Picture Perfect Lie

by Marquita Valentine

  “Yes...and stupid me stayed until I found the courage to walk away.” I bite at my bottom lip, the same lip Baylor split wide open, wondering why I’m confessing all my sins, even the ones that don’t belong to me, to him. I’m not looking for a savior or salvation from a man.

  But Knight makes it easy for me to pretend he can save us from all the evil in the world.

  “Son of a bitch. I hope to God the police arrested his ass, locked him up, and threw away the key.”

  “They didn’t.” I smile bitterly. “Hard to arrest the man who owns the entire town. I can’t blame them. They had families to support, and if anyone looked at him wrong, he took it personally. His ego couldn’t take it and...he did very bad things to anyone who attempted to stray from his narrative. Leaving him, though...it was hard to explain. He orchestrated it so he ended up the victim. For some reason, that pleased him.”

  “Because he was a fucked-up SOB.” Knight’s jaw clenches. He looks ready to fight for me. A strange, altogether foreign feeling that’s not unpleasant in the least.

  Still...

  “What does that make me for agreeing to marry him?” Unable to continue to hold something so precious as my daughter while I speak of such horrible things, I lean back on the bed and place her in the middle.

  “Probably a woman in love, or at least one who didn’t know the truth.”

  “How are you so...” Good. Perfect. “Prone to think the best of me? To help me?”

  “A wise man once told me that we should help others without asking if they are worthy of it first.”

  “That is profound.”

  “That was my dad.”

  “Was?”

  He nods, pain entering his eyes, but then leaving as quick as a flash of lightning. “Happened when I was younger.”

  “Oh. I’m so sorry, Knight.”

  He searches my face. “Is Hazel’s dad going to be a problem for y’all?”

  “No. He doesn’t want either of us, and I don’t want support from him,” I say firmly. “Some people might say it’s unfair to my daughter, but he didn’t want me to have her in the first place... so, screw him.”

  “How did you... How did you even get this far?” He sounds impressed, maybe even a little in awe of me.

  “My brother.” Getting up, I lay my daughter in the pack ‘n play. I watch her sleep, her little lips puckered and her tiny chest moving with each breath. She looks so peaceful, so innocent. “I missed him so much I finally texted him. I didn’t think he’d actually reply, you know? He’s in college, and I’m sure I’m the last thing on his mind.”

  “Yet, here you are,” Knight says. I can feel him as he moves to stand behind me. He’s so large, so tall, and his shoulders so wide I should feel intimidated. Except I feel comforted. Protected.

  Ready to allow myself to lean into him and let him take care of me.

  I take my phone from my back pocket, caressing the stupid screen. “One of the only luxuries I allowed myself is this phone... I gave up designer shoes, clothes, purses...sold everything I had to pay for it, for a roof over our head, and food, until I ran out of money. The cost of living in LA is insane.”

  “He sounds like an amazing brother.”

  My lower lips trembles. I hate being so vulnerable; hate the flashes of hot and cold as I lay my problems at Knight’s feet. “Caine did everything he could to help out, including buying my plane ticket. I have to go back home to see him... It wouldn’t be right to cash in the ticket otherwise. I’m hoping to start over.”

  “I bet your family is going to love Hazel,” he says.

  “My brother will, but my parents...” I exhale, my breath shaky, and I put my phone away. “No telling what they’ll say or do. I don’t know if they’ll let me in the front door.”

  “What can—”

  “I’ll figure something out.” I force my knees to lock and my spine to stay rigid. Otherwise, I’ll fall apart. I’m so tired. My body aches in places it never has before. My breasts are tender, not quite used to nursing an infant, and my stomach is starting to rumble again. The lunch Knight bought was the first meal I’d had since the night before. Trying to conserve money had seemed like a good idea at the time, but the lack of energy proved the opposite.

  Knight’s large hands come to rest on my shoulders, then he slowly spins me around. His silver eyes are concerned and sincere.

  “If things get bad, I want you to go to Castle Beach, to my place there.” I shake my head, but he’s already ignoring me. “You need to have a plan for when things go FUBAR.”

