by Ava Walsh
My heart pounds now just at the memory of what Ethan and I shared that afternoon years ago in his pool house. It was the second most beautiful experience of my life, the first being the birth of our daughter, the daughter Ethan doesn’t know exists. If he shows up to for Amanda’s wedding, what’s going to happen?
Chapter Three
Ethan
The sun filters through the thin curtains, lighting up the room. I throw a hand over my eyes and groan as the sunlight attempts to penetrate my eyelids. I can already feel a massive headache coming on. This is what I get for partying too hard and drinking too much. Again. I roll over and freeze, feeling a warm body beside me. Shit. She stayed the night. She, whose name I can’t remember, stretches and snuggles closer against my back. Squeezing my eyes shut tightly, I let out a breath, preparing myself for the awkwardness to come.
As I make an attempt to shift, my bedmate stirs again and I know she’s awake.
“Morning,” she purrs.
“Uh, morning.” She sits up, giving me space to maneuver. Swinging my legs over the mattress, I stand up and turn to look at her with a forced smile. She smiles up at me with sleepy brown eyes. Her blond hair hangs on her shoulders in a tousled curtain. She doesn’t make any effort to cover her nakedness. When her eyes lower and her smile widens, I remember that I, too, am naked. Clearing my throat, I grab my pants from the floor and pull them on.
“I have to get going,” I say. At the same time, I wrack my brain, trying to recall her name. I’m pretty sure it starts with an N, or maybe it’s an M. Oh, hell.
Her lips form a pretty pout, and she bats her eyelashes. “Already? You told me last night that you didn’t have any practice today.”
Me and my big mouth. “I have other business to attend to.” I really don’t. I’m just trying to get rid of her without hurting her feelings.
She huffs and gets up, flaunting her nude form. And what a nice form it is. That’s why she ended up in my bed last night. A group of women were lounging outside the stadium after practice yesterday evening, and this woman approached me. She charmed her way into my hotel room with her full red lips, ample breasts and long legs. Sometimes I wish I wasn’t so easy, but damn, what fun I had last night. After we had dinner and a few rounds of drinks- okay, many rounds of drinks, we ended up in bed. That same scenario plays out much too often. Some women are just fascinated with bedding professional athletes, or perhaps it’s the money they’re more interested in. Frankly, I’m tired of it. I have been for some time now. But I keep up the charade of enjoying having a different woman in my bed every other night. After all, that is what is expected of me. I might as well give the tabloids something to write about.
“Maybe we can get together again tonight,” she suggests.
“Er, I can’t.”
“You sure, handsome?” She saunters to me and winds her arms around my neck.
Taking hold of her hands, I pry them from around me. How do I tell her that I was only ever interested in one night without sounding like a total asshole? I sigh. “Look, um…” Damn, I just can’t remember her name.
She steps away, placing her hands on her hips. The look on her face indicates that she is no longer amused. “You don’t remember my name, do you?”
I rub the back of my neck. And here we go. “I’m sorry.”
Wheeling around, the irate woman searches the room for her clothes. I watch her dress with angry, jerky movements. I feel bad that she is upset, but at least she’s leaving. As soon as she is fully dressed, she grabs her purse and heads to the door. “I thought we hit it off, you know,” she says, sending a glare my way.
My brows crease. Hit it off? Only a certain type of woman usually hangs around the football stadium, waiting to dig their manicured nails into players. What was she expecting from me after one night of sex, a marriage proposal? “I’m sorry if I gave you the wrong impression. I don’t do relationships.”
She shrugs. “Your loss. And the name is Melissa.”
Right, that’s it, Melissa. Before I can respond, Melissa slams the door shut, leaving me staring at it, stunned. “Well, she took everything fairly well.” I let out a breath, feeling like I need a drink. The pain in my head reminds me that I had enough last night. I just never learn. My feet move toward the mini fridge in the lavish hotel room, but the ringing of my phone stops me. Going toward the nightstand instead, I swoop up my phone, already knowing who it is.
“Hi, Amanda.” My mood instantly lightens.
