Page 78 of Play With Me

“Chains?” she asked. “Really?”

“I meant to say ropes.”

“I see your experience is shining through.”

“And I see that your sarcasm never fails. Seriously, Lola. What lifestyle were you talking about? I’m here for you. I can deal with anything you throw at me.”

She took a deep breath in and then released it. I slowly lowered my arms from around her, giving her the space I felt she needed.

“There’s a reason I think of myself as my own ride and die.”

I waited as she took another brave breath in, let it out, and looked up at me again. “I did lose everything I ever thought to be special.”

I took both of her stone-cold palms between mine and blew a warm breath into the cocoon.

“Almost eight years ago, I was in an accident. My husband was taken away from me.”

Her words struck me in the middle of my chest as my own memories traveled back to a painful past.

“Brook, are you okay?”

“Yeah, keep going.”

I listened as my pounding heart caught up to the rhythm of hers.

“He worked for Cross Enterprises before I did. Xavier’s case was his. He’d been working on it ever since Anna hired him to find Xavier. That’s how I know so much about Kate and Xavier. I’ve known about them for a long time, and now I need to finish what Sebastian never had a chance to. I was spared so that I could finish his job. I mean, why else would God take my husband and our child but spare me?”

Her hand slowly slid to her lower stomach, and as I realized the meaning of her words, I felt my heart tear into pieces. I’d always known that this day would be difficult, but I never realized that it would hurt so much. I was hurting for her.

Lola was right. I could never feel the amount of pain she had because while I’d lost Marissa, at least Sophie’s life had been saved. Sophie had a guardian angel of her own. If it weren’t for the brave man who’d pulled Marissa out of that car, Sophie wouldn’t be here either. I couldn’t imagine my life without her. A pang of guilt stung my chest as the need to tell Lola about Sophie flourished. This was the right time to tell her, wasn’t it? She’d understand.

Yeah, and then the reality of raising a child will kick in, and she’ll leave us.

There was still an ounce of hope that I held on to, but this moment was about her pain, not mine.

“Lola, I’m so sorry.” I kissed her cold hands over and over again until she lifted them out of my hold and pulled her fingers through the clumped strands of my hair.

“It’s okay. I’ve learned to live with it. I mean, without happiness.”

“How did it happen?” I asked.

“I don’t remember much. It was a car accident. A very bad accident.”

She paced back to the falling water and found an opening between the falls. Lola looked out into the distance as if trying to pinpoint that exact moment in time she was thinking about.

I felt shivers cover my arms. Her story struck a nerve inside me. It felt too familiar, and I didn’t know why, but it angered me. It infuriated me that life took everything away from this wonderful woman. Maybe I wasn’t ready to hear the entire story after all. Judging by the interest Lola was showing in the weather, I had a feeling that she had reached her quota of sharing. This was the most she’d ever opened up to me.

“I’m sorry, Lola.”

“Hey, look. It’s clearing up.” She pointed upward, and by the time I had a chance to look, she’d dashed out of the enclosure right into the pouring rain.

It’s clearing up, my ass!

“Lola, stop!” I screamed, and cut straight through the waterfall, watching as she dashed between the trees. The forest floor was covered in soaked leaves and I slipped trying to catch up to her.

“You’re running away!” I called out.

“I’m not running, Brook. We need to get to the campsite before the weather gets any worse.” Thunder roared above us.

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