Her Kind of Man (8 page)

He rubbed the back of his neck and darted a quick glance down the hall again. “Syd, you need to calm down. Where is Brynn? Does Roc know you're here?”

“They're asleep, okay,” She folded her arms across her chest. “I snuck out of the house.”

“Did you at least leave a note?” he asked flatly.

“I don't care.” She raised her chin. “Morgan doesn't run me. And stop changing the subject,” she ordered, pointing her index finger at him. “Who's here?”

“W-what?” he stuttered, scratching his forehead. “What are you talking about?”

“You keep looking over there,” she said, gesturing toward the hallway. Narrowing her eyes, she tilted her head. “Please don't tell me you have a woman here, Kent. Because if you do, I'm going to blow a gasket.”

He grabbed her shoulders. “Stop,” he said, squeezing them gently. “Why would I have some random woman here?”

“You know?” Syd said. “This is probably all your fault.”

“Me?” He pointed at himself. “What did I do?”

“Yes, you! If you would have just told her how you really felt in the—”

“Syd, shut up,” he ordered, placing a hand over her mouth, glancing down the hall.
Damn it
. And just like that, Syd had innocently revealed something he'd never shared with anyone but her. When it came to Allina, it wasn't his brother or Red that he'd confided in. It was Syd. His sister, and friend, the person he went to the first time he'd ever felt attracted to Allina. She was also the one who'd sat with him, drinking shots, after Allina left Michigan to get married. It was then that he'd revealed his feelings were
more
than a simple friendship.

His sister pushed him away. “Why did you tell me to shut up? Kent, I'm scared for her.” Syd sighed.

Syd's chin quivered.
Oh God
.
More tears
. Until he'd seen Allina crying the night before, Syd had held the record for making him feel helpless when she cried. Last year, she'd spent a ton of time crying after her breakup with Den and developing relationship with Morgan.

Back then, all the drama had taken its toll on her. She'd been a wreck, crying at the slightest thing. Even when she and Morgan said “Fuck it, let's be together,” she'd sealed it with a tear—or a river of tears.

“I'm such a bad friend. I should have been there. What if he did something to her? I knew she had doubts. Hell, I had doubts. And you know why?” Syd asked, panic rising in her voice. “We don't know shit about him. He could be a freakin' serial killer masquerading as a pastor. For all we know, Allina could be one in a long line of victims. What if his church is not a real church after all, but a cult? That happens all the time. Women get lured into relationships with psychopaths.”

Syd had the frustrating habit of going off on a tangent. And she had the uncanny ability to get him off track. One minute they could be talking about the Food Network and the next she was talking about…political scandals and conspiracy theories. She was too damn dramatic for her own good.

Frowning, he quipped, “Syd? Sis, you need to lay off the Investigative Discovery Channel.”

“This is not a joking matter,” she said through clenched teeth.

“If you would stop talking and listen to me,” he said, “I could tell you that Allina is fine, and—”

“You don't know that!” Syd shoved her hair back away from her face.

He exhaled. “I do. Can you just shut the hell up and let me finish? Allina is here.”

“Here? As in here in your house?”

“Yes!”

“Why the hell didn't you tell me that?” she yelled. “You just let me go off with conspiracy theories when you could have said something the minute I walked in here. Or better yet, you could have picked up your goddamn phone and told me that.”

“Because I told him not to tell you I was here,” Allina said, walking into the living room.

“Allina!” his sister screeched.

The two friends hugged each other.

“You're okay.” Syd cried as they swayed back and forth.

“I'm so sorry,” Allina told his sister.

Kent slumped forward, sighing in relief. He was happy the secret was out. Despite Allina's initial wishes, Kent knew he wouldn't have been able to keep her presence from Syd for long. It would have been the one time he'd ever broken someone's confidence. Good thing, he didn't have to. Allina needed her friends and the support they could provide.

S
tanding there, hugging the friend she knew would always be there for her no matter what life put in their paths, Allina felt centered, supported. After they pulled apart they both wiped their eyes.

