by Toni Aleo
“Yeah, I did. He is contacting the site, but I just found it and it’s been up for hours. There are already over a hundred comments about how I’m a pig and then some of how women want me to come on to them.”
“Well, you are. But still, fuck those bitches. They don’t know you. This happens to everyone. Don’t let it get you down,” he said, but it did, and he knew Lacey was going to freak.
“I don’t even know how to tell her,” he said, his chest hurting. “She’s going to be so upset.”
“Yeah, good luck with that.”
“Thanks, I called for support, asshole,” Karson snapped. “Way to drop the ball.”
“Dude, my leg is burning with pain. I’m sorry I’m not holding your hand and crying with you.”
“You’re such a jerk,” Karson complained while letting out a breath.
“Yeah, I am. But hey, since I’m already on jerk-status right now, how’s your sister? I need to call her, see if she wants to come this way for another trip to pound town,” he laughed.
Karson could only blink. He did not just say that. Knowing that nothing good would come out of his mouth and that he would probably ruin his friendship, if that was what this was called, Karson decided to hang up. Laying his phone down, he shook his head before his eyes settled on the pictures of him and the girl. He didn’t even remember her name or anything about her, but that didn’t keep half the women on the site from calling him everything under the sun while the other half said they wanted a piece of him.
But he didn’t want them. He wanted Lacey.
Deciding that he had to call her, he dialed her number. They had only texted since their fight yesterday, and it was mostly just them checking in and telling each other they loved the other. Things were tense, and he knew this was going to make things worse.
“Hey,” she answered. “I didn’t expect to hear from you now. Aren’t you at the arena?”
“Not yet,” he responded. “I have another hour before I gotta leave.”
“Oh, okay. I was sitting here working on some drawings for a line I am thinking about doing for the Assassins’ wives. Elli had the great idea of sponsoring the Assassins and then doing like a campaign with them if I expand to Nashville,” she said with excitement lacing her voice. “It would be cool, I think.”
“Sounds amazing. So you hung out with Elli?”
“Yeah, we had lunch the day before yesterday. And then yesterday, I went over for movies with her, Harper, Reese, and Piper. Since Fallon is about to have her baby, she didn’t come. And then Audrey was sitting at home with her because she was bitching that Lucas wasn’t home or something. I don’t know, there are a lot of people to keep up with,” she said with a laugh and Karson smiled.
She sounded happy and he liked that a lot. He liked it even more that she was out doing things. For the last two days, he had convinced himself that she wasn’t going to stick around, but maybe he was overthinking the whole thing. She was obviously trying to adjust to Nashville, and maybe her dad didn’t have as much of an effect as Karson thought he did.
“Sounds like you had fun.”
“I did,” she gushed. “Loads. I had to stay the night though ’cause I drank too much wine. I woke up with Quinn on my chest and Cheetos in my hair.”
He laughed. “Sounds like a party right there.”
“It was. I ate breakfast with the kids and Elli and then finally left. She told me to stay, but I didn’t want to be a bother, plus I needed to get the ideas out of my head and do some work and clean before you got home.”
“I think we are flying out tonight instead of in the morning,” he said with a grin on his face. “I’ll get a ride home.”
“I’ll pick you up,” she said. “I want to see you.”
“It’s going to be stupid late. I don’t even know when, if so. Don’t worry about it.”
“Well, text me when you land, and if I’m up, I’ll come get you,” she suggested.
“I don’t want to bring you out of bed,” he answered.
“Just text me okay?”
“Okay,” he agreed and then bit his lip. Maybe he shouldn’t tell her, but he knew that would be a terrible idea. Clearing his throat, he said, “I need to tell you something.”
“Oh crap, it’s not good, huh? You cleared your throat.”
He smiled and wanted to laugh, but before he could answer her, she said, “We are good, right? Like it’s been shitty the last two days, and I know that one of us has to swallow our pride and apologize. If it needs to be me, that’s fine, I’ll do it, but I just want us to be good. I love and miss you too much to fight with you.”
Ugh, she was killing him.
“Lacey, we will always be good. No matter what, I’ll love you, and I miss you even when I’m a room over from you. We are going to fight, and we are going to disagree—that’s what couples do—but don’t apologize, okay? Because it isn’t over, and I need to be the one to apologize.”
“What do you mean?”
Clicking send, he said, “Check your email.”
“Okay?” she questioned slowly. He heard her computer open and then it sounded of an email. “What is this?” she asked and he cleared his throat again.
“It’s a puck bunnies site where pictures of hockey players are posted. Are you there?”
“Yeah,” she said sharply. “And on the front page is my husband with some tramp practically in his lap.”
“Yeah, I don’t know how pictures were taken.”
“Oh, and look, they tagged my site. Bet I’ll get a lot of traffic from this,” she said, and he didn’t miss the sarcasm.
“Yeah, told you I was going to be the one apologizing,” he said, forlorn.
He didn’t say anything and the silence was killing him. Finally, she said, “I thought you said she kissed the side of your mouth.”
“It’s the angle. She didn’t kiss me full-on, I promise.”
