Chased (Love like Yours Series Book 4)

by Nicole S. Goodin

  “True love has a habit of coming back.”

  - Author unknown

  30. Colt

  Lexie was near. I could feel it. Excitement coursed through my veins at the prospect of seeing her again, holding her in my arms and breathing in the smell that was one hundred percent Lexie Chase.

  I was also nervous. There was this nagging thought in the back of my mind that maybe she wouldn’t be happy about me being here. I’d literally shown up in her life, unannounced and uninvited, and if she turned me down… if she wasn’t ready for this, it was going to kill me.

  I meant what I’d told Mitch – Lexie was the one for me.

  I glanced around at the bar – my new job. It was nothing like the club in Boston, but it was cool. The staff seemed nice and everyone had welcomed me with open arms. Right now, I was just learning the ropes and in the back of my mind, making a list of improvements that would help this place tick over a little better. Penny had informed me that it wasn’t performing as well as expected, and because of that, they’d had trouble keeping managers for more than a few months at a time.

  Speak of the devil.

  Penny smiled brightly at me as she approached the bar. “Take a break.” She suggested.

  “Me?” I looked around to check she was speaking to me. “I’ve only been here an hour or two.”

  She winked at me. “I know, but a certain petite little brunette is on the stage.”

  My eyes shot up from the bench I was wiping down. “Where?” I demanded softly.

  Her tinkling laugh surrounded me. “Just a few doors away, c’mon, I’ll show you.”

  I didn’t need telling twice. I dropped the cloth and gave Mikey, the guy helping me get settled, a nod; he gave me a nod and a smirk back – everyone in his place knew about me and Lex already.

  Apparently there were no secrets on this cruise ship.

  I followed Penny out of the bar and down to a restaurant/lounge area. The sound of Lexie’s sweet voice filled my ears and soothed my soul simultaneously. Hearing her voice was like coming home. I paused outside the door and took a deep breath.

  Penny nudged my arm and raised her eyebrows at me. “Aren’t you coming in? We’re just in time for her last song.”

  Is this how I wanted to surprise her?

  I had a feeling that if I walked in there right now, she’d abandon her set to come to me, and that wasn’t right. A voice like Lexie’s needed to be heard.

  I shook my head slowly as I listened to her singing ‘All I Want’ by Kodaline. Her voice was more haunting than I could remember and she sounded on the verge of breaking down.

  Penny must have sensed it too. She gave me a small smile and disappeared around the corner to watch.

  I still hadn’t laid eyes on her, but I couldn’t make myself move. All I could do was listen.

  “All I want is nothing more, to hear you knocking at my door, 'cause if I could see your face once more, I could die as a happy girl I'm sure.”

  Her voice turned husky.

  “When you said your last goodbye, I died a little bit inside; I lay in tears in bed all night, alone without you by my side”

  My heart pounded in my chest.

  My sweet Lexie.

  She was singing from the heart.

  “'Cause you brought out the best of me, a part of me I'd never seen. You took my soul wiped it clean. Our love was made for movie screens… but If you loved me, why did you leave me… take my body, take my body… all I want is, all I need is, to find somebody… I'll find somebody.”

  A shiver passed over me, leaving a path of goose bumps in its wake.

  She sounded so hurt, so alone. Her voice was connecting with every part of me, mirroring the way I felt from being without her.

  The crowd inside the room erupted into applause as the song came to an end.

  “Thank you.” She replied quietly. “I’ve got time for one last song.”

  I wasn’t sure how much more of this I could take. My heart was breaking for her. Even though I was here now, the guilt at letting her be apart from me was threatening to swallow me whole – she obviously wasn’t coping quite the way I thought she was.

  The backing track, or maybe it was a live band, I couldn’t tell from my hidden spot, started and I recognized the tune as ‘What now’ by Rihanna. I tried desperately to swallow the lump in my throat – Lexie was hurting, big time.

