Defining Moments (A Moments In Time Love Story 2) (12 page)

When the taxi pulled into the driveway, Melisa gazed through the car window at the small townhouse. The lights were out and the car was nowhere to be seen. Heat must have gone to work. She had wanted to discuss what had happened, but maybe it was best for him to take some time to cool off.

Inside the house, she stood in the darkened entrance hall, too afraid to switch on the light and see what she stood to lose if things didn’t go according to plan. But she couldn’t let that happen. She’d fight for Heat with every breath. She had messed up, and she would make things right.

***

Heat arrived home at 7:00 a.m. and was surprised to see Melisa sitting at the kitchen table. His eyes were tired and troubled as he observed her from the doorway.

Melisa remained seated, afraid to make a move, in case it turned out to be the wrong one.

“Are you sure this is where you want to be?” His face was as stony as it had been at the Lux.

She stood up then and went to him. “There’s no place I’d rather be.” She kissed him on the lips, and her heart deflated when he didn’t return her kiss. But at least he didn’t move away from her.

“Did you sleep with him?”

Melisa shook her head in response to the question and detected an impending headache. “No, I wouldn’t do that to you.”

He ran a hand through his hair. “I seriously don’t know anymore what you would and wouldn’t do to me. You know how a lie almost destroyed us before. Now you’re keeping things from me again. I thought we were done keeping secrets from each other. Tell me,”—he sat—“how exactly do you want me to react?”

“I don’t know… I didn’t want to hurt you, Heat. That’s why I didn’t tell you. Scott… he wanted it to be kept a secret.”

Heat jumped up from the table and paced the kitchen. “I can’t believe this.” He gave a sarcastic laugh. “You chose to be loyal to the man who betrayed you, made a fool of you… of all of us? Who screwed up your life so much that you lost everything? I was there for you, Mel. I helped you heal. After we lost the baby, I couldn’t bear to look at myself in the mirror. While I was going through this, you were meeting up with your believed-to-be-dead ex behind my back?” He slumped into the chair again and raked both his hands through his hair. “Do you still love him?” he asked, looking up, his voice cracking.

Melisa rushed to his side and knelt down at his feet. “No, Heat. I love only you. I married Scott while I still had feelings for you. You’re the love of my life. You have to believe that. I do care about Scott. I was married to him, but I’ve never loved him as much as I love you. That’s why I’m home, back with you.” She placed her head on his lap and started to sob. “I’m so sorry.”

The room was silent for a very long time. Then Heat placed a hand on top of her head and gently smoothed her hair. “I need to know one more thing.”

Melisa looked up at him with dripping eyes.

“Is there anything else you’re keeping from me? Anything I should know?” He still wasn’t smiling, but his face was softer now. “I’m tired of secrets, Mel.”

Melisa took a deep breath. “No, I promise I’m not keeping anything else from you. I’m so sorry.”

Heat rose from the chair again. This time he looked about to explode. “Where’s he staying?”

“Don’t you ask me that,” Melisa begged.

Heat’s face crumpled. “Don’t tell me he was staying with you. Please don’t.”

Melisa shook her head vehemently, shocked at what he was implying. “Of course not.”

“Then give me his fuckin’ address.”

“The Drawbridge Inn. He’s staying at the Drawbridge Inn. Please don’t hurt him,” she pleaded, but her words fell on deaf ears as Heat charged out of the room like an angry bull.

Heat saw red as he burst out the front door. In long, determined strides, he approached the SUV, but halted before yanking the door open. He didn’t trust himself to drive. He dug inside his pocket for his cell and called a cab. He didn’t go back inside the house as he waited for it to arrive. He couldn’t bear to look at Melisa right now. A walk around the block killed the time.

“Drawbridge Inn,” he said when he climbed into the taxi. “Hurry.”

The taxi wheezed through traffic and Heat shifted in his seat, tapping his foot. He knew where the inn was, had driven past it a few times. The closer they got to it, the more his blood boiled inside his veins.

When they arrived at the inn, Heat pressed some bills into the driver’s hand and hopped out. He wasn’t even sure how much he’d paid for the ride. The cab driver grinned as he drove away, so he must have tipped generously.

Now that he was looking at the inn, he had no idea what to do. If he charged in right now, he’d kill Scott with his bare hands. God knew he deserved it. Heat couldn’t wrap his mind around the horrifying truth that his best friend, whom he’d known since childhood, had done such a despicable thing. What angered him most was that Scott had hurt Melisa. For that alone, Heat felt like strangling him. But whatever he did, he had to think of Melisa first. As furious as he was, he would still do anything to protect her.

