Pucker Up (17 page)

Peter
shook his head.  “No idea.  But I have a feeling you’re finally going to get
your answer.”

Confusion
clouded his face.  “To what?”

“To
what Faith West is doing here.”

The
twins watched her make her way towards them, her pace slow but determined. 
“Everything all right?” Peter called when she got within ear shot.

“Yeah,
it’s fine.”  But her smile was wane.  “Jackson is calling a tow truck so we can
get me and my car out of your way.”

“You’re
not in the way, East,” Peter said. 

“Yeah,
my presence has caused no upheaval at all.”  Her eyