Troubled Waters (The Lake Trilogy, Book 2)

by Grant, AnnaLisa

  “So this is Layla, huh? You really do exist! I told John here he was going to have to bring you around soon or I was going to chalk you up to his imaginary girlfriend. He hasn’t shut up about you for months!” Jason has a sweet and boisterous personality that I immediately like.

  “You’re not dreaming. I’m really here!” I say with a chuckle as I shake Jason’s hand.

  “I’m Lisa, Jason’s girlfriend. Sorry he’s so rude! It’s nice to meet you.” She extends her hand and we shake politely. Lisa seems quieter than Jason, although that doesn’t seem like a real feat.

  “It’s nice to meet you, too.”

  “We should go, Jason. They’re on a date,” she says, tugging at his arm.

  “We’re on a date, too, and I don’t mind having a chat with them!”

  “Yeah, well, not everyone is as intrusive as you are. Now let’s go!” Lisa pulls on his arm with more force this time causing his feet to move with his body. “It was really nice to meet you. We should double sometime!”

  “Definitely!” I say. Double dating…what a normal thing to do!

  “Later, Jace. Keep him out of trouble, Lisa!” Will calls to them as they make their way to the other side of the restaurant.

  Although a bit nervous, it was easy for my end of the short conversation to not mess up and call him Will. This isn’t the first time I’ve been with John and not Will. It still felt strange to hear Jason call him that, but Will didn’t flinch. Of course not, he’s been John Holland for months now. He’s used to it. I need to get used to it, too. I think that maybe I should start calling him John when we’re together at home, but that idea makes me sad. I cried big heavy tears at the thought of never saying his name again, but perhaps I could do it because it is my father’s name.

  I smile remembering the moment Will told me why he chose that name for his new life. Yes, this is a skill I will have to master. For now, I’ve done well and hope that I’ll do just as well in the future.

  Will’s friends are really nice. They’re nothing like the debutants and CEO’s in training we knew at Heyward. They’re Old Navy, not Prada, so I’m instantly comfortable around them.

  “They seem great,” I say.

  “Yeah, I like them, but we’re not exactly close,” he says. “It’s kind of hard when there’s so much they can’t know.”

  “I know what you mean. I always feel like I’m lying by omission about something. It’s a natural thing to talk about where you’re from, your family, but I’m always changing the subject or being elusive. It’s really unfair to them, don’t you think?”

  “Yes, but as time goes by, these people – people like Jason, Lisa, Dana, and Finn – they’ll become part of our story. Our life in Davidson won’t be primary any more. And one day, when we’re at Jason and Lisa’s wedding, someone will ask us how we know the bride and groom, and we’ll look at them and tell them went to college together.” Will clears his throat and I ready myself for a heavy question as that is just about the only time he clears his throat like that. “Do you ever wish I hadn’t come back?”

  “WHAT? NO!” I almost jump out of my seat. I can’t believe he would even pose such a ludicrous question. “Why would you even ask that? Do you wish you hadn’t come back?”

  “No, no! I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to upset you.” Will takes my hand and runs his thumb over my promise ring. “I was just thinking about this very conversation, and the one we had about Caroline and the others. Your life would be less complicated, less secretive if I hadn’t come back.”

  “Maybe, but then you wouldn’t be here and I would be devastated every moment of every day for the rest of my life. I would rather lie to everyone than to not have you.” I close my eyes to calm myself. “Please don’t say things like that again. Please,” I beg.

  “Ok. I’m sorry.” Will kisses my hand and smiles. His assurance that I am where I want and need to be is back and I can rest.

  When we get home we tell Luke and Claire that we’ve decided to tell Caroline about the whole thing. They hesitate for only a moment but agree since Caroline’s parents already know everything. Claire suggests we invite Caroline and both of her parents to spend Thanksgiving weekend with us and I couldn’t be more thrilled. It’s just a few weeks away, so I’m hopeful that they’ll be able to make it. I can’t wait to see Caroline…and the look on her face when she sees Will!