“Hm,” she muttered, and it was as if she was slowly jabbing him in the gut with the butt of a hockey stick. “My dad said she kissed you but didn’t say if it was the side or not,” she said offhandedly and that irritated him.
“Talked to your dad about it?”
“Yeah, and he denied all your claims,” she said, the sharpness back in her voice.
Shaking his head, he said, “Don’t doubt it. Bet he told you he would never do that to you because he loves you so much and never wants you to be unhappy.”
“Funny, ’cause that’s exactly what he said,” she snapped and his blood boiled.
“You know he did this, right? He probably took the fucking pictures himself.”
“Oh, be real! Like my dad knows about this site.”
“I’m telling you, this is his doing,” Karson promised. “I have no way to prove it, but I wish you’d believe me.”
“I don’t know what to believe. You told me that it wasn’t that bad. This is bad. This looks like you guys are planning something.”
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, Lacey, you know me better than that. I don’t want anyone but you.”
“So you say,” she retorted. “How do I know what you do when I’m not there?”
He couldn’t believe this. “So now you don’t trust me?”
“No, I do,” she cried, and even though he was mad, it cut him down to size. He didn’t like hearing her cry. “I can’t believe this has happened, and I wish you’d leave my dad out of it. I really don’t think you’d do this to me because I know how much you love me, but why bring him into it?”
“Because he is to blame for it. He set the whole fucking thing up!” he yelled, and when she took in a deep breath, he regretted saying that. It was over and he knew the truth. While it would be ideal for Lacey to believe him, he had no proof, and there was nothing he could do to change her mind. Her dad had some kind of hold on her and it drove Karson crazy, but he was her dad and he had to respect the stupid son of a bitch. So, swallowing his pride because he refused to lose her, he said, “But, you know what, it
doesn’t matter. I’m sorry. I’m sorry for this girl coming up to me and taking a picture of her kissing me and posting it online. I am sorry they tagged your site, and I’m sorry that this looks bad. My lawyer is on it, and hopefully, everything will be taken down soon.”
“That would be great if that could happen,” she muttered as she sniffed back her tears. He wanted nothing more than to be there with her, to hold her and make it better, but he was six states away.
“I’ll make sure of it. I’m sorry.”
“I just want it all to go away, and I want you to stop blaming my dad for stupid shit. This wouldn’t have been a fight if you hadn’t blamed him. I had no problem believing you. I trust you.”
Biting his lip until he tasted blood, he held in his retort. If she fucking trusted him, then she would know her dad was a lying fucking dick. But fine, he wouldn’t blame her dad for shit anymore. He’d bite his tongue and pray that he didn’t come between them, but Karson couldn’t shake the feeling that Nate Martin would.
That he would succeed for a second time.
“Okay, I love you, Lacey,” he said, closing his eyes as he leaned on his hand. This was so exhausting, but he’d keep on fighting just to hold on to her. Nothing was going to come between them. He wouldn’t allow it. Lacey was his forever. “So much, and I’m sorry that we are dealing with this shit. I miss you and can’t wait to be home.”
“I love you, text me when you get in,” she said, but Karson didn’t believe one bit that she meant the words.
And that scared him to the core.
Lacey checked the clock for a third time.
It was well past three in the morning, and she hadn’t heard from Karson. Letting out an annoyed breath, she couldn’t believe that she allowed herself to end their phone call the way she had. It was childish and stupid of her. She basically just brushed him off, and he deserved better than that. When she told him she loved him, she better mean it every time or there was no point in even fighting for their love.
She was a being a bitch, but then, he was being an idiot.
Instead of owning up to the mistake he made—or not even that he made, the situation he was put in—he was trying to throw the blame on her father. She wasn’t saying that she was sure that her father hadn’t set Karson up, but she did find it hard to believe. She really did think that Karson was being paranoid. He didn’t like the situation and needed an out; her father was that out. That was going to have to stop or things were going to get real ugly quick. She wouldn’t stand for that. Not when she had already put a stop to her dad bad-mouthing and bashing Karson. They needed to learn to get along because she needed both of them in her life.
Exhaling, she checked the clock for a fourth time. They must have pushed his flight back till tomorrow, but if they did that, why didn’t he call? He must be mad at her, and she was honestly over it all. She didn’t want to fight with him. When the tears started to well up in her eyes, she decided that she needed to get to bed. She needed to be able to pick him up tomorrow, and if she didn’t go to sleep, she wouldn’t make it to the airport by nine like she was supposed to.
Standing up, she made sure everything was locked up before going to their room to undress and get in the bed. Shutting off her lamp, she checked her phone once more and set her alarm before turning on her Pandora. It was the only way she could sleep without Karson. After plugging her phone in so it wouldn’t die, she cuddled into Karson’s pillow, and as soon as she shut her eyes, tears leaked out the sides of her eyes. It smelled just like him, and she missed him so much. She wanted to believe that things would be okay, but all she could think was that, for the rest of her life, Karson and her dad would be at each other’s throats. Holidays would be tense and horrible because people couldn’t get along. She knew the only way that would change was if she and Karson split up or she stopped talking to her dad, but she couldn’t do that. She loved her dad—he was her only parent—but she also loved Karson. With her whole fucking heart and she needed him like her next breath.
