The Lucky One

by Nicholas Sparks

  She glanced at the clock. "I've got five minutes," she said.

  Keith stepped into the classroom and started to close the door. Midway, he paused, seeking her permission. She nodded, wanting to get whatever he had to say over with. He moved toward her, stopping at a respectful distance.

  "Like I said, I came here to tell you I was sorry."

  "About what?"

  "About the rumors you heard," he said. "I wasn't completely truthful with you."

  She crossed her arms. "In other words, you lied," she stated.

  "Yes."

  "You lied to my face."

  "Yes."

  "About what?"

  "You asked if I ever ran off some of the guys you've dated in the past. I don't think I did, but I didn't tell you that I did talk to some of them."

  "You talked to them."

  "Yes."

  She did her best to keep her anger in check. "And . . . what? You're sorry you did it, or sorry you lied?"

  "Both. I'm sorry I did it, I'm sorry I lied. I shouldn't have done those things." He paused. "I know we haven't had the greatest relationship since the divorce, and I also know that you think marrying me was a mistake. You're right about that. We weren't meant to be married, and I accept that. But between the two of us--and I'll be honest, you've had a lot more to do with this than me--we have a great son. You might not think I'm the best father in the world, but I've never once regretted having Ben, or having Ben live with you most of the time. He's a great kid, and you've done a great job with him."

  She wasn't sure what to say. In the silence, he went on.

  "But I still worry, and I always have. Like I told you, I worry about who comes into Ben's life, whether it be friends, or acquaintances, or even people that you might introduce to him. I know that's not fair and that you probably consider it an intrusion into your personal life, but that's the way I am. And to be honest, I don't know if I'm ever going to change."

  "So you're saying that you'll keep following me forever?"

  "No," he said quickly. "I won't do it again. I was just explaining why I did it before. And trust me--I didn't threaten those guys or try to intimidate them. I talked to them. I explained that Ben meant a lot to me and that being his father was the most important thing in my life. You may not always agree with the way I parent him, but if you think back a couple of years, it wasn't always like this. He used to enjoy coming over to my place. Now he doesn't. But I haven't changed. He's changed. Not in a bad way--growing up is normal, and that's all he's been doing. And maybe I need to realize and accept the fact that he's getting older."

  She said nothing. As Keith watched her, he drew a long breath. "I also told those men that I didn't want you to get hurt. I know that might sound like I was being possessive, but I wasn't. I said it like a brother would have said it. Like Drake would have said it. As in, if you like her, if you respect her, just make sure you treat her that way. That's all I said to them." He shrugged. "I don't know. Maybe some of them took it the wrong way because I'm a deputy or because of my last name, but I can't help those things. Believe me, the last thing I want is for you to be unhappy. It might not have worked out between us, but you're the mother of my son and you always will be."

  Keith's gaze fell as he shuffled his feet. "You have every reason to be angry with me. I was wrong."

  "Yes, you were." Beth remained where she stood, arms crossed.

  "Like I said, I'm sorry and it's never going to happen again."

  She didn't respond right away. "Okay," she finally said. "I'm going to hold you to that."

  He flashed a quick, almost defeated smile. "Fair enough."

  "Is that it?" She bent to retrieve three beanbags from the closet floor.

  "Actually, I also wanted to talk to you about Logan Thibault. There's something you should know about him."

  She held up her hands to stop him. "Don't even go there."

  He wasn't dissuaded. Instead, he took a step forward, kneading the brim of his hat. "I'm not going to talk to him unless you want me to talk to him. I want to make that clear. Believe me, Beth. This is serious. I wouldn't be here if it wasn't. I'm here because I care about you."

  His chutzpah nearly took her breath away. "Do you honestly expect me to believe you have my best interests at heart after admitting that you've been spying on me for years? And that you were responsible for ruining any chance I had of finding a relationship?"

  "This has nothing to do with those things."

  "Let me guess . . . you think he's using drugs, right?"

  "I have no idea. But I should warn you that he hasn't been honest with you."

  "You have no idea whether he's been honest with me. Now get out. I don't want to talk to you, I don't want to hear what you have to say--"

  "Then ask him yourself," Clayton interrupted. "Ask him whether he came to Hampton to find you."

  "I'm done," she declared, moving toward the door. "And if you so much as touch me on the way out, I'm going to scream for help."

  She walked past him, and as she was about to cross the threshold, Keith sighed audibly.

  "Ask him about the photograph," he said.

  His comment brought her to a halt. "What?"

  Keith's expression was as serious as she'd ever seen it. "The photograph he got from Drake."

  27

  Clayton

  Clayton knew by her expression that he had her attention but wasn't sure she understood the implications.

  "He has a photograph of you," he went on, "and when he first got to town, he flashed it around Decker's Pool Hall. Tony was there that night and he saw it. Actually, he called me right away because he thought the guy's story sounded weird, but I didn't think much of it. Last weekend, though, Tony came by to tell me that he recognized Thibault when he was playing the piano at church."

  Beth could only stare at him.

  "I don't know if Drake gave it to him, or if he took it from Drake. But I figure that's the only thing that makes sense. Both Drake and Thibault were in the marines, and according to Tony, the picture was an older one, taken a few years ago."

  He hesitated. "I know that what I told you about the way I behaved might make it seem like I'm trying to run him off, but I'm not going to talk to him. I do think that you should, however, and I'm not saying this because I'm your ex-husband. I'm saying this as a deputy sheriff."

  Beth wanted to walk away but couldn't seem to find the will to move.

  "Think about it. He had a picture of you, and based only on that, he walked across the country to find you. I don't know why, but I can make a pretty good guess. He was obsessed with you even though you'd never met, like someone who gets obsessed with movie stars. And what did he do? He hunted you down, but seeing you from afar--or simply meeting you--wasn't enough. Instead, he had to become part of your life. That's what dangerous stalkers do, Beth."

  His tone was calm and professional, which only intensified the dread she'd begun to feel.

  "By your expression, I know that all of this is news to you. You're wondering if I'm telling the truth or if I'm lying, and my track record isn't perfect. But, please, for Ben's sake--for your own sake--ask him about it. I can be there if you want me to be there, or I could even send another deputy if you'd prefer that. Or you can call someone else--your friend Melody. I just want you to understand how serious this is. How . . . creepy and weird this is. This is scary stuff, and I can't impress on you enough how important it is that you take it seriously, too."

  His mouth was set in a straight line as he set the file on a child's desk beside him. "This is some general information on Logan Thibault. I didn't have time to dig too deep, and I can get in big trouble for even letting you see this, but since I don't know what else he hasn't told you . . ." He trailed off before looking up at her again.

  "Think about what I told you. And be careful, okay?"

  28

  Beth

  She could barely see through the windshield, but this time it had less to do with the r
ain than her inability to concentrate. After Keith had left, she kept blinking in confusion as she stared at the file, trying to make sense of the things her ex had told her.

  Logan had Drake's photograph . . . Logan had become obsessed with her . . . Logan had decided to seek her out . . . Logan had hunted her down.

  She found it hard to breathe, and it had been all she could do to go to the office and tell the principal that she had to go home. The principal had taken one look at her face and agreed, offering to cover her class the rest of the afternoon. Nana would pick up Ben after school, Beth informed him.

  On the drive home, her mind flashed from one image to the next, a kaleidoscope of sight and sound and smell. She tried to convince herself that Keith was lying, grasping for a way to rationalize his news. It was possible, especially considering the way he'd lied in the past, and yet . . .

  Keith had been serious. More professional than personal, and he'd told her something she could easily check. He knew she would ask Logan about it . . . he wanted her to ask Logan . . . which meant . . .