“Allina, I was worried sick about you,” Syd said.

“Can we sit?” Allina said, motioning toward the couch. “Kent bought me the wrong shoes and my feet hurt.”

Syd glared at Kent, who shrugged. “What?” he asked.

“You are such a jerk,” Syd said, pointing a finger at Kent. “I can't believe you didn't tell me.”

Kent opened his mouth to speak but Allina rushed on. “It's my fault. I should have let you know where I was right away, but I was scared.”

Syd blinked, her hand flying to her chest. “Why? What happened?”

It would have been easy to tell Syd that she'd run out on Isaac because she didn't love him like a bride should love her groom. But Syd deserved to hear the truth. Allina began her story, starting with the scene at the church and ending with her showing up on Kent's doorstep. By the time she was finished, Syd was gaping at her, mouth wide open.

“Oh my God,” her friend said. “I'm so sorry you had to go through this. But I'd be lying if I said I was sorry you didn't marry Isaac.” Syd gave her a half-shrug. “I should have done more, said more. I guess I felt like it wasn't my place to tell you not to do it, especially when you seemed to be happy for the most part. Who was I to tell you not to get married?”

Allina wasn't shocked. Syd and Cali had voiced concerns from the beginning. She leaned forward, resting her chin on her palm. “You did warn me in your way. I just didn't listen. I thought I was doing the right thing by marrying Isaac,” Allina said, glancing at Kent again. “Thought I had something to prove.”

“What could you possibly have to prove?” Syd asked.

“That I could be happy. That I could find someone who loved me, someone who wanted to be with me.” Allina rolled her eyes, fighting back the tears that threatened to fall. “I couldn't turn back after I'd left everything behind to be with him.”

Allina watched as Syd and Kent exchanged glances.

“Syd, I need to tell you something. This morning, I received a few e-mails from Isaac,” she explained. “Well, more than a few. Most were threatening, but there was one in particular that…” She swallowed past a lump in her throat. Allina glanced at Kent, but he wasn't looking at her. When she turned to Syd, her friend was watching her intently, waiting on her to speak. “Isaac didn't say it outright, but he threatened you, Syd.”

Syd frowned. “What do you mean, he threatened me? What did he say?”

“It wasn't an obvious threat.” Allina let out a harsh breath and told Syd what the e-mail said. “It still has me worried.”

Kent pounded his fist against the end table next to his chair, startling her. He jumped to his feet. “This is bullshit. I'm going to beat the crap out of that piece of shit.”

Allina peered up at Kent, who was walking the floor, grumbling curses as he paced back and forth. She knew that he'd been holding back earlier when she'd shown him the e-mails. She guessed he couldn't hold his anger in anymore. To see him so angry, so willing to fight for her, made her limbs tingle and her heart race. She realized it was a mixture of gratitude, admiration, amazement, and… hope. Her life wasn't as ruined as she'd initially thought, and neither was she. Maybe she would make it through this stronger than ever?

“Kent, please. Stop.”

“She's right, Kent,” Syd agreed. “Calm down. The last thing we need is you going to jail.”

“What the hell do you expect me to do?” Kent shouted. “That asshole threatened to kill her in his church. And now he's insinuating that he might come after you to get to her. I'm tired of him. Period. I'm going to take care of this. ” He grabbed his phone.

“Wait,” Syd said, rising from her seat. “What are you doing, Kent?”

“Calling Morgan and Red. Allina, I'm going to have you stay with Syd because I'm going to Cleveland today.”

Allina bolted out of her seat, but Syd got there first, snatching the phone away from him.

“Don't,” Syd ordered. “I think we should talk about this before we make any drastic moves.”

“Kent, you can't go down there,” Allina pleaded. “You said it yourself earlier; we're not in immediate danger. He doesn't know where I am. He won't get to Syd or Cali. And my father will take care of my mother. Those are the people I care about. If something changes, we'll know about it.” She ran a hand over his arm. The words left her mouth so fast she didn't have time to think about them. And she meant what she said. Watching Kent lose it had put everything into perspective for her.