“Big brother! I wasn’t expecting you to answer. It’s early. I was expecting you to still be passed out from your wild night.”
I grin. “Well, I guess it wasn’t so wild after all, huh? What’s up?”
“I’m just giving you a gentle reminder that you need to get your ass to Connecticut in three weeks.”
Rolling my eyes, I grunt. “Do you seriously think I would forget about your wedding, baby sis?” I don’t see why I have to fly to Connecticut an entire week before the wedding. Returning home isn’t something I’m looking forward to. After I escaped the small town where nothing ever happens, I rarely returned to visit. “Hey, why can’t I just show up the night before or on the morning of the wedding?”
An aggravated growl sounds on the other end of the line. “Because you are a part of the damn wedding, Ethan. Lucas wants you to be a groomsman, remember?”
“The man doesn’t even know me,” I grumble. And I have never set eyes on him before, either. I don’t like the idea of my sister getting married at twenty-one to some guy I don’t know. But it’s her life.
“Nathan feels like he knows you. He’s a big fan of yours. You’re making us both very happy doing this.”
“Great, another fan,” I say dryly. I’m damn tired of fans. What I would like to have is a few real friends who don’t care who I am or how much money I have.
“You’ll like him, Ethan. I promise. I’m going to Connecticut tomorrow to get the ball rolling with planning and everything. Mom and dad will be flying up from Florida next week.”
“Okay. So I will see you in three weeks.”
“Yup. And I will most definitely keep calling you. You miss my special day, Ethan, and I will kill you, I swear.”
I can’t help but laugh. The image of my tiny sister taking me out is hilarious. “Relax, I’ll be there, and I will do anything you ask of me. I promise.”
“Good. I’m sure Lindsay will be happy to see you.” Amanda sighs. “I’m worried about her, you know. She barely keeps in contact with me. It’s like she avoids me sometimes. I have no idea what’s going on with her.”
My heart jumps at the mention of Lindsay. “Wait, Lindsay will be there? Has she finished art school already?”
“She didn’t go. Hey, I have to run. I’ll talk to you later. Love you.”
“Love you too.” I hang up the phone, my heart still racing. Lindsay Williams. Thinking of the last time I saw her throws my emotions into upheaval. Suddenly, I can feel her lips on mine, the softness of her skin beneath my fingertips, the innocence and trust in her eyes. Blinking rapidly, I pull myself from my play of memories.
I haven’t seen Lindsay in almost four years. I tried to stay in contact with her after her graduation, after that afternoon in the pool house, but as Amanda said, it was as if she was avoiding me. The one time I got her, she expressed that she felt like she would be betraying her best friend if whatever was between us continued. Of course I told her that that train had left the station when we had sex. But she insisted that we end things. So, I stopped calling. She regretted what we had done. And I can’t blame her. What nice girl in their right mind would want to continue a relationship with a cad like me? I’m sure she’s seen all the magazines and entertainment reports that make me out to be a playboy. Sometimes I think it’s for the best that Lindsay doesn’t want to talk to me. And there are times when I experience a tinge of longing to talk to her, to see her. She is one of the most real people I know, apart from my family.
When I ret
urned home years ago, I was pleasantly shocked to see the beauty she had evolved into and how outspoken she had become. The instant I saw her, the attraction had hit me in the gut like a ton of bricks, taking me completely off guard. I was guilty at first, because she was my little sister’s best friend, but I couldn’t keep my hands off of her in the end. Our friendship may have been ruined forever.
Seeing her when I return to Connecticut is going to be awkward, but I’m actually looking forward to seeing her again. She’s the only woman I have ever felt comfortable enough to be myself around. Perhaps it’s because I’ve known her since she was a kid. Seeing Lindsay will be the only good thing about going back to the small town that I hate. The question is, will she be happy to see me?
