Eve turned to watch the approach of the private jet, fighting against the anxiety that threatened to take over. How would she act around Lainey? What could she say or do that wouldn’t upset Adam—or Lainey? The answer was nothing, she thought miserably. Bella is home. Focus on that, Eve.
Lainey stepped out on the stairs with Bella in her arms, and Eve’s eyes lit up seeing her baby girl. She focused squarely on Bella, waiting a bit impatiently for them to get to her. Finally, they closed the distance and Eve couldn’t hold back any longer.
Eve plucked Bella out of Lainey’s arms, barely sparing her a glance, and Lainey felt that in her soul.
“There’s momma’s baby girl.” Eve hugged Bella tightly to her chest, fighting back tears. She kissed her baby’s face, not wanting to let go ever again. She felt Adam come up behind her and Eve finally relented, handing Bella over to her daddy. Slowly, she turned to Lainey. The pain was so intense, Eve didn’t know how she was able to stay standing.
“Thank you,” she whispered to Lainey giving her a quick one arm hug. Eve gave Jack a quick kiss on the cheek, thanking him, and then turned her attention to Kevin and Darren. “That wasn’t a very long vacation, was it?” She hoped her voice sounded light, and she forced a smile to her face.
“Nope, but Cap’n Steve let us each fly!” Darren gave Eve a toothy grin, full of enthusiasm that only a child oblivious to the drama around him can have.
“That sounds fun.” Eve caught Kevin’s intense stare jumping between her and Adam. She remembered that Adam had bruises and a bandage across his nose, and thought about how confusing and upsetting that could be for the boys. She kissed Darren on the cheek, then bent to hug Kevin. “Everything is okay.” She took his face in her hands, holding his gaze. When he nodded slightly, she let go.
Adam watched the exchange between Eve and the entire Stanton family. It wasn’t just Lainey she loved. Would he be able to take her away from all of them? He noticed Lainey’s attention on him, and ordered his body to move to her.
“Thank you for taking care of Bella,” he told her quietly, offering her a quick—and somewhat uncomfortable—kiss on the cheek. He turned to Jack giving him a hearty handshake and a nod. Adam gave both of the boys a grin and a fist bump before going back to Eve, and wrapping a protective—and perhaps possessive—arm around her.
“Eve and I would like to invite you over for dinner to thank you properly for what you did for us.”
Eve barely stopped the surprise from showing on her face. He hadn’t mentioned this to her, and honestly, she didn’t think he would want Lainey to be around.
“Are you sure you don’t want to just relax together?” Lainey asked tentatively. Something was definitely wrong, but she couldn’t for the life of her figure out what it was. Maybe it was just the stress of everything they went through. She was hoping Eve would tell her everything, but Eve wouldn’t even look at her.
“We have the rest of our lives to relax together, Lainey.” Damn it all if he couldn’t keep the bitterness out of his voice. “Right now, we would like you to come over.” He looked pointedly over at Jack for back up.
“We would be honored,” Jack answered before Lainey could say anything more.
“Why did you do that?”
They were driving back to the house after making plans to meet the Stantons there in two hours. Eve had been quiet for the first few minutes of the drive, but couldn’t hold it in anymore.
Adam glanced at Eve. “Why not?”
“You know why not, amant.”
“Eve, when Lainey stepped off that plane I felt anger.” He couldn’t miss Eve’s quietly sad sigh. “I need more time with her to figure this out. To see if I can deal with this.”
Eve bowed her head, unwilling to let Adam see the hopelessness she felt. He didn’t deserve that. But, she did. She was the one that hurt him, and although the mere thought of losing Lainey depressed Eve immensely, she would do as Adam asks if it meant saving her marriage.
Lainey studied Eve from inside the house. Adam, Jack and the boys were out by the grill, and though he looked tired and battered, Adam had seemed okay. Eve, on the other hand, seemed … broken. She was leaning on the railing of the back porch, shoulders slumped, head down. Lainey couldn’t imagine what she had been through—especially since she still hasn’t heard the story. Whatever it was had caused a complete shift in Eve. Unable to stay away any longer, Lainey went to her.