  Chapter 12

  I’m busy setting up the guest room when the doorbell rings. I know it’s Caroline because she’s texted me every hour since they left home. Claire and I bum rush the door and practically tackle Caroline and her mother to the ground. We’re so happy for a little bit of the goodness of home. Caroline and I hug fiercely, neither of us wanting to let go. It’s been months since we’ve seen each other, but it feels like forever.

  “Let me look at you!” she bellows. I’ve missed her sweet southern voice, but notice it’s not as southern as it once was. California is rubbing off on her and I feel a twinge of disappointment.

  “Oh, please, I’m still plain old me. What about you, though? Miss California Girl now! Where’s your tan?”

  “Oh, it’s here, girl, but fading! The sun out there is totally different than back home, that’s for sure! I used to lay out with nothing but number four tanning oil but not in Cali! I have to wear sunscreen now! Can you believe it? Sunscreen!”

  “Poor baby!” We laugh at the silliness of this problem.

  “So where is your room? I want to toss my stuff in there and change. The weather is so great here! I’m glad you told me it doesn’t get as cold here this time of year as it can in Carolina.”

  “Yeah, ten degrees makes a huge difference!” I take Caroline’s bag and start in the direction of my room when I remember that’s where Will and Eliana are hiding. “Good grief! What do you have in here?” I say, putting the bag down, pretending it’s heavier than it is. Caroline has over-packed for sure, so I know I can divert her attention here.

  “Honey, you know I have to have options! Besides, I’m flying back to school from here, so there’s some extra stuff in there that I won’t really need here. And…your present is in there!” she replies in her sugary sweet Caroline way. My heart swells as I let her words linger in my ear. My friend Dana has been a good substitute for this southern melody, but while Caroline is here I’ll soak in the real thing as much as possible.

  “You didn’t have to bring me a gift! That’s so sweet of you. Thank you!” I say with a pre-gift hug. She’ll get another, even bigger one, when I see what it is. “Let’s get a drink. You must be thirsty from the drive. I’m always parched after a road trip. It’s all the a/c air.” I don’t know if that’s why I’m always thirsty after a road trip, but I had to say something to draw her to the kitchen.

  We all decided that we would tell Caroline everything the moment they got here. I couldn’t spend a second of her here without her knowing. We also agreed that Luke and Claire would explain the Marcus situation to Caroline’s parents while Will and I told Caroline and fielded any questions she had. Caroline would kill me if she found out after we got it under control, and her parents can keep an eye and ear out around Davidson.

  We’re all gathered in the kitchen, minus Will and Eliana, of course, enjoying the spread of snacks Claire and I prepared. I’m alternating between the pretzel chips and carrots with hummus and the plate of assorted cheeses. My tastes have really expanded since I came to live with Luke and Claire. There’s a whole wide world of foods and flavors that I had forgotten about while I was with Gram and Gramps. I’m so glad Claire has revived my palate.

  “How was the drive, Carol?” Claire asks. You seemed to make good time.”

  “It was good. I thought we’d hit more traffic the day before Thanksgiving, but I guess everyone got a head start…or maybe we got the head start,” Caroline’s mother says. “It’s even easier with three drivers. We haven’t done a road trip in a while, so it was fun. Caroline took advantage of her captive audience and we got quite an
education on interior design and the designers we should be holding allegiance to.”

  “I wish the others were coming this weekend. It’d be like a homecoming of sorts.” I say, giving Claire a knowing look.

  “That would have been great, but maybe at Christmas break or for New Years?” Caroline says. “We’ll fly down then. I don’t think anyone will handle eight hours in a car with Gwen! Certainly not with her driving!” We all laugh and I savor the moment before things get heavy.

  I have a feeling that Caroline will take the news of Will’s heart beating well. She knows what Will’s father was like and I can’t imagine her feeling betrayed by the lie I’ve had to protect over the last several weeks. I know she’ll be over the moon to see Will.

  “So, Caroline, there’s something we wanted to talk to you about,” I begin.

  “Is everything ok? Ya’ll are looking at me like I’m in trouble, or like I’m about to be the center of an intervention,” she says.

  “Everything is great, honey. Layla just has something she wants to tell you,” Mrs. Jackson assures her.