  “Whatever it is, it feels like it's laughing at me through the glass of a two-sided mirror. Whatever it is, it's just sitting there laughing at me, and I just wanna scream… What now? I just can't figure it out. What now? I guess I'll just wait it out. What now? Ohhhh what now?”

  She sounds like an angel.

  Her voice glided effortlessly through the verse.

  “I don't know where to go. I don't know what to feel. I don't know how to cry. I don't know ow ow why. I don't know where to go. I don't know what to feel. I don't know how to cry. I don't know ow ow why. I don't know where to go. I don't know what to feel. I don't know how to cry. I don't know ow ow why.”

  Nothing, I mean nothing would ever compare to hearing the woman I loved, singing like this. This was by no means the first time I’d heard her voice, but in a way it felt like it was, there was so much emotion in her voice, she was feeling the words deep inside her soul – and so was I.

  “So what now?”

  Her voice clogged with tears on the last note and I rounded the corner.

  My girl needs me.

  I glanced around the room, searching for her, finally spotting her at the far corner of the room; she was being ushered off the stage by Penny, her back to me.

  Lexie… my little song bird.

  Penny whipped her head around, obviously looking for me. She gestured her head towards the bar and I took it to mean that I should go back to work. She winked and I knew she had a plan.

  I just had to hope that she knew what she was doing.

  31. Lexie

  Thank god for Penny.

  She’d bustled me off that stage in her arms before the crowd had realized my tears were more than just for show. She must have seen it in my eyes that I was on the verge of a meltdown, and we both knew that once I started; there would be no stopping me.

  “Deep breaths, honey, deep breaths.” She coached me. She pressed down on my shoulders until I was seated in a chair in the staff only area out back.

  I sucked in a couple of shallow breaths.

  “Can you tell me what’s wrong? Or what you need?”

  “Colt.” I panted out. “I just need to talk to Colt.”

  “What’s happened, sweetie, talk to me.” Penny demanded in that soft, soothing way she had.

  I took another breath, deeper this time, and tried to focus on Penny, she’d crouched down in front of me so we were on eye level.

  I can talk to her, she’ll help.

  “I’m pregnant.” I answered quietly, and for some reason I sounded ashamed. “I couldn’t get Colt on the phone… he doesn’t know.”

  Penny’s eyes lit up like a proud grandmother. “That’s fantastic news, sweetie.” She lightly squeezed my shoulders. “Are you okay? I take it from the look on your face that it wasn’t planned?”

  I shook my head. “We only had a week together, Pen, what if it was just a holiday fling for him?” I bit down on my lip to try and stop myself from crying.

  “Has he done or said anything to make you think that?” She asked gently coaxing me to see that I was over reacting. Penny was always the voice of reason on this ship.

  “No.” I shook my head again. “He’s sweet and caring and he tells me he misses me.”

  She raised her eyebrows at me.

  “But he has a whole life in Boston, and none of it involves me. And he seemed to be really excited about what he’s had going on these past few days, and I can’t help but feel like he’s moving on without me.” I rambled.

  “You really love him, don’t you?” She asked softly.

  I looked up from w
here I’d been fiddling with the hem of my dress. “More than I thought was possible.” I answered sincerely.

  “You know what, Lexie girl, I bet this will all work out, you’ll see.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I just know.” She tapped the end of my nose. “Now come on, I need a wine.”

  I looked at her expectantly, waiting for the penny to drop.

  “Oh crap, well, I’ll have a wine; you’ll have to settle for a juice.”

  I giggle and dabbed at my eyes. “I might just head back to my room.”

  “Nonsense.” She argued, pulling me to my feet. “One drink, honey, and I’ll let you go. Trust me; it’ll be good for you.”

  I sighed and let her pull me up, it was useless arguing with this woman, there was a reason she was so good at her job – she always got what she wanted.

  “Fine.” I grumbled. “But I can’t promise I’ll be good company.”