  She squeezed the wheel, possessed by a feverish need to talk to Logan. He would clear this up. He had to be able to clear this up.

  Water from the river now stretched across the road, but in her preoccupied state, she didn't realize it until she plowed into the water. She jerked forward as the car almost came to a stop. The river flowed around her, and she thought the water would stall the engine, but the car continued to roll forward into ever deeper water, before finally emerging in a shallower patch.

  By the time Beth reached the house, she wasn't even sure what to feel, other than confused. One instant she felt angry and betrayed and manipulated; in the next, she was able to convince herself that it couldn't be true, that Keith had lied to her again.

  As she came up the drive, she found herself scanning the rain-swept grounds for Logan.

  Up ahead, through low-hanging mist, she could see lights on in the house. She considered going in to talk to Nana, longing for Nana's clarity and common sense to straighten everything out. But when she saw the lights on in the office and noted the propped-open door, she felt something catch in her throat. She turned the wheel in the direction of the office, telling herself that Logan didn't have the picture, that the whole thing had been a mistake. She bounced through muddy puddles, the rain coming so hard now that the wipers couldn't keep up. On the office porch, she saw Zeus lying near the door, his head raised.

  She pulled to a stop out front and ran for the porch, rain stinging her face. Zeus approached her, nosing at her hand. She ignored him as she walked inside, expecting to find Logan at the desk.

  He wasn't there. The door that led from the office to the kennel stood open. She steeled herself, pausing in the middle of the office, as shadows moved in the darkened corridor. She waited as Logan emerged into the light.

  "Hey, Elizabeth," he said. "I didn't expect to see you . . ." He trailed off. "What happened?"

  Staring at him, she felt her emotions threaten to boil over. Her mouth suddenly felt papery dry, and she didn't know how to start or what to say. Logan said nothing, sensing her volatile state.

  She closed her eyes, feeling on the verge of tears, then drew a careful breath. "Why did you come to Hampton?" she finally asked. "I want the truth this time."

  He didn't move. "I told you the truth," he said.

  "Did you tell me everything?"

  He hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering. "I've never lied to you," he said, his voice quiet.

  "That's not what I asked!" she snapped. "I asked if you've been hiding anything!"

  He appraised her carefully. "Where's this coming from?"

  "That doesn't matter!" This time, she heard the anger in her tone. "I just want to know why you came to Hampton!"

  "I told you--"

  "Do you have a picture of me?"

  Logan said nothing.

  "Answer the question!" She took a step toward him, biting out the words. "Do you have a picture of me?"

  She wasn't sure how she expected him to react, but other than a soft exhale, he didn't flinch.

  "Yes," he said.

  "The one I gave Drake?"

  "Yes," he said again.

  With his answer, she felt her whole world begin to topple like a row of dominoes. All at once, everything made sense--the way he'd stared at her when they first met, the reason he was willing to work for such a low wage, why he'd befriended Nana and Ben, and all his talk about destiny. . . .

  He had the photo. He'd come to Hampton to find her. He'd tracked her down like prey.

  All at once, it was difficult to breathe.

  "Oh, my God."

  "It's not what you think. . . ."

  He stretched his hand toward her, and she absently watched it draw closer before she finally realized what was happening. With a start, she reeled back, desperate to put more space between them. All of it had been a lie. . . .

  "Don't touch me!"

  "Elizabeth . . ."

  "My name is Beth!"

  She stared at him as if he were a stranger until he lowered his arm.

  His voice was a whisper when he tried again. "I can explain--"

  "Explain what?" she demanded. "That you stole the picture from my brother? That you walked across the country to find me? That you fell in love with an image . . ."

  "It wasn't like that," he said, shaking his head.

  She didn't hear him. All she could do was stare at him, wondering if anything he'd said was true.

  "You stalked me . . . ," she said, almost as if talking to herself. "You lied to me. You used me."

  "You don't understand . . ."