He went for another stroll down the empty streets, forcing himself to breathe, to calm down. He allowed the night breeze to cool his anger.

Ten minutes later, he returned to the inn. The walk had not done him much good, but to hell with it. He was going in to see Scott.

He rang the bell and a woman with snow-white hair wrapped in a tight bun, and tired green eyes opened it. “Can I help you?”

“I’m here to see Scott…” Shit, Scott was in hiding. What if he was using a different name here? Heat should have thought of that before and asked Melisa. Too late—he had to figure it out, and fast, since the old lady was now eyeing him with suspicion.

“There’s no one here by that name. Sorry.” She made a move to close the door, but Heat stood in the way.

“An old friend of mine from school is staying here. I’m afraid I can’t remember his surname. He asked me to come see him.” He smiled, putting on his charm. “He told me what a great place you have. I have a lot of friends who visit Serendipity. I should tell them about it.”

The woman’s eyes glittered. “I’d like that. But I pick my guests very carefully. Not just anyone can stay here.” She knitted her eyebrows. “Do I know you from somewhere? You look kind of familiar.”

“I work for the fire department.”

The woman smiled. “Then I do know you. A few months ago my daughter, Charlotte, had a minor fire emergency at her house on Reed Street. When I got there the place was crawling with firefighters. As a young woman I always found firefighters rather alluring. I dated one myself once.” She fanned her face with her hand. “Anyway, you must have been one of the firemen sent to put out the fire. I’m sure I’ve seen you. I don’t forget faces.”

“I do remember a basement fire on Reed Street. Does your daughter happen to have a little girl?” To his surprise, Heat found his anger abating.

“Yes, my ten-year-old granddaughter was the one who called nine-one-one.”

“As I recall, she had inhaled a lot of smoke.” Heat was relieved that the woman was warming up to him. He was certain she’d let him in now.

“So you were the handsome young man who took care of her. Didn’t you give her some kind of badge?”

Heat dug inside his pocket and pulled out two small metal badges with
Hero
engraved on them. “Did it look like one of these? I give them to all brave kids.”

“That’s exactly how it looks. You made her day. She has it hanging on her bedroom wall. You’re a fantastic young man. Who did you say you wanted to see again?”

Heat cleared his throat. “A friend from school. He’s tall, has grey eyes, and…” Heat remembered that Scott had been wearing a cap, maybe to disguise himself. “He loves to wear caps.”

“And he’s just as handsome as you are.” The woman opened the door wider to let him in. “I know who you mean. There are only two men staying here. One is too old to be your friend from school.”

Heat smiled as he entered. “Thank you.”

“Go on.” The woman shooed him in the direction of the stairs. “He’s in room six.”

Heat nodded and climbed the stairs. At the top, he stood still. His earlier fury had waned. But although he wasn’t ready to kill Scott anymore, he was ready to demand answers. Scott still had a lot of explaining to do.

He knocked on the door and waited with his hands in his pockets.

The door opened and Scott stood before him, his nose red and swollen from Heat’s blow earlier.

Heat caught a glimpse of the broken man he was. A man who must have been so desperate, so scared, to do what he had done.

“Heat,” Scott said and stepped back, as if anticipating another punch. “I’m sorry for everything . I mean it.” Scott leaned against the doorframe and clutched his stomach. “I’d like to talk, but I’m not feeling well right now. Seriously, I need to lie down.”

Heat almost thought Scott was faking it as a way to get out of talking to him, but he had gone very pale and sweat was dripping down his face.

As Heat struggled with what to do, Scott sank to the floor. Cursing under his breath, Heat caught him, gripped him under the arms, and pulled him back up. “Come on, then. Let’s get you to bed.”

“You should see a doctor.” Heat fumed inside as he helped Scott into the small bed.

Scott leaned against the pillows. His breath came in quick gasps. “No hospital.”

Heat backed away from the bed and lowered himself into a rickety chair that stood next to an open suitcase. His eyes didn’t leave Scott’s face. “Afraid someone might recognize you?”

Scott didn’t respond and Heat continued. “So you’d rather die than get treatment?”

“I’m going to die, anyway,” Scott said, pulling the covers up to his chin. “It’s only a matter of where I’ll die.”

Heat leaned back against the chair and crossed his arms. He didn’t say anything for a long time. Deep down, he’d hoped Scott was lying about the disease. His mother’s only sister, Jane, had died from cancer and he wouldn’t wish it on anyone, not even his worst enemy. Scott looked exactly the way his aunt had a few weeks before she died—gaunt and tired, with dark circles under the eyes. “Why didn’t you say anything? I would have stood by you, you know that. I thought we were friends.”

