit scorned by the situation.”

She stares at me briefly
before staring down at the calendar on her desk. She has something more hanging on her lip, she’s just not sure how to proceed with her line of questioning. She looks up at me with a weak smile and says, “I see. Well, I’ll have the girls get the test scheduled for your fourteenth week of gestation. They will call you with the details. Unless you have any issues, I won’t need to see you back for a month. However, even if you just need to talk between now and then, feel free to set up an appointment. I’m not a therapist but I deal with this same situation all the time and it can be very stressful for expecting mothers.”

I shake her h
and and thank her for her time then make my way to the receptionist desk to schedule my follow up appointment for one month out. After that is all squared away, I head out into the blustery cold to meet Savannah for lunch. She was hoping to be with me for my appointment today since Colton and I aren’t on speaking terms, but she had some errands to run for Josh that he insisted must be done this morning.

When I get to the Village Diner
I greet Tabby, the new waitress with a small wave then find my usual table near the back of the restaurant to wait for Savannah. “Hey doll, how’s it shakin’? Gonna have the usual today?” Tabby asks placing the menus on the edge of the table and my favorite sweet tea with light ice on a beverage napkin in front of me. This girl has only worked here a few weeks and she already knows my favorites.

“Hey Tabby, how ya been? Not sure on the order just yet. My sister is meeting me, so I’ll wait for her before I order, ‘kay?”

“Sure thing. Just wave me on back when you’re ready.” She tells me as she slides her order pad down in the front pocket of her apron and turns toward the front counter.

I check my phone for any missed calls, but
there’s only a couple of text messages. One from Savannah apologizing for her lateness for our lunch date, and one from Luke.

Luke: What did the doc have to say?

I stare down at my phone wondering whether I should message him back, or just steer clear like I’ve been trying so very hard to do. I’m trying to keep him at arm’s length, but he calls, texts and stops by to check on me often. Luke doesn’t deserve any of this, he is merely the middle man caught up in an accidental love triangle. He know’s who owns my heart, but I still carry guilt for not only having sex with him, but dragging him into this mess. But the fact remains that this baby may just be his, and he ain’t ready for that road to be traveled again.

I shove my phone
down in my purse, and think
out of sight, out of mind
, but it’s never that easy, I promise you this. I hear him clear his throat as he sits down before me. Looking up, my eyes are met with the piercing blue eyes that I’ve intently tried to avoid. Luke.

“Hey, beauts. Had a feelin’ you’d stop by for lunch today. How ya feelin’?”

“I’m good Luke, waiting on my sister, Savannah. How have ya been?”

“Worried about you, as usual. You know you ain’t gotta hide from me. I don’t bite. What did the doctor say? Everything okay?” He rushes it all out so quickly. I laugh at him and his quick tongue, and he scowls back at me.

“Yeah, Luke. Everything is fine. Just dealing with morning sickness all day and night. I thought it was supposed to be mornings only. Ha, fooled me!” I joke. The corner of his lip curls up into a smirk as he stares at me. “I’m fine really. You shouldn’t worry so much, it’ll turn those beautiful brown locks into greys ya know.”

“You know you don’t have to wear a mask for me, right Carly?” H
e says as his eyes soften, and his smirk turns into a sad smile. I swear it don’t matter how hard I try to hide, Luke always sees straight through my façade.

“Hopefully one day I won’t h
ave to wear a mask, but for now it’s the only way to cover up the pain.” I wring my hands together to try to stop them from shaking. “But why am I telling you any of this? You see right through me already. You get it.” I shrug with a pathetic smile. He pulls my hand across the table to him, bringing it up to his lips as he feathers a light peck across my knuckles. My breathing hitches as his lips graze the back of my hand, and he notices. He smiles a wicked grin, and releases a hearty chuckle as I pull my hand into my lap.

“Friend zone. I get it. Sorry. I just wanted to see you genuinely smile. It won’t happen again.” He mutters across the table.

“It’s okay.” I smile sincerely. Luke knows he affects me, but he knows it’s just not enough.