  “Oh, you’ll be great.” She threw her arm casually around my shoulders. “Come and meet my new hire, he’s pretty easy on the eye.”

  “Penny!” I scolded her. “That’s inappropriate, I swear, if you try to set me up on a date…”

  She just laughed. “I wouldn’t do such a thing… but he is very pretty.” She insisted.

  “Penny…” I warned her as she led me down to the bar that now apparently had a pretty boy running it.

  “I’m just pulling your leg.” She laughed like the crazy old bat she was.

  She dragged me into the Alchemy bar and sat me down on a bar stool, all the while looking around, presumably for the new man she had running the show.

  I opened my mouth to tell her to sit down, but she disappeared behind the bar before I had a chance.

  I turned, my back to the bar and glanced around. It was busy in here tonight, there were people milling around the bar, the ocean view tables, and there were also several couples dotted around the open space. Some were snuggled up in the booth, one was sitting close at a table, their legs touching underneath.

  I miss him.

  I felt the tears well in my eyes again.

  I need to get out of here.

  I felt one of the bar staff rest something on the bar behind me, and I opened my mouth, ready to turn down their request for a drink order. But what I wasn’t prepared for, was the goose bumps that covered my body when he spoke.

  “What can I get for you, my little song bird?”

  “The one thing I know for sure is that feelings are rarely mutual, so when they are, drop everything, forget belongings and expectations, forget the games, the two days between texts, the hard to gets because this is it, this is what the entire world is after and you’ve stumbled upon it by chance, by accident – so take a deep breath, take a step forward, now run, collide like planets in the system of a dying sun, embrace each other with both arms and let all the rules, the opinions and common sense crash down around you. Because this is love kid, and it’s all yours. Believe me, you’re in for one hell of a ride, after all – this is the one thing I know for sure.”

  - Beau Taplin

  32. Colt

  I watched as her skin prickled with awareness, all from my words – she recognized my voice immediately, like I knew she would. Hell, I would have known her voice anywhere, in any faraway corner of this earth.

  She froze for a moment, as though she didn’t really believe it was me, here, on her cruise ship.

  She turned in slow motion, the stool swiveling underneath her ass.

  The moment she laid eyes on me I saw all of the breath leave her lungs. The weight lifting off her shoulders was so evident it nearly knocked me back a step.

  “Colt?” She asked as if her eyes and ears might have been deceiving her.

  “I got you, babe.” I told her softly.

  Her eyes welled with tears. “You’re here… oh my god, you’re here.” She reached for me, but I didn’t want the barrier between us.

  Never taking my eyes off her for one second, I rounded the bar as quickly as I could.

  She met me half way and lunged for me, knowing full well that I’d never let her fall.

  “Lexie.” I breathed in a sigh of relief as I wrapped my arms tight around her, right where they belonged. My chin rested on the top of her head – she was the exact right height and she fit against me so perfectly; it was as though her body had been designed to match mine… as though she had been made specifically for me.

  “I missed you.” She sobbed against my chest.

  “I know, I’m so sorry, Lex.” I attempted to soothe her, running my hands up and down her back. “I’m here now and I’m not leaving unless you tell me to.”

  “But the ships left port.” She gaped, pulling back suddenly as though she’d only just reached the realization that I was really here, on this ship that she called home. “You’re stuck on here for two weeks.” She looked like she was going to start crying again.

  “I’m not stuck anywhere.” I reassured her. “And besides, I’ll be here a lot longer than that anyway.” I gestured to the bar behind us.

  Her bloodshot eyes darted backwards and forwards between me and the bar until her brain made the connection.

  “You came to work here… for me? You’re the pretty new bar manager?”

  I chuckled at the pretty reference. “Everything is for you, Lexie.”

  “But your life? The Club? Your apartment? Oh my god what about Betsy and all the others, who will visit them?” She spoke in such a rush I wasn’t entirely sure I’d caught it all.