“Eve?” She saw Eve flinch, but change her posture to stand straighter. Lainey’s heart broke a little more. Eve was putting on a façade for her.
Eve didn’t turn to Lainey, but granted her a quick glance. It hurt too much to look at her. “Hi.”
Lainey leaned on the railing with her, tentatively reaching over to place her hand on Eve’s. She could be imagining things because of the tension she felt, but she could swear Eve stiffened in response to her touch. More, Eve looked … afraid, looking quickly at Adam before pulling away. Lainey followed Eve’s eyes, and saw Adam watching them intently.
“Honey …” Was that a whimper she heard from Eve? Lainey quickly checked on Bella who was quietly, and happily, playing on her blanket. If it wasn’t Bella, it had to be Eve. “Talk to me, Eve.”
God, the pain was almost overwhelming. How was she going to make it through this? After everything else that has happened to her, this is the thing that brings her down? It made Eve fear that Laurence would get what he wanted all along.
Just when Lainey thought Eve wouldn’t say anything, she spoke in barely a whisper.
“He knows.”
“Sorry?”
Eve took a breath, and tried again. “Adam knows, Lainey.”
“Knows what?”
“About us.”
A sharp gasp filled the air around them as Lainey tried to comprehend the ramifications of what Eve told her.
“H-how? W-why would you tell him?” Oh God! Jack! Adam is down there with Jack and her sons. He’s going to tell them!
“I didn’t. He already knew.” Another glance at Lainey told Eve what Lainey feared. It wasn’t losing Eve, it was Adam telling her husband. “He’s not going to tell him,” she said icily.
Lainey’s eyes snapped back to Eve. Why on earth was she mad at her? Did Eve blame her for this? She hadn’t been the only one to pursue the relationship.
“You’re mad at me?”
“Forget it. Perhaps you just made this easier.”
“Made what easier?”
“Saying goodbye to you.”
Lainey gripped the railing in a white-knuckled grip. She felt all of the air leave her in an instant. She hadn’t thought of the possibility of Eve saying goodbye to her, because she didn’t think Eve could do it anymore than Lainey could. Hearing the coldness in Eve’s voice only made it worse.
Eve watched the blood drain from Lainey’s face, saw the death grip she had on the railing as if she would crumble if she let go, and immediately regretted her harsh words. She had been completely wrong, and she couldn’t wrap her arms around Lainey to show her how sorry she was. “I’m sorry I said that.”
Through her own painfully thundering heartbeat pounding in her ears, she heard Eve’s pain and sincerity.
“Are you saying goodbye to me?”
A tear rolled down Eve’s cheek, followed by another. “That’s up to Adam,” she answered miserably.
Adam couldn’t concentrate on what Jack and the boys were saying. His eyes stayed trained on Eve and Lainey, watching the exchange. And, he was staggered by the tremendous grief he saw in each woman. Hell, he could feel it.
“Excuse me, Jack. I hate to leave you out here to cook, but I have to speak with Lainey for a bit.”
Jack cast a curious glance at Adam, then back at his wife and Eve. Something was definitely wrong. Why did Adam need to speak with Lainey?
“Lainey?”
“Eve is going through a lot right now. I just want to make sure Lainey understands what’s going on.”
“Ah. Right.”
Adam didn’t wait for more dialogue, instead he made his way back to the house. Fuck. He could see the fear in Eve’s eyes as he approached, and hated it.
“Can I speak with you?”
It took Lainey a few seconds to recognize that Adam was talking to her. She took a step back from him, bumping into the rail with her hip.
“I would never hurt you, Lainey,” he said softly, seeing her apprehension for going anywhere with him. “But, I think we need to talk alone.”
“Adam …” Eve didn’t want Adam saying anything to Lainey that would hurt her more.
“Alone, Eve.”
“It’s fine,” Lainey cut in before Eve could object again. “I owe him at least that much.”