Scott cleared his throat. “You would have tried to stop me. I needed to leave.”

Scott raked a hand through his hair. “Yes, dammit, I would have,” he said, seething with rage. “I wouldn’t have let you do something so foolish. I wouldn’t have let you hurt Melisa. How could you do that to her? You’re not the man I knew and respected. I don’t even know who you are.” Seven years ago Heat had said goodbye to his best friend, the man he thought he could trust with his life. How could he have been so blind? How could he not have seen who Scott really was?

“How dare you marry my wife?” Scott asked, ignoring Heat’s remark. “My best friend and my wife?” He gave a sarcastic laugh, which was surprisingly strong for a man who had keeled over just a few minutes ago. “That’s disgusting. Some things you just don’t do.”

“Damn right.” Heat placed his hands on his knees and leaned forward as if getting ready to pounce on Scott. “Some things you just don’t do. Like faking your death, for example. Like running away to save yourself, not caring what happens to the wife you left behind.” He stood up and paced the room, his jaw tight. Then he spun around and jammed a finger in Scott’s direction. “You have no right. No right at all to question the decisions Melisa and I made.”

“I have every right.” Scott’s voice was edged with steel and anger distorted his facial features. “She was my wife, and you took advantage of her when she was at her weakest.”

Heat jammed his hands into his pockets and glared at him with narrowed eyes. “I have no idea how much Melisa has told you about us.” He walked to the window and squinted into the darkness. “She was mine long before you married her.”

“Bullshit.” Scott retorted. “You fucked her, got her pregnant, and shoved her aside like a piece of garbage. She told me everything. She didn’t mention your name at the time. I’d never have let you near her if I knew it was you. But you were the first person to break her heart.”

“I was a kid. I’ve changed a lot since then. I’ve made mistakes, but at least I’m man enough to own up to them, and make things right.” Heat swallowed hard. “When you walked away, I was the one who helped her heal. I was there, when you were too much of a coward to stay behind and own up to what you’ve done.” He sat back down. “Now you have the audacity to compare what you’ve done to what I did as a teenager?”

Scott looked away and tightened the blanket around his body. He was shivering.

Heat sighed and closed his eyes for a brief moment. He pinched the bridge of his nose and opened them again. “I’m so fuckin’ pissed at you right now. I could strangle you for trying to justify what you’ve done.” He paused. “But I’m not one to beat a man when he’s down. You’re sick. Get some rest. I better get out of here before I do something I’ll regret.”

“Can you…” Scott lifted his right arm a few inches off the bed and dropped it again. “I need water. Please.” He started to cough so hard his face turned red.

Still gritting his teeth, Heat picked a glass from a corner table and filled it at the rusty-looking bathroom faucet. Instead of putting the glass in Scott’s hand, he placed it on the bedside table, averting his gaze.

“Thanks.” Scott attempted to pick up the glass but he was trembling so much that some of the water sloshed from the glass and spilled onto his hands.

Heat inhaled sharply, then helped him bring it to his cracked lips, waiting until he took a sip. “Drink more,” he said when Scott attempted to push the glass away.

Scott drank some more and nodded. “Thanks.”

Heat lowered the glass back on the table, and thought of turning around and just leaving. After the argument they’d had, no one would blame him if he did. But he couldn’t get his feet to move. Reluctantly, he looked down at Scott and his heart clenched. He looked less like a man and more like the boy Heat once knew, his best friend, not the person who had betrayed them.

“When are you planning to leave town?” he asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Scott blinked as if in slow motion. Even something as simple as that required much effort. “As soon as I get my strength back. Don’t worry, you never have to see me again.” In an instant, his face creased and he groaned loudly as he clutched at his stomach.

“I’m getting help.” Heat turned on his heel and strode to the door.

“Don’t,” Scott said in a weak voice. “No doctor. No hospital… I…” He doubled over again.

“You need help, and I’m going to make sure you get it.” Heat walked out, slamming the door behind him. There was no way he’d leave him in that condition.

Five minutes later, he returned to Scott’s room, followed by Mrs. Drawbridge, and her daughter, Charlotte, who just happened to be a nurse.

Upon seeing the pain Scott was in, Charlotte left the room and returned with a box of painkillers. She gave him the medication and the glass of water and wiped the sweat off his face and neck while talking to him soothingly as if he were a child.

Ten minutes later Scott’s face had relaxed and his breathing had become even.

Heat pulled Mrs. Drawbridge and Charlotte aside and asked them to keep everything they had witnessed to themselves. After they left the room, he looked into Scott’s drowsy eyes. “You’re not going anywhere. You’re staying in Serendipity.”