  “Ok…what is it?”

  “Remember when you came over for New Year’s Eve? You told me about you being adopted, and how Will’s dad was just awful to you,” I say, doing my best to set up the story.

  “Yes, of course.” Caroline is wary now. Her eyes tell me she has no clue where I’m going with this. If we don’t spit it out soon, she’s going to go southern psycho on me.

  “So you know just how terrible he is…and that Will would have done anything to get away from him.” She nods slowly, trying to follow. “Well, he did…he did something to get himself and his mom away from his dad…so that they could live a real life…so that Will and I could have a life together.”

  “Layla, what are you talking about? Mom, what’s she talking about?” Caroline is understandably confused.

  “Will, and his mom…they’re…they’re not dead, Caroline,” I say cautiously.

  “What? How is that possible?”

  “It’s true.” Will’s voice rings from the doorway to the kitchen, his mother standing beside him. Eliana is quiet, but smiling bigger than I’ve seen her smile. She’s happy that Will has gotten a bit of his past back. Caroline spins in her seat and just about falls out of it.

  “Oh my heavens! Will!” Caroline ejects herself and runs to throw herself into Will’s arms. She is thrilled, ecstatic, as I knew she would be. “It’s really you? Oh, I can’t believe it! Oh, your hair! It’s longer! And Mrs. Meyer, you’re still so beautiful! I love your hair!”

  “Believe it, ‘cause I’m here,” Will says clutching her. She’s leaped up into his arms and Will is literally holding her inches off the floor. “But…”

  “But what? Why is there a ‘but’?” Caroline says as Will puts her down.

  “You can’t tell anyone,” her mother says. “Will and Layla are going to explain. Are you ok, honey? I know this is a lot to take in.”

  “Yes! I’m great! I’m not sure that I need any explanation. Gregory Meyer is a terrible, terrible man. I don’t question for one second why you did what you did.” Caroline takes my hand and draws the three of us together. “And I think it’s an over the top romantic thing that you did, Will. I told you he loved you,” she says to me.

  “I know he does. And I love him,” I say to Caroline as I stare into Will’s eyes.

  “Well, you may not need an explanation, but there are some new developments that you need to be aware of. C’mon, let’s go sit on the patio.” Will says as he takes my hand and leads Caroline and me outside.

  We sit and waste no time in telling her about Marcus. I’m careful with what information I share because Will still doesn’t know about the text. I’m going to tell him; there just hasn’t been a great time. I tell her about Marcus supposedly transferring and she’s just as creeped out by the whole thing, but is happy when I tell her about Furtick. Will tells her about changing their names and Caroline swoons at the romantics of it. She has responded just as I thought she would. If any one of our friends was going to fully understand, it was going to be Caroline.

  “So, this is going to sound weird, but once you leave here, you can’t refer to Will as Will. You have to call him John, ok?” I instruct her.

  “Got it. I don’t care what your name is. You are here, and that’s more than we could have ever hoped for. You must have totally freaked out, Layla.”

  “I was totally stunned. I fainted, but it’s been so wonderful having him back. When I think about losing him…” I start to tear up a little as I remember the sorrow.

  “Hey…baby, it’s ok…I’m here,” Will puts his arm around me and pulls me close to him.

  “So what should we do first?” Caroline sparks.

  “We should eat, right?” Will replies, grinning from ear to ear.

  “Yes, let’s eat! And then we’ll eat some more tomorrow! We’ll have a five day feast!” Caroline says cheerily.

  We all have a good giggle and another big group-hug. I feel a bit of the weight I’ve been carrying lift a little. It’s similar to the relief I felt when I was finally able to talk to Luke about what I experienced with Gram. I held it in for so long, not having anyone I could share it with. I remember how light I physically felt…like I do now.

  Sitting in the kitchen with Will and Caroline I’m taken back to a time in my life when things seemed perfect. I was surrounded by friends who loved and accepted me. I was learning to accept myself after Luke’s declaration that Gram had no right to punish me for something that wasn’t my fault. I’m missing Gwen, Chris, and especially Tyler, but I’m filled with hope that we’ll be able to tell them all soon. Perhaps we’ll tell them one at a time, with Tyler being next on the list.