Her father would do anything in his power to protect her and her mother, like he'd always done. She was in good hands with Kent. Isaac might be a manipulative jerk, but she had to believe he wasn't a dumb one.

Kent's brows drew together. His gaze darted back and forth between her and Syd. Finally he said, “For now. I'll hold on, for now. But if he contacts you again, he's going to deal with me sooner rather than later. That's a promise.”

Without another word, he stomped off, muttering a string of curses. A beat later, she heard his bedroom door slam.

Glancing at Syd, Allina plopped down on the couch. “This is a nightmare.”

Syd sat across from her on the coffee table, placing a hand on Allina's knee. “It's going to be okay. Kent is just angry right now. He's not used to feeling helpless.”

“I know. I just hate that this is happening at all.” She gazed at her friend. “I told Kent about my aunt,” she admitted softly.

Syd nodded. “How was that?”

Allina scrunched her nose, bobbed her head from one side to the other. “It was hard, opening up to him. But he was very understanding, gentle.”

“How did you think he would be?”

Shrugging, Allina said, “I don't know.”

“Sweetie, is there something else going on?” Syd asked.

“I just feel embarrassed, that's all.”

“About what? You have nothing to feel embarrassed about, Lina. You can't help what happened to you.”

“No, not about that. I just feel like a fool. Here I was thinking Isaac was the man I'd prayed for, that he was somebody that I could spend the rest of my life with. There were signs, but I was so focused on moving on, letting go of my feelings for Kent. I handled everything wrong, even running away.”

“I understand why you did. A little distance and a lot of time always helps. Right now, Isaac is upset and lashing out. But I have a question for you. Why not call the police, file a restraining order against him? Red could help with that.”

Sydney's twin brother Red was an attorney. He had connections in the Sheriff's Department and other police departments in the area. He even golfed with a few of the county judges on occasion. Allina knew he'd help if she asked him. They were like brother and sister. He was just as annoying to her as he was to Syd. But she could count on him.

“Honestly, I didn't really think about calling the police. I'm just going to trust that my dad will take care of it. For all we know, Isaac will go hide in a corner somewhere and never come out. Besides, he'll know what state I'm in if I file a restraining order.”

“Okay,” Syd said.

“I hate that he pulled you into this with that e-mail.”

“Trust me, I'm not scared.”

Allina assessed her friend. With a past full of hurt like Syd had experienced, Allina would expect her to be frightened at the veiled threat. Sitting before her, Syd was calm and strong. Nothing about her seemed afraid. It probably had a lot to do with her relationship with Morgan.

“You've changed so much,” Allina said. “Being a mother and future wife definitely agrees with you. You seem…content.” When she'd first laid eyes on Syd earlier, her friend had looked stressed, but now that she was relaxed, a visible glow radiated from her.

“I am,” Syd admitted. A smile spread across her face, in her eyes. “Girl, let me tell you, I hadn't realized how stifled I've felt my whole life. It was like I was suffocating in my own circumstances. When I fell in love with Morgan, it felt like someone opened a window and let a soft breeze into my heart. And when Brynn came, my life zoomed into focus even more.” Tears stood in Syd's eyes, but Allina knew they didn't reflect sadness. They were tears of joy, and she couldn't be happier for her friend. “Now, I know my purpose. Everything I've gone through, every tear shed, every bit of pain, brought me to this point. Now, I can be there for her the way I wished my mother was for me. Now, I can be with a man who pushes me to be the best Sydney I can be. It's a wonderful, free feeling. I want that for you.”

Allina didn't know if that was in the cards for her. After what had happened, she thought it might be easier to be alone. But she wanted it. She wanted to feel that free feeling that Syd described.

Syd cupped one of Allina's hands between her own. “I know it seems far off to you right now. But trouble doesn't last always. You know why I believe that?”