  “FUBAR?”

  “Fucked up beyond all repair. I don’t want you and Hazel to have to go to a shelter again.”

  My hearts melts. The ice that’s surrounded it for months thaws faster than a snowball in hell. “You’ve already done too much.”

  “Campbell. Let me do this for you. I can’t go... away, without knowing you guys will be taken care of, no matter how it works out with your parents.” He brushes my long bangs out of my face, his touch so tender I shiver a little. “Say yes.”

  Unable to say no to him, I exhale. “I’ll think about it.”

  Chapter 5

  Knight

  “HAVE I TOLD YOU HOW un-zombie like you look this evening?” I say, keeping my promise to tell her how good she looks at dinner. Yeah, I twisted it a bit to make it funny.

  Campbell likes to smile, to laugh. I can tell that doing either of those things, once she trusts someone, is something that comes naturally to her... and I have to admit I’m already a sucker for both

  Right on cue, Campbell rolls her eyes, but she can’t hide her sweet smile or those sexy dimples. She’s fresh out of the shower, her pale blonde hair in braids as we eat an early dinner.

  It almost feels like a proper date... except for the fact my buddies are giving me shit from the other side of the room, she’s got a two-month-old, and we’re in the common area of the USO Lounge. Talk about romantic. Not that I’m going for romantic. I’m going for satisfaction.

  Of hunger, that is.

  My gaze drops to Campbell’s pink lips.

  Lots and lots of hunger.

  “Gee, thanks,” she says wryly. “That should be in a greeting card for all new mothers.”

  I nod solemnly, forcing my eyes from her mouth. “I think you’re right. Maybe I’ll design one and sell it.”

  “You’d totally make millions.” She polishes off the rest of her meal and wipes her hands on a paper napkin before tossing it on the plate. “I’m going back for seconds. Want anything?”

  So not going to answer that out loud. “I’m good.”

  Campbell beams at me. She looks like a new woman. Amazing what a little kindness, a full belly, and a shower will do for a person.

  Even more amazing is what all of that is doing for me. Providing for her, meeting her every need.

  I swallow.

  Slow down, Knight. It’s not your job to fix her entire life, just the part that’s intersecting with yours right now.

  She walks away, hips swaying as she goes. She’s a tiny thing, barely five-two by my estimation. Golden skin, nearly white hair, and such dark, dark eyes... I can only imagine the attention she commands when she’s at her best.

  Hell, I’d be one of those guys attempting to capture her attention. Wouldn’t give a damn that she knew it either. The only games I like to play are on my phone.

  And sometimes in the bedroom.

  Get a hold of yourself. Campbell does not need your pervy thoughts.

  Be her friend.

  Be the guy she can count on until she gets on the plane with Hazel.

  Reminding myself Campbell is a mother helps. Right or wrong, I give extra respect to women when they become one. Maybe because I love mine so much, or maybe because I think it’s a big damn deal to take care of a tiny person who’s dependent on their mom for almost everything.

  Campbell sits down, a plate full of food in her hands. She sets it on the small table in front of her, ges
turing to it. “I might have gone a little overboard, but I couldn’t resist the...” She scrunches her nose. “Well, anything. Too many choices, so I went with glutton.”

  “Eat as much as you want. My treat.” I wink at her.

  She smiles and checks on the baby. Hazel lays in the middle of a blanket between us, sleeping. Campbell fed her before she joined me for dinner. I’ve tried to give her as much space as possible, but there’s not really a lot for me to do while we wait out a snow/ice storm, so I’m getting antsy.

  Before I crash for the night, I’ll have to find a way to blow off some steam.

  “She’s so good... Earlier today, I think she felt my frustration. We’re in an unfamiliar place, which doesn’t help, so the sooner we get settled, the better for us both.” Her smile slips. “If everything goes perfectly.”

  “You know what to do if it doesn’t,” I remind her. Yes, she said she’d think about it, but that wasn’t a hard pass. It wasn’t even a no. So, I ended up typing in the address to my house in the notes app on her phone, as well as my number.

