What the Heart Takes (29 page)

“Is he still pissed with me?”

“He’s…a lot of things right now.” Delia answered this time, though she hadn’t looked away from Heaven’s mother. She flashed Heaven a quick glance before looking up at Dylan, “It’s not all directed toward you.”

Dylan’s energy spun, though she couldn’t tell if it was from confusion or remorse. He hadn’t released her from his embrace. He kept holding on to her like she was a security blanket, providing him the courage to ask the difficult questions. “What do you mean by that? He can’t be pissed with Heaven. She didn’t know what I did.”

“He’s not angry with Heaven,” her mother chimed in as she joined her father at the counter. “He and Faith had a run-in Friday evening.”

The words had Heaven’s stomach knotting. A combination of fire and ice shot through her veins, making her cheeks heat like she’d stood in the cold for too long. As if her departure hadn’t upset him enough, he had the misfortune of running into her sister.

She knew it would happen at some point. That it occurred while she was gone is what upset her most. She should have been here for him, should have paid closer attention to the disturbance she’d sensed in their connection. Maybe if she and Dylan hadn’t been making love, she would have.

Breaking free of Dylan’s embrace, she turned to meet his eyes. He already knew what was on her mind. His mouth turned down, hinting to his sadness. This is where he kept his promise to her, to allow her relationship with Layne to evolve. He knew that, but nothing would ever make him content with it.

“I better go check on him.”

Dylan gave her a nod just as his mother spoke up. “I’m not sure that’s a good idea.” She left her spot near the counter, her quick steps propelling her to the side of the kitchen where they stood. She stopped beside Dylan, blocking Heaven’s way out of the room. “No one’s been able to get close enough to check on him. He’s putting off a massive amount of heat.”

While she appreciated his mother’s concern, it didn’t change the fact that her Keeper needed her. She’d already let him down this weekend. She couldn’t do it again. “I know you’re worried, Delia, but I have to check on him.”

She noticed Dylan part his lips with what she assumed would be an objection to her decision, but her mother cut him off. “Layne won’t hurt her.” She gave him a brief glance before joining his mother near the archway. “You know they share an affinity, Delia. She’s the only one who
can
get close enough.”

The news startled Heaven. She stared at her mother, stammering for words. “What…what did you just say?”

“You and Layne share an affinity, Heaven. It’s the strongest Seeker-Keeper bond that exists, but it’s also the most rare.”

“How do you know we share an affinity?”

Her mother and Delia gazed at each other a second later, like they were having a mental conversation. When things grew awkward amidst the silence, her mother cleared her throat and faced her again.

“Affinities are confirmed through aura readings. You and Layne are surrounded by multiple shades of pink and gold. Pink hues represent many levels of love. Gold represents love too, but it’s about levels of attraction, such as spiritual, emotional, magical, and cosmic.” Her mother’s eyes roamed over her face. They didn’t linger long before making their way above her head and around her body. “When you and Layne are near each other, those layers forge together, even when you’re standing on opposite sides of the room. The day you arrived here, I noticed it the second Layne walked inside the house.”

The more Heaven tried to make sense of it, the more confusion spun inside of her. “So what does this mean?”

“That his connection with you is stronger than we thought.” The way her mom lowered her eyes to the floor made her stomach flip. “Your life depends on his abilities, and his abilities depend on the strength of your connection. He won’t hurt you. He cares about you, and the more he does, the safer you’ll be.”

She didn’t need anyone to explain what she already knew. In fact, she’d been trying to tell Layne the same all along. “Does he know about this?”

“No,” Delia spoke up. “Dylan knows. I told him the other day, but I didn’t tell Layne. Neither have your parents. There’s information inside the Tome of Souls if you want to read more about it.”

Irritation prickled her skin once she met her husband’s weary eyes. No wonder he took them away for the weekend. This is why he said what he’d said, about everything changing when they returned. Why hadn’t he told her about this then?

While she was glad he knew what her connection with Layne meant, the fact that he kept something from her was upsetting. They were supposed to be past this, yet it continued happening.