Chapter Four
Lindsay
My dress sticks to my damp skin, making me even more irritated. The July humidity, along with my nerves, is driving me up the wall. I’m pretty sure my jittery nerves are contributing more to my sweating than the weather, though. I don’t know why I agreed to meet up with Amanda and her fiancé today. Although there’s no way I could have avoided it for long. This is a small town, after all. God, what will she think of me? She’s some successful finance something or another, and she’s marrying a big shot lawyer. They will both see me as a complete loser. The temptation to swing my car around and head back to my crappy apartment looms in my mind. I’m sure I can find some excuse to explain my absence.
“No, Amanda will probably ask around until she finds out where I live.” And that is even worse than meeting up at her parents’ house. At least this way Amanda won’t see the dump that I live in. I let out a sigh of resignation and keep driving until I turn onto the familiar street. I practically grew up on this street, spending more time at Amanda’s house than I did at my own. I used to love staying at Amanda’s. Her parents made more money than mine did and lived in a more upscale part of town. I loved the swimming pool, and seeing her big brother, of course.
Panic wells up inside me. Holy crap. Will Ethan be there today? I didn’t ask Amanda when he would be flying in: if he is. More than likely he would, because football season hadn’t started yet, so he had more time on his hands. “Damn it.” Now I really want to kick my car into reverse. I’m already in front of the house, though, so I might as well go through with it. As I reluctantly get out of the car, I hope Amanda isn’t watching from the window. My car looks more like a beat up piece of metal than an actual vehicle.
“Okay, I can totally do this.” All I have to do is be vague, and no one needs to know what a failure I turned out to be. Then it hit me. If Amanda’s parents are back, they will have told her that I have a child and that I still work at the diner. They didn’t spend much time here after Amanda went off to college in New York, but they know enough about my pathetic life. I take a deep breath and continue up the stone walkway. The front door flies open before I reach the top step and Amanda comes running toward me, as bright as the sunshine in her yellow summer dress.
“Lindsay!” She flies into my arms, and I instinctively wrap them around her. The warm embrace leaves me feeling both happy and guilty. To think that I have treated my best friend so badly, and still receive such a greeting.
“Hi, Amanda. I’m so glad to see you.” It’s the truth. All my fears aside, I have missed her dearly. If only I were able to lean on her after finding out that I was pregnant, I wouldn’t have been so stressed. But I couldn’t have told her I was pregnant with her brother’s child. She would have hated me. She probably still will, if she finds out.
Amanda steps back to examine me from head to toe. “Oh, Lindsay, you’re still as gorgeous as ever.”
“I am? You look amazing, too.” She’s a head shorter than I am, with green eyes. I can’t help but think how similar my daughter’s eyes are. “Wow, you’re very blond now.” I let out a laugh.
She giggles and flips her short hair. “I am. You like?”
“I do.”
Amanda suddenly gets serious. “Did I do something, Lindsay? We haven’t stayed close like I thought we would. I know we are in different states, but I always assumed we would chat every day. I’ve wracked my brain trying to recall if I said or did something to offend you. I know I’ve always been ditzy, so maybe I said something-”
“Amanda, stop.” I’m totally shocked by the word spilling from her lips. Now I feel even more guilty. For three years she thought I was avoiding her because of something she did. Am I the worst friend in history or what? “You’re not to be blamed for anything. In all honesty, it had everything to do with me. Didn’t your parents tell you?”
She seems confused. “Tell me what?”
I blink. So Mr. and Mrs. Taylor haven’t said anything. I stayed away from them, as well, but they must have heard about it in a small town like this. “Can we go inside and talk?”
“Sure.” Amanda leads me inside, sending me confused glances now and then. “I’ll introduce you to Nathan and then we’ll go up to my old bedroom. Remember how much fun we used to have in there during our slumber parties?”
I smile. “Yeah, I do.”
“Nathan, where are you, hon?” Amanda calls. A man of average height emerges from the kitchen. His blond hair is parted and combed over to the left. He’s dressed in a polo shirt and khaki shorts, with a sweater tied by the sleeves around his shoulders. My brows lift slightly. It seems Nathan thinks he’s on a golf course. And who wears a sweater over their shoulders in summer? Swallowing a laugh, I approach Nathan with outstretched hands as Amanda makes introductions.