  "Understand? You want me to understand?"

  "I didn't steal the photo," he said. His voice remained steady and even. "I found the photo in Kuwait, and I posted it on a bulletin board where I thought it would be claimed. But no one ever claimed it."

  "And so . . . you took it back?" She shook her head in disbelief. "Why? Because you had some sick and twisted idea about me?"

  "No," he said, his voice rising for the first time. The sound startled her, slowing her thoughts, if only for an instant. "I came here because I owed you."

  "You owed me?" She blinked. "What does that even mean?"

  "The photo . . . it saved me."

  Though she heard him plainly, she couldn't comprehend the words. She waited for more, and in the steady silence that followed, she realized she found them . . . chilling somehow. The hairs on her arms prickled, and she took another step back. "Who are you?" she hissed. "What do you want from me?"

  "I don't want anything. And you know who I am."

  "No, I don't! I don't know anything about you!"

  "Let me explain . . ."

  "Then explain why if this was all so pure and true that you didn't tell me about the photograph when you first came here!" she shouted, her voice echoing in the room. In her mind's eye, she saw Drake and all the details of the night the photo was taken. She pointed a finger at him. "Why didn't you say, 'I found this in Iraq and I figured you might want it back'? Why didn't you tell me when we were talking about Drake?"

  "I don't know. . . ."

  "It wasn't your photo to keep! Don't you get that? It wasn't meant for you! It was for my brother, not for you! It was his and you had no right to keep it from me!"

  Logan's voice was almost a whisper. "I didn't mean to hurt you."

  Her eyes bored into him, piercing him with the force of her rage.

  "This whole thing is a sham, isn't it? You found this photo and came up with some . . . twisted fantasy in which you could play the starring role. You played me from the moment we met! You took your time to find out what you could do to make it seem like you were the perfect guy for me. And you thought that because you were obsessed with me, you could trick me into falling in love with you."

  She saw Logan flinch at her words, and she went on.

  "You planned all this from the very beginning! It's sick and it's
wrong and I can't believe I fell for it."

  He rocked back slightly on his heels, stunned by her words.

  "I admit that I wanted to meet you," he said, "but you're wrong about the reason. I didn't come here to trick you into falling in love with me. I know it sounds crazy, but I came to believe that the photograph kept me safe from harm and that . . . I owed you somehow, even if I didn't know what that meant or what would come of it. But I didn't plan anything after I got here. I took the job, and then I fell in love with you."

  Her expression didn't soften as he spoke. Instead, she slowly began to shake her head.

  "Can you even hear what you're saying?"

  "I knew you wouldn't believe it. That's why I didn't tell you--"

  "Don't try to justify your lies! You got caught up in some sick fantasy and you won't even admit it."

  "Stop calling it that!" he shouted back. "You're the one who's not listening. You're not even trying to understand what I'm saying!"

  "Why should I try to understand? You've been lying to me since the beginning. You've been using me since the beginning."

  "I haven't used you," he said, forcing his back straight, regaining his composure. "And I didn't lie about the photo. I just didn't tell you about it because I didn't know how to tell you in a way that wouldn't make you think I was crazy."

  She raised her hands. "Don't even think of blaming this on me. You're the one who lied! You're the one who kept secrets! I told you everything! I gave my heart to you! I let my son become attached to you!" she shouted. As she went on, her voice broke and she could feel the tears beginning to form. "I went to bed with you because I thought you were someone I could trust. But now I know that I can't. Can you imagine how that makes me feel? To know this whole thing was some sort of charade?"

  His voice was soft. "Please, Elizabeth . . . Beth . . . just listen."

  "I don't want to listen! I've already been lied to enough."

  "Don't be like this."

  "You want me to listen?" she screamed. "Listen to what? That you obsessed over a picture and came to find me because you believe it kept you safe? That's insane, and the most disturbing thing is, you don't even recognize that your explanation only makes you sound psychotic!"