Damn him. Damn them all for doing this over and over. The lies…the secrets… She couldn’t handle it, couldn’t handle the thought of being around them another minute. There were other things she needed to attend to, other people that deserved her time. All that was left was to be there for those people, which was exactly what she intended to do, and she’d start this very second.

Layne needed her. The rest of them could go to hell.

* * *

The cottage reeked of booze. Not just any booze, but the hard stuff. Heaven swore she recognized the scent. Whiskey. It had to be whiskey. Layne had smelled of it the night he found out about Faith’s pregnancy and abortion.

She would never forget the way he’d shown up at Dylan’s, the rich scent heavy on his breath. The moment she had opened the door to him, it filled her nose. He confirmed her suspicion minutes later, when he kissed her. That kiss set off a chain of events they were
still
fighting to overcome.

She stepped further into the heated house, holding on to the doorknob as she took another breath of stale air.

Yeah. It was definitely whiskey. There was no denying it at this point.

Staring into the dining room, she closed the door behind her and focused on the thrum of Layne’s energy. It wavered around her, pulling her in different directions. Whether the liquor lingering in the air was days old or hours, she couldn’t say. As hot as the cottage felt, she didn’t see how anyone could be inside.

Of course, Layne wasn’t just anyone. The heat came from the fire within him. It was his creation. Aside from a little sweating, he never complained about it. Neither did she…

She pushed the thoughts from her mind, focusing instead on the fact that he’d been drinking. There was never a doubt in her mind that he’d tie one on after crossing paths with Faith, but something said it was more than that. The array of emotions spinning through him involved her as much as her sister.

“Enjoy your trip?”

She turned toward the sound of Layne’s voice, which came from the front corner of the living room. He sat in the rocking chair staring at something in his hand. From where she stood, it appeared to be a tarot card. Dark blond strands of hair covered part of his face, but she didn’t miss the heat in his eyes when he met hers.

“What’s up with the card?” she asked, letting her eyes fall to his hand.

He clutched the card and tucked it into the pocket of his flannel, avoiding her gaze when she looked up. “It’s nothing.”

“Is this how we’re going to start this conversation? By pretending there doesn’t need to be one?” She waited for him to speak, but he sat there frozen in his seat, avoiding her at all cost. “I’m sorry, Layne. I didn’t know. Dylan said he told you we were leaving but not that he did it in a note. After I got your text, he told me the truth.”

He shrugged his shoulders. “Doesn’t matter. He’s your soulmate. I’m just your Keeper.”

If only it were as simple as he tried to make it sound, but it was far from that. The connection they shared ran deeper. It had to run deeper. They both needed it to. She debated on telling him about their affinity, mainly because she doubted he’d believe her. He was trying to be indifferent, but she could sense the frustration consuming him.

“You have to understand, we all needed this. He and I needed time alone. You said yourself you needed the same.”

Layne was on his feet in a matter of seconds. Swift steps brought him just a few feet from where she stood. “I told you that I wanted a couple days to process everything. I said
nothing
about needing to be apart from you.” His energy rushed around her in a fiery dance, but the moment he gripped her wrist, the heat died away to a slow, simmering thump. He loosened his grip on her arm as his eyes softened. “We’re not supposed to be apart, Heaven. I have to be near you at all times. It’s the only way I can protect you.”

“We won’t be apart anymore.”

He shook his head as his anger stirred back to life. “How do I know that? For all I know, Dylan has more weekend getaways planned.”

“No, Layne, he doesn’t. He planned this one for specific reasons, one of which has to do with you and me. He realizes that we have to be closer and that he hasn’t been fair about it.”

Releasing her hand, he took a couple steps back until he ran into the couch. Conflicting emotions waged war on his heart, but he did his best to hide it from her. He turned around and gripped the couch as he choked on a laugh. “So to be fair, he decided to sneak off with you. Yeah. Problem solved…for him.”

“For starters, I wasn’t aware that we were
sneaking off
. Second, he and I needed to be alone. We had a lot to discuss, including my connection with you.”

His eyes peered over his shoulder, raking her from head to toe. “Let me guess. He told you how much he hated our connection, but he’s going to do better about accepting it.”