“Nathan, this is Lindsay Williams, my very best friend. Lindsay, meet the love of my life, Nathan Wilby.”
“A pleasure to meet you, Lindsay. I’ve heard so much about you. Amanda carries on about you all the time.”
“I see. Nice to meet you too, Nathan.” We shake hands briefly. Is it just me or does Nathan seem a bit pretentious? Amanda did say he’s some rich, big shot lawyer, so being pompous must come with the territory.
“Okay, darling, go back and enjoy your drink. Lindsay and I need some time alone.”
“Ah, you women do love to chat,” Nathan says. “Very well, run along and have fun, you two.”
You women? Run along? I throw Nathan a strange look, which I hope is subtle. What are we, twelve? Where did Amanda find this guy? And why the heck is she marrying him?
As I settle on Amanda’s bed, I eye her from beneath my lashes. “So, um, is your brother coming?”
Amanda dives onto the bed, reminding me that she’s just as young as I am. She looks older in appearance now. “Of course he is. Ethan’s joining us in a few weeks. You know I had to come way early to get everything in order.”
Oh, God, Ethan is coming. I can’t let my panic show. Clearing my throat, I move the topic away from Ethan. “I can’t believe you’re planning your wedding in just a month.’
She shrugs. “I have to. Nathan is on vacation from work, and I wanted to come back home to have my wedding in the church where my parents got married. I had to beg Nathan to have it here.”
“Oh. Are you sure about Nathan? Sure he’s the one you want to spend your life with? You’re only twenty-one.” I want to say more, express my concerns about Nathan, but decide not to. I’m not sure how Amanda will take it.
“Of course I’m sure.” I see uncertainty flicker in her eyes, but she quickly hides it. “He’s great. Enough about me. You wanted to tell me something downstairs.”
“Right.” I might as well spill. I don’t have to tell her everything.
“Come on. Talk to me, Lindsay. We haven’t seen each other for years, and we haven’t had a decent conversation since I left.”
“I admit that I avoided your calls most of the time.” Hurt flashes in Amanda’s eyes and I rush to explain. “It wasn’t because you did anything. I was just so ashamed. I still am.”
“Of what, Lindsay?”
“The way my life turned out. You know I didn’t get to go to art school like I wanted.”
&nb
sp; “Yes. I was so sorry to hear. You’re so gifted. A damn genius with a paintbrush, pencil and anything you touch. I always told you you would make millions with your art someday.”
My head dips. I can no longer look at her. “That’s just it, Amanda. I turned out to be a complete failure. I got pregnant and never made it to college, never fulfilled my dreams, never left this small town. Everyone I graduated with has moved on to bigger and better things. I still work in the diner that I used to work in during the summer when I was fifteen, for Christ’s sake.”
Amanda gapes at me, her mouth hanging open. “Linds, I can’t believe you would be ashamed to talk to me, your best friend since freaking pre-school. But I’m stuck at the part about you having a baby. When did that happen?”
“I-I found out after you left for New York, right before I was to leave for art school.” I can still remember my shock and dismay, and my parent’s disappointment. The look in my father’s eyes still haunts me to this day. “Daddy was so upset. He died with a broken heart,” I whisper.
“Oh, Lindsay, I’m so sorry. I didn’t make it to his funeral.”
I shake my head. “I’m to be blamed for that. I didn’t even tell you when it happened.” I sent a measly text after the funeral. “I know you would have come if you knew.”
We remain silent for a while until Amanda says, “Wow, you have a baby. Who is the father? Are you two together? I’ve missed out on so much in your life.”
My heart stops. “Er, well… he-he’s not around. We don’t talk.” At least that was the truth. “I don’t want to talk about him, Amanda.”
She nods. “Um, alright. I can’t wait to meet your baby!”
“Yeah.” Oh no. I can’t let Amanda see Casey. She’ll figure out that she’s her niece for sure. I’m going to have to keep Casey away from Amanda and Ethan until they leave town. How am I going to pull that off? I suppose I can leave Casey with my mother anytime I have to meet up with Amanda.