Lainey followed Adam inside, grabbing her purse as they made their way to the office. Once they were closed in, she waited.
Adam took a steadying breath before turning to face Lainey. “I hate what you did.”
Lainey lowered her eyes and nodded. When he said nothing else, she looked up at him and saw he was waiting for her to say something. She chose her words carefully and honestly. “I can’t regret what I did, Adam, but I do regret hurting you. I care so much about you, and it kills me to see you and Eve hurting.”
“But, you wouldn’t change it?”
Lainey shook her head.
“Are you in love with my wife?”
Lainey hesitated, shutting her eyes briefly. “I love Eve. I can’t deny that. But, we both made our decisions, Adam, and I chose Jack. Because, I’m in love with him.”
Adam pulled a hand through his hair and began pacing. This would be so much easier if he didn’t care for Lainey. “How do I live with this? How can I allow you to be in my house, with my wife, knowing what I know?” He made a noise of frustration. “You helped me.”
Lainey frowned in confusion.
“When Eve and I were going through our problems, you told me not to give up. You told me to open my eyes. You were sleeping with her then, right?”
An embarrassed flush crept up Lainey’s neck. It was the only answer Adam needed.
“Why did you help me?”
“Because I knew you and Eve belonged together,” Lainey said simply. “What I had with her, I couldn’t stop if I tried. And, believe me, I tried, Adam. It was something we both needed, which is why I can’t regret it. But, oh God, I never wanted to hurt you.” She took a step closer to Adam. “She believed she didn’t deserve you. That you needed someone better, that could give you more.”
“There is no one better,” Adam muttered. Even now, after everything he knew, he still believed that.
“If she hadn’t felt that way, I doubt she could’ve been with me.” The admission hurt her, but she knew deep down it was true.
Adam softened. “She needs you.”
“She needs us. I’ve never seen her like this. But, she told me it’s up to you if she says goodbye to me.”
Adam blinked in surprise. Eve was serious. She would give Lainey up for him. Knowing that was more powerful than anything. “You’re right. She needs us. But, damn it, Lainey, I have to be able to trust both of you.”
Here goes. “Adam, she knew I was having those deeper feelings again. She’s the one who couldn’t do anything about it. She wouldn’t do that to you. And, despite what I just said, I couldn’t do that to Jack or you. I know it’s going to be difficult to trust me, but I promise you, Eve will not jeopardize her relationship with you.”
“I wish I could believe that.” He was beginning to get a throbbing headache. Sitting down and relaxing was probably the thing he should be doing, yet he’s here confronting his wife’s … what? Best friend? Former lover?
Lainey turned to her purse, digging around the enormous thing until she found what she was looking for.
“Before you make any judgments, please read these. I found them in Bella’s diaper bag. I probably shouldn’t have read the one addressed to me, but I did. I didn’t read yours or Bella’s.”
Adam narrowed his eyes, studying the three envelopes in Lainey’s hand. His, Bella’s and Lainey’s names were written in Eve’s unmistakable handwriting. When Lainey pushed them closer to him, he took them. Instinctively, he thrust Lainey’s back to her.
She pushed it back to him. “Read it.”
Eve sat alone in her studio, staring at the canvas in front of her. Adam was making her sweat with his decision about Lainey. He had been civil enough, even to Lainey, during dinner, but he still hasn’t said anything to her.
When Lainey and her family left, Eve waited patiently for Adam to come to her. Instead, he locked himself away in the office after they put an exhausted Bella to bed. With a broken heart, Eve came out to her studio. And, nothing. The aroma of canvases and paints did nothing to inspire her. She literally felt as though all of the talent she once possessed had just disappeared.
Eve unlocked the back room, forcing herself to go in. Everything in that room reminded her of the most inspired time in her life. After she met Lainey and began opening her heart, creativity flowed through her like never before. Some of her best work was in this room. Including the portraits of both Adam and Lainey. She wanted this back.
“Eve?”
Eve gasped, stumbling into some of the paintings leaning against the wall.