The bell over the door dings, and I look away from him briefly to see Savannah walking in. She
stops in the doorway, shaking the snow from her hair before she walks to the table. “Sorry I’m late. I swear I’ll be late for my own funeral.” She says quickly, sitting down beside Luke. He turns to greet her and they both still, gazing at each other silently. I clear my throat snapping them both back to reality.

“
Luke Ashton.” He reaches out to take her hand, but Savannah doesn’t move, she’s frozen to the chair, gaping back at Luke behind wide eyes. “You alright there, honey?” Luke asks her. She stares back at him for a moment before smiling brightly at him, then reaching her hand out for him to shake.

“I sure am.
Savannah Moore. You’re Mr. Bad Ass Biker Guy.”

Oh. Hell. No. She. Didn’t. Just. Say. That.

Yes, she did! I kick her under the table and she lets out a yelp. Luke tosses his head back and laughs at her comment, which earns her another swift kick in the shin. Bitch. She shoots me a questioning look, to which I shrug.

“Mr. Bad Ass Biker Guy? Didn’t know you had a nickname for me, beauts. I think I like it. You plannin’ on callin’ me that all the time now?”

“Keep up with the ego, and it’ll be Mr. Dick Face.” I sneer.

“Carly, I swear I don’t know where you find these devilishly sexy men, but if I ever leave Josh, I’ll be raiding your man candy dish.”

“Oh gross, Savannah, really. I’ve obviously already slept with the man, and you’re married.”

“While I’m flattered at the compliment, can y’all stop talkin’ ‘bout me like
I’m not here?” Luke interjects with a look of seriousness. Savannah covers her mouth with the palm of her hand to hide the small giggles that are escaping her lips.

“Sorry.” We both tell Luke in unison. Before he can reply,
Tabby is at the table ready to take our orders.

“Do you ladi
es mind if I join you for lunch since I’m already here? Or should I give you some privacy?” Luke asks.

“Of course not.” Sa
vannah smiles at him innocently, and he returns the smile with a wink. Damn hooker, you’re married! That four carat diamond on your left ring finger tells him so. And when the hell do you wink, Luke? Oh frig!

Savannah strikes
up the conversation about my doctor’s appointment, to which Luke hangs on to every word conversed. I don’t know how much he understands about pregnancies, but he doesn’t comment at all, just listens and nods intently. I tell them my expected due date, again. September 6, 2014; and that Dr. Staton is scheduling the Pre-natal Paternity Test. When I mention that, Luke’s demeanor shifts as angst fills his eyes.

“I can’t believe that Colton hasn’t agreed to have the test yet. I swear he is a damn ba
stard. If I get my hands on him, Carly, I promise his balls are gonna be twisted up tight in the palm of my hand, and he will pray to God that death will come to him before I let go of my death grip.”

“Okay, slow it
down there, Killer. There will be no twisted balls of torture, do you understand? He has every right to be upset with me. I just have to give him time to deal with it in his own way.”

“Do you really
believe that load of shit you’re feedin’ yourself right now? He ain’t gotta damn leg to stand on. Did you NOT tell him it was over when you left his hospital room that night? You didn’t cheat. You merely drowned your sorrows in Jack and this sexy specimen right here. Can’t blame ya there.” She shrugs.

“Okay, seriously. Knock off the flirting. It’s creeping me out.” I cringe. “It doesn’t matter. I hurt him. I’m no better than he is.”

“He’ll come around, beauts. And if he don’t, you’ll always have me.” Luke says with a smile that meets his eyes.

“Thanks, Luke. I know you truly mean that, but it will all come out in the wash. And if it don’t I’
ll move on in my own time. I’m not hanging on to the past anymore. Only damn thing there is cob-web covered secrets that are better left dead and buried.”  Tabby choses this moment to bring our food back to the table. Even she is blushing over the smile Luke greets her with. Hell, he’s cute but put your tongue back in your mouth already. For Heaven’s sake.

No, this ain’t the jealous side of me. Not. At. All.

No sooner than the mixed smells invade my senses, my stomach begins to roll in protest. I curl my nose up at the smells, then shove my plate back out of reach. Luke and Savannah both notice my nausea instantly.

“Is there anything that doesn’t make you sick to your stomach?” Luke as, his voice laced with concern.