  We’re gathered around the table enjoying a dinner of nothing but snacks. We did this a lot as a group back home. Gwen, Caroline and I would make real appetizers that required actual ingredients, and the boys would bring bags of chips and containers of dip. We’d play Monopoly and I’d watch the boys discuss their plans for a hostile take-over of the Boardwalk and Park Place properties. When Luke enters the room with our favorite game we can hardly contain ourselves.

  “I’m the car!” Will declares.

  “Yeah, well I’m the shoe because you can never have too many shoes!” Caroline adds.

  “I’ll be the hat…because I’m classy like that,” I say, taking the small silver top hat to my head and tipping it, giving us all a good laugh.

  “Ok, I’ll be the banker, too,” Caroline says.

  “No way! You are the worst banker ever!” Will protests.

  “I have no idea what you’re talking about,” Caroline says coyly.

  “Shall I remind you?” Will begins. “One: you forget to give people their properties. Two: you also forget to give people their $200 when they pass Go. And, three: you don’t know how to make change, which is weird for a girl who sure knows how to spend money!”

  “Ok, ok, ok! You’ve made your point! You can be the banker!” she says giving in.

  “I’m going first,” I say. “And don’t argue with me because it’s my house!” We spend the next several hours playing, eating, talking, and laughing. I explain Furtick’s place in our family with a bit more detail and how much I’ve come to love him, which leads me to start referring to him as my Bonus Uncle. I also brag on Will and tell Caroline about him heading up the crew that built the dock. He takes almost no credit for it and tells her how Luke stepped up to make it happen. “That’s because he believes in you!” I say, cutting his self-deprecation off at the pass.

  Luke really has become like a father to Will. It makes me happy that Will has him. Despite whatever differences they may have had, Luke is a lot like my dad. He’s strong, filled with deep conviction, and has the ability to love fiercely. He’s a man filled with character and integrity, which makes him the kind of man that Will can confidently model himself after.

  At two in the morning Luke says it’s time for Will to
go home and us girls to at least pretend we’re going to get some sleep this weekend. We do have a lot to do tomorrow, but I only see it as a day filled with cooking, laughing, playing more games, and eating more food than anyone should eat in a single day.

  “I can’t believe you won!” Will says to Caroline as we pack the last pieces of the game away.

  “I told you. I know what I’m doing!” she says with feigned sweetness. We walk Will to the door and Caroline gives him just as big a hug as she did when she first saw him earlier today. “I’m so happy that you’re here. It was just awful when you were gone,” she says softly into Will’s neck. “My world just got a whole lot better.”

  “I love you, too Caroline,” Will says echoing her tenderness.

  Releasing her, Will takes my face in his hands. “But not as much as I love you,” he says sweetly, followed by a kiss.

  “Aww! I missed your disgustingly sweet displays of affection,” Caroline gushes, her sweet sarcasm reminding me of Gwen.

  “Ok, you two. Don’t stay up too late. I’ll be over in about,” he checks his watch, “six and a half hours.”

  “Ooh, 8:30. Sleeping in I see!” I tease him. Will gives me another quick kiss and is gone all too soon. I grab Caroline’s bag and finally lead her to my room. We ready ourselves for sleep and collapse on the bed.

  “Are you ready for your present?” she asks.

  “Oh, right, I forgot.” I still have a hard time receiving gifts, but I’m working on it since Claire and Will have been diligent in their efforts there. Caroline pulls out a Kindle cover with her school’s logo on it. “Oh that’s so cool! Thank you so much!”

  “Now, whenever you’re reading, which I know is all the time, you’ll think of me!” She reaches over and gives me a tight hug. I grab my Kindle from my side table and immediately put the cover on.

  “It’s perfect. Thank you,” I say hugging her again. We settle ourselves into the bed, facing each other. There really is nothing like a good old-fashioned slumber party with your best friend. “I’m so glad you’re here. And I’m so glad that we told you about Will. I’m sorry I had to lie to you. I wanted to tell you right away, but…”