She gritted her teeth at the sardonic tone of his words. He had a right to be angry over what happened, but he could save the sarcasm for someone else. “Look, I won’t deny that Dylan’s made promises he hasn’t kept. He doesn’t deny it either. And you’re right. He doesn’t like our connection, but he knows it’s necessary. He knows it has to grow stronger too.”

The couch regained his attention as he turned back around. His body grew rigid before he asked, “What makes you think that?”

“Because he said he knew things would change when we came back. That’s why he wanted a few days alone with me, Layne. He knows I have to spend more time with you.”

A grunt resonated from his chest at the notion she implied. “Like he’s going to let that happen.”

“If it keeps me safe, then yes, he will.”

“And what if it doesn’t keep you safe?” He spun away from the couch, fully facing her. “What if it’s just me unloading my crap on you? What if—?” The words fell short as he moved forward. He didn’t stop until she was wedged between his chest and the wall. The more his brows knitted, the more his eyes danced over her face. “What if it has nothing to do with your safety? What if I want to monopolize your time because I’ve had a bad day, or maybe I just need a day with you?”

A trickle of sweat formed between her breasts as his energy shifted. The amount of heat he produced increased with every question he asked, but the amount of space between them decreased. It had her heart racing and breath quickening. If he was trying to make her uncomfortable, he needn’t bother. She’d reached that point the second she walked through the door.

“Anything that affects you affects my safety,” she said through heavy breaths. “So the answer is yes. If you need to
unload
on me, he will understand.”

“Well, let’s test that theory, Heaven. Let’s find out how sincere Dylan is. I’ll start by unloading some wonderful news on you. Did you know that your sister is still pregnant?” A gleam came to his eyes when she stammered for a response. “Yeah, exactly. I found out about an hour after I found Dylan’s note. It was a perfect start to a fucked up weekend.”

“How can my sister be pregnant? I saw her, Layne. She’s as thin as a rail.”

“I don’t know why she’s so skinny, but she’s definitely pregnant. Probably as far along as you.”

His eyes fell to her belly as if he were comparing it to the memory of Faith’s. He took another step closer, the last possible step he could take thanks to her tiny protrusion. The skin around her navel warmed from his body heat as well as the heat his energy continued to produce.

“You know what the real kicker is?” He slowly worked his eyes up to hers. “After I had time to process the news, there’s only one thing I couldn’t come to terms with.”

“What would that be?”

Her words came out in a whisper, but he heard them all the same. A tinge of sadness pulsed inside him as he stared hard. “The fact that the one time I really needed a friend, she wasn’t around.”

Pain wavered in his voice. It tore at her heart, just like it pulled at her soul. “I should have been here for you, Layne. I’m sorry that I wasn’t.”

His eyes lingered on her lips before they shifted toward the floor. “Yeah. Well, it doesn’t matter now. I dealt with your absence. I dealt with Faith. I even dealt with the fact that it’s not my kid.”

“How do you know for sure?”

He patted the pocket on his shirt. “What do you think the tarot card was for? Delia gave me a reading to confirm what her intuition said. The baby isn’t mine.”

She didn’t think it would be, nor did she think he’d want a child with Faith. Yet something said he still needed comforting. “I’m sure it’s a relief. Isn’t it?”

“Yeah, it is, but…”

But?

Whatever else bothered him remained a mystery. She couldn’t figure out what would weigh on his mind about a baby that wasn’t his? “What’s wrong?”

“I don’t know. For a brief moment, I thought—” The words fell short as he finally shrugged his shoulders. “It doesn’t matter what I thought. I didn’t want a wife or kids. I’m not the family type. Never have been.” The more he tried to sound tough, the more vulnerability she sensed in him. But he wouldn’t give in. “Faith was right about one thing. She said that I didn’t have time for a child. That no one would ever matter as much as…”

Something snapped inside him, like a tendril of sanity had broken free. He needed something—someone—to hold on to. He needed her.

“Look at me, Layne.” She gripped the sides of his face, forcing him to look her in the eye. “Don’t listen to anything Faith has to say. She’s full of venom. Don’t let her infect you with it. You’re going to be okay. You’ll make it through this.”