“Why?” Allina asked, her voice thick.

“Because you told me that,” Syd admitted. “It was you who told me that when I was at my lowest point. It was the truth then, and it's true now.”

Allina cried then. Sydney pulled her into her arms, rubbing her back gently. She'd questioned God on the train ride back to Michigan. She'd wondered what she'd done to deserve so much heartbreak in her life. But hearing Syd's encouraging words made her realize that her faith was justified. And fear was not an option for her anymore.

“It's going to be okay, sweetie,” Syd murmured. “We'll make sure of it.”

There was that word “we” again. It felt good to hear it. Allina wrapped her arms around her friend. They sat there for a moment before Allina pulled away, dashing tears from her cheeks.

She smiled at Syd. “Thank you, Syd. You have no idea how much you mean to me.”

“I definitely do, because you mean the same to me. I just need you to be okay. And you will be. I'm glad you came here. Kent will take care of you, and you know I'm going to be right by your side as well—through any- and everything. I won't bail on you.”

“Thank you.” Allina tugged at her earlobe. “Can I ask you a question?”

“Shoot,” Syd said, pulling a few pieces of Kleenex from a box on the table. She handed Allina one.

“I heard your conversation with Kent earlier, or at least part of it.” She studied Syd while she spoke. “You said that it was his fault that I was getting married.”

Syd leaned back, stretched her legs out in front of her. “I didn't mean that,” she murmured. She balled up the tissue in her fist. “I was angry. I had been up all night worried, and I had to take it out on someone.”

“But you sounded so serious.”

Syd shrugged, pulled at her collar. “It was nothing,” she said, giving a dismissive wave of her hand. Clearing her throat, she stood up. “I better get going before Morgan shows up.”

Allina had known Syd long enough to realize she was holding back.

“But I will say this,” Syd said. “Kent cares about you. He was so upset after your big fight. More at himself than at you, because he wanted to support you. At the same time, he knew it wasn't right.”

“I know that now.”

“I know how you feel about him,” Syd whispered. “I've always told you to be honest with him. That was for a reason.”

“Syd, I can't.” Just the thought of telling Kent how she felt made her feel nauseous. She flattened a hand on her stomach. “Aside from the obvious, I was supposed to be married yesterday. What would I look like, saying anything about feelings that really should have faded by now?”

“Allina, trust me. You should tell him how you feel. You know I wouldn't tell you to show your ass if I believed it would turn out to be a bad move. But I can agree that now is probably not the best time, considering the current situation with Isaac.”

Allina thought about Syd's words. Had she basically just admitted that Kent had feelings for her? “Are you saying—?”

“I'm saying, take this time to heal yourself. Let Kent be there for you the way you need—and he wants to be. Let things settle down, and then consider being open with him. I don't think you'll regret it either way.”

Syd grinned. “Come on, give me a hug.” Allina stood up, walked over to her friend, and embraced her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” Allina said.

Syd grabbed her keys. “Tell Kent to calm down and make you some breakfast. I'll call you later. Maybe I'll bring Brynn over to see you.”

“Is she feeling better?” Allina said, following Syd to the door. “I miss her.”

Allina had been there during the dramatic birth months earlier. Syd's water broke in the middle of her baby shower, after Morgan proposed to her in front of all the guests. The chaotic scene that ensued was one for the record books, but everyone was ecstatic to see Syd become a mother, especially since doctors had told her she'd never have the opportunity.

“She's doing well. I can't believe she's mine. I have lots of pictures.”

“I can't wait to see them. I'm so ready to move on from this.”

“And you will. Bye, girlfriend. Call me if you need me. Cali and Red made it back late last night. She'll want to see you too.”

Allina nodded. “Okay. Talk to you soon.”

They hugged again before Syd breezed out of the house. Allina slumped against the door. Even though her initial plan had been to keep her presence a secret for a bit, she was glad at the turn of events. She needed her friends. She thought about what Syd had told her about Kent. It was good advice, and she planned to take it. Soon.