“You shouldn’t be here. Please, Lainey, you have to leave. If Adam finds you here …”
“I asked her to come, Eve.” Adam stepped inside and stood next to Lainey.
Her head was spinning. This was it. He was going to tell her his decision now. Did he bring Lainey here to say goodbye? She didn’t want to know. If he didn’t say the words, she could pretend everything was the way it was before.
“Eve …”
“Stop! I can’t … I’m sorry.”
She ran past them, out of the studio, across the lawn and into the garage. She blindly grabbed her keys off their hook and slipped behind the wheel of her Jag. It roared to life, drowning out Adam and Lainey’s shouts. She had to get out of there. Somewhere deep down she hated herself for being so weak and running instead of facing her problems, but she felt so completely unbalanced. She honestly didn’t know if she could deal with this. At least not now. Not so soon after what they had just been through. She has had enough. Her entire life it’s been one thing after another, and she has had enough.
“Let me go up first.” Adam parked next to Eve’s Jag in the garage of her gallery. He turned to Lainey and placed a hand on hers. “She’s not going to like this, you know.”
“I know.” Lainey was nervous. She took the time waiting for her parents to come over to Eve’s to watch Bella, and driving into the city to try to come up with the right words to say to Eve. “This is what’s best, right?”
Adam nodded. He was sure this was right, but that didn’t mean it would be easy for Eve to accept.
Lainey sighed. “Okay. Text me when you’re ready for me to come up.”
“Just give me five minutes, then make your way up. She’ll need to see you.”
She touched his forearm to stop him as he started to get out of the car. “Adam …”
He shook his head.
He found Eve sitting in a corner, staring at Lainey’s display. She had kept it in tact, having Lainey make only minor changes here and there, since the re-opening of the gallery. Damn, she looked so young and scared, hugging her legs and resting her chin on her knees. She had been crying, and the sight ruined him. He knelt in front of her, noting that it took a few seconds for her to focus on him.
“Eve, beautiful, are you okay?” His heart plummeted when she shook her head weakly. “Did you run because you were afraid to hear what I had to say?”
Eve nodded, still saying nothing.
“I won’t take her away from you, baby,” he told her softly, and she looked up at him, a small spark of hope forming in her eyes. “I can’t do that to you, or to us. I need to trust you and Lainey. I think I can do that.”
Eve frowned in confusion. “You can?
”
“He knows I would never do anything to jeopardize your love for each other,” Lainey said quietly, stooping beside Adam and placing a hand on her arm.
Eve stiffened, looking to Adam for any sign of anger. When she saw nothing but compassion, she relaxed.
“What changed?” Eve’s voice was hoarse from crying, and she winced from the sound.
Adam reached behind him, taking envelopes out of his pocket. Eve’s eyes widened when she saw what they were.
“You read them?!” She looked over at Lainey. Betrayal neared the surface, but she just didn’t have the strength to let it through. She closed her eyes again, laying her chin back on her knees.
Adam caught Lainey’s attention. They made a non-verbal agreement that this was not the time to approach Eve with what they thought she needed.
“Baby, you’re exhausted and you’ve been through hell. Let’s go home.” Eve looked up at him again, then over to Lainey. “Lainey will drive you home in the Jag, and I’ll follow.”
Once again, surprise flickered in her eyes.
“I told you, beautiful, I’m not taking her from you. We’ll discuss it more later, but I need you to understand that I’m trusting you.”
A tear escaped, much to Eve’s dismay. He’s not making her give Lainey up. She didn’t deserve him, but she thanked God for him.
Adam stood, holding his hand out to Eve. She grasped it, and he lifted her to her feet. “I care for Lainey, too, baby,” he said close to her ear. “I know she wants the best for you, as do I. We’ll get through this. I promise.”
They walked down to the garage, and Adam deposited Eve into the passenger seat of her Jaguar. He reached in and strapped the seatbelt around her, then squeezed Lainey’s hand before kissing Eve’s lips gently.
Flawed Perfection (An Eve Sumptor Novel) Page 16