  “Knight,” she begins, shaking her head. “You are just too good.”

  “And you are too alone.”

  She doesn’t reply to that, and I’m not so sure why I said what I did. I have nothing to offer, beyond what I already have, and... I don’t know what I want to do with my life after I get out.

  Campbell deserves more than that, more than just let’s see where this goes, but damn if I don’t want to ask her to wait for me.

  Hell, I’m probably not the first soldier to feel that way. I know guys who have married girls during a drunken weekend before they left.

  But I don’t want to be that guy. I can’t make a true commitment under those kinds of circumstances.

  “Tell me more about your brothers and sister. I mean, one girl with all those boys. That had to be insane.”

  “It was loud. Not just from her high-pitched death scream, but from us as well. The phrase ‘inside voice’ meant nothing to us. We were trouble with a capital T and enjoyed every minute of it. Poor Quinn couldn’t stand to be left out, so she got into just as much of it as we did.”

  “I’m sure you protected her from the brunt of any kind of punishment.”

  “We all did. Our parents told us boys it was our job to take care of Quinn. To watch out for her.”

  “That’s so sweet.”

  “Our parents told her not to take any shit from us and to speak up for herself.”

  Campbell laughs. “Oh my gosh. How far apart are you two in age?”

  “Three minutes.”

  She blinks at me. “You’re twins!”

  “Afraid so.”

  “Your poor mother.”

  “I’m pretty sure people were already thinking that before we were born. Three older brothers, remember?”

  “You listed them in birth order?”

  “Easiest way to keep ‘em straight,” I say.

  “Do they all live in Castle Beach, too?” she asks.

  “Yeah. I’m the only one who jumped ship.” A flash of Laird’s smile as we surfed springs to mind, and my stomach starts to churn. “What can I say, I’m a restless soul.”

  “I’m not.” She cocks her head to one side. “I take that back. I used to be one, then I had Hazel. A real family, you know? That made me want to find peace. Roots.”

  I glance at Hazel. She stares up at the ceiling now, her eyes blinking slower and slower. “Just like that?”

  “It’s a lot easier to be grounded when you have someone depending on you to be their port in the storm.”

  I eye her. “Are you sure you’re not a beach baby?”

  “Inner Banks baby, but let’s be honest, they only call that part of the state by that name for tourism.” She sits back in her chair. “When I was little, I wanted to live in Kure Beach and give tours at Fort Fisher.”

  “History geek?”

  She wriggles her eyebrows. “Afraid so.”

  “Castle Beach is right beside Kure.”

  “I know.”

  “Then my offer is very, very tempting, huh?”

  Her chocolate eyes hold my gaze. It feels as though she’s looking inside of me, all the way to the dark parts of my soul. “Very,” she says softly.

  AFTER DINNER, I ARRANGE for Campbell’s new flight home and confirm our flight details with my commander. The ice storm, although it hit Atlanta pretty hard, didn’t stay long enough to cause any lasting problems. Because of that, along with unseasonably high temperatures the week before, the ice didn’t have a prayer of sticking.

  I stop at one of the jewelry kiosks on the way back, trying to give Campbell enough time to get Hazel ready for bed.

  “Anything in particular you’re looking for?” the salesman asks.

  I eye the rows of necklaces, rings, and bracelets on display. The urge to buy something for Campbell rides me hard, but I know she won’t take it.

  “Do you have anything for newborns?” I hear myself ask.

  He nods, a pleased smile covering his face. Yeah, he knows I’m in the mood to buy. “Actually, we do... Baltic amber bead necklaces. For when the baby is a bit older, like a toddler, we have bracelets.”

  “Baltic amber bead necklaces?” I search my brain, trying to remember if River wore one of those as a baby.

  He grabs a necklace in front of me. “Teething necklace. Moms swear by them.”

  My brain clicks. River did wear one of those, courtesy of Ophelia. “I’ll take one.”

  I pay for my purchase, shove the small hypoallergenic bag into my pocket, and head back to the USO Lounge.