But would that be enough?
As her lip wobbled, she cuddled into his pillow and shut her eyes tighter, wishing sleep would take her, but all she could do was think about the shit that was going on. Biting into her lip, she wished it would all go away and that she and Karson could be happy and that everyone would just be fucking happy. Was that too much to ask for?
When the bed shook with someone getting into it, she whipped around, her body hitting a hard one. She let out a cry of distress but then Karson’s arms came around her, hugging her close to him. Kissing her forehead and then her nose, his lips moved along hers as he held her tight. Melting against him, more tears leaked out of her eyes. Her love for him ran deeper than anything in this world and she couldn’t lose him. She just couldn’t, but the world was against them, it seemed.
Could they win?
“I thought you were going to call me,” she whispered against his lips. He pulled away, his eyes searching hers.
“I didn’t want to get you out of bed, and I don’t know,” he whispered back, his arms tightening around her. “I just feel off.”
“Me too,” she admitted. “I don’t like fighting.”
“But we’ve done that a lot lately,” he said sadly and she nodded, tears stinging her eyes. “You know what I was thinking about as we rode back?”
She shook her head. “What?”
His mouth pulled up at the side as his eyes filled with tenderness. “That moment in the coffee shop when I had the Catappellas sing to you.”
She smiled as a tear rolled down her cheeks. “I knew I loved you then.”
He closed his eyes as he leaned against her head. “I always knew I was going to love you. Forever, actually, and I have and always will, but mostly, I was thinking of that song. I listened to it over and over again because it reminded me of how perfect we are. That our love is true and I don’t want it to ever end.”
“Me neither,” she whispered as her fingers traced over his lips. “I just feel like everything and everyone is against us.”
“They are. That’s why it’s so important that we don’t ever forget what’s important. We can’t let anyone win except for us. We have to win because our love is worth fighting for,” he said, his eyes blazing with love for her. She could see in his eyes that he meant every single word, and she felt it in her soul that he was completely right.
They did have a love to fight for.
The next morning, Lacey was at her computer on the phone with Rachel while Karson slept in. They had spent the night cuddling and making love. She’d never felt more in love than she did at that moment. She needed to stop worrying about all the outside shit and remember that their love was strong. As she watched him sleep, the sun shining on his sweet face, all she could remember was that moment in the coffee shop when he sat there and said words that, to this day, she still hadn’t forgotten.
“I can’t sing for shit, but I will pay to have someone sing to you. I don’t dance well, but I’ll do it just for the chance to touch you. I’m not one to listen to guys sing to find the perfect song for a girl, but I did for you. Most of all, I don’t usually pour my heart out to a person in front of a full coffee shop because I’m not that much of a romantic, but for you, I’d do it all. I’d do anything to be with you, and I’ve waited for someone like you my whole life. It’s true, all of it, and I would be the luckiest man in the world if you’d agree to go out on a date with me. Please give me the chance to make you fall for me like I have been falling since the first moment I set eyes on you.”
She could still remember the way he looked, the way he smelled, and the way he tasted. She was completely and utterly his and had been even after he left. It was one of her favorite memories of them and one she would never forget. With a grin on her face, she leaned against her hand as she printed out a sheet of locations she wanted to check out today. They had plans to go look at buildings for a potential expansion of Lacey’s Lace. Karson suggested it before they fell
asleep last night and Lacey was beyond excited. She was ready to open another chapter of her life in Nashville.
With Karson.
“Can you fly in on Friday? They want you to speak at a meeting. I totally forgot to tell you, and I thought it was next week.”
“This Friday? As in two days?”
“Yeah, I can get you a flight in, and I’ll pay since it was my fault. I’m sorry,” she apologized as she let out a breath. “I haven’t been feeling well.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. What’s wrong?” she said, even though it wasn’t fine. Karson had a game that weekend. Maybe she could fly in and fly out Friday and be back in time for the game.
“Just sick. I think I’m pregnant again,” she said but she didn’t sound too excited about it.
“Oh. Is this a good thing or not so good?”
“It’s a ‘Shit, why didn’t we wrap it up?’” she said with a laugh.
Lacey smiled. “Oh,” she said with a grin and Rachel laughed.
“Eh, we will see.”
“Let me know,” she said, clicking onto the Puck Bunnies R Us site. She hated this site. With a passion in her heart. Every time she thought of the stupid catchy name, she wished the creators to the fiery pits of hell. She hated seeing her name tagged to such trash, but it wasn’t Lacey’s first time on the site. Nope, Ethan was always on there and they always tagged her, but she never knew about it until after they broke up.
Stupid site.
When it came up, she smiled when she saw that the picture of Karson and that ho had been taken off. Thank you, Karson’s lawyer.
“Hey, can you try to get me an in and out flight for Friday?”
“I tried ’cause I know Karson has a game Saturday, but the earliest I can get you in is Saturday night at nine, so then I figured since you are going to miss the game anyway, you can stay till Sunday.”
“No, do the nine,” she said, annoyed that Rachel had tried to make that decision for her.