  “Breathe, baby, it’s okay, I’ll explain everything… and the oldies are fine, I promised I’d write and visit when I could. I even tried to show them how to work Skype, so we’ll see how that goes.”

  She looked up at me, her eyes wide and panicked.

  “None of that matters now, Lexie, It’s just you and me.” I reassured her as I brushed her hair from her face.

  She smiled, but shook her head slightly in disagreement at the same time.

  I frowned, not understanding.

  “Yeah, ah…” She cleared her throat awkwardly. “We ummm… can we talk?” She replied, her expression suddenly more nervous than I’d ever seen her.

  What the hell?

  Her words were terrifying me, but the smile on her face was soothing. I didn’t know what to make of it. My mind raced through the possibilities, but came up empty.

  I searched her eyes for answers but she just laughed lightly. “I tried to call you.” She scolded me, smacking me lightly on the shoulder.

  “I was on a plane.” I replied, pulling her close again and nuzzling my face into her shoulder. I couldn’t get close enough. “On my way to get my girl.”

  “We need to talk.” She insisted softly.

  “Off you go, you two, Mikey has things under control here.” Penny called from behind the bar.

  I twisted so I could see her, still holding Lexie tight against me. I wondered absently if the woman had mindreading abilities or supersonic hearing.

  “Are you sure?” I asked.

  She waved her hand dismissively. “Yes I’m sure.” She insisted. “You two have some catching up to do.” She winked at me and I realized that she knew exactly what Lexie needed to talk to me about.

  I also came to the conclusion that I was probably the worst employee in the history of this cruise ship right now, but since I didn’t technically start until tomorrow, I was going to let it slide, just this once.

  “Lead the way.” I instructed Lexie.

  ***

  Lexie was pacing the small room. Seven steps in one direction, turn, seven steps back.

  I’d sat down on the edge of her bed – our bed, and was waiting her out, I’d expected her to come right out with it, but apparently she wasn’t quite ready to spill her guts just yet.

  I didn’t care how long she took. The only thing that I needed was in this room right now… I had all the time in the world.

  “You okay, baby?” I asked her in amusement. />
  “Colt! It’s not funny.” She groaned. She paused momentarily, and then took up her pacing again, walking in the opposite direction this time.

  “Is it bad?” I asked her, more serious in my question now. Truthfully, I was starting to get a little worried about what she needed to tell me.

  Has she met someone else?

  I shoved that thought far from my mind. When it came to Lexie and I, there was, and never would be anyone else.

  “No… it’s just… I don’t know how you’ll take it… I…”

  I stood up, grabbed her mid step and crouched slightly to look into her beautiful blue eyes. “Lexie…” I soothed. “We can deal with it, whatever it is… just tell me, babe.”

  She stared right back at me, her eyes swimming with fear.

  “I’m… I… we’re…” She stuttered, glancing down.

  I tipped her chin up so she was looking at me again and gave her a nod to tell me.

  “I’m pregnant.” She breathed. The words were so quiet I wasn’t sure I’d even heard right.

  My eyes darted down to her still flat stomach in disbelief. “You’re pregnant?”

  She nodded. “We’re going to be parents.” She answered me with more strength in her voice this time.

  “We’re having a baby?”

  She’s carrying my baby?

  She nodded, her nerves pouring off her in waves.

  Holy shit.

  “We’re having a baby!” I fist pumped the air before dragging her up into my arms and squeezing her tight.

  I’m gonna be a dad.

  “You’re not mad?” She asked between giggles.

  “Mad? Why would I be mad?” I quizzed as I sat her down to her feet.

  “Because we actively tried to prevent this...” She shrugged sheepishly.

  I knew now why she’d been such a mess on the stage. She’d been all alone, trying to deal with some of the most life changing news that could happen to a person. I wasn’t here, and she had no idea how I’d react.

  Idiot – she doesn’t even know I love her.

  I sat down on the bed and tugged her into my lap. “I couldn’t be further from mad, baby.”