  It’s almost full when I arrive. I tip my chin at my buddies over in the kid’s section, playing Wii, then make my way to the room Campbell and I will be sharing tonight.

  My dick twitches in anticipation. I chalk it up to the fact I haven’t gotten laid in the past eight months. By the time I get back from Kandahar, it will be over a year.

  With a grimace, I swipe my key over the electronic lock and knock on the door.

  “It’s me,” I say.

  “Come in,” Campbell replies, and I smile.

  Closing the door behind me, I find Campbell sitting on the edge of the bed. She’s wearing a pink tank top and white pajama bottoms. While it’s not a sexy outfit, her breasts push against the material of her shirt in the best way possible. I tear my gaze away, forcing it lower... to her feet. They’re bare, small. I don’t know why, but the sight of her toes makes me swallow hard.

  Maybe because she’s so vulnerable like this, so soft and sweet-looking, that the primal part of me is responding.

  And not in just a protective way either.

  I clear my throat and gather my thoughts, pushing them toward safer territory.

  “So tonight... I’ll crash on the sofa.”

  “I’m not having it. I’ll sleep on the sofa. Hazel will have me up at least two times between bedtime and morning.”

  “There is no way in hell I’ll allow you to take the damn sofa.”

  She crosses her arms, stubborn chin tipping up. “I’ve slept on worse.”

  “So have I.”

  “Which is why you’re taking the bed and that’s final.” She marches to the sofa and I follow, grabbing her gently by the wrist. “What?”

  “I’m not going to let you do it.”

  She rounds on me, but I don’t let go. “You’re not going to let me? I don’t think so.”

  “Don’t make me take drastic measures, sweetheart,” I warn, but she yanks out of my grasp and goes back to pulling off pillows. “All right then.”

  “Good. I’m glad you—”

  I grab her by the waist, throwing her over my shoulder and crossing the small distance between the sofa and the bed in three strides.

  She beats on my back, but she’s laughing as she does it. “Put me down, Knight.”

  “Gladly.” I heave her over my shoulder, cradling her head in my hand and laying her on the mattress. “You’re taking the b
ed.”

  This close, I can see the gold flecks in her brown eyes, the thick pale lashes, and my reflection. “It’s not right,” she insists, her chest rising and falling rapidly under the thin tank top. “I can’t keep letting you take care of me like this.”

  “Like what?” My palm burns against her skin in the best of ways. She’s so damn soft. Her hair is so damn silky as it fans out in damp waves. I want to fist it, want to feel it slide against me as she explores every inch of my body. My cock stirs in agreement.

  “Like I mean something to you.”

  Too much.

  Way too much.

  I slip my hand out from under her head and back away. “I need to go talk with my buddies about tomorrow’s flight plan.”

  She sits up in bed, a frown on her pretty lips. “Right now?”

  I nod, my hand on the door. “Sleep in the bed. I’ll be back soon.”

  “Was it something I said?” she asks.

  Yes. “No.” I pause at the door. “You best stay where you are, because when I come back and you’re not there, I’ll toss you over my shoulder again.”

  Campbell salutes me. “Yes, sir.”

  “Now you’re agreeable?” Why am I questioning her? Just go, dumbass.

  She shrugs. “Despite what you see in romantic movies, it doesn’t feel all that great to be thrown over a guy’s shoulder like a sack of potatoes.”

  “I promise to be more gentle next time.”

  “There won’t be a next time,” she retorts in her sassy way.

  “Good to know.”

  “Because I’m never offering you the bed again.” She tosses a pillow at me. It hits me squarely in the chest because I don’t bother to block it. “Sleep tight.”

  I burst out laughing. “You’re a piece of work, Cam. A real piece of work.”

  “And don’t you forget it.”

  I stare at her for a beat, sitting in that huge bed all alone. Would she let me sleep with her? Let me hold her while—

  Fuck. I can’t do it, let alone think about it.

  “I won’t.” While I have the strength, I leave the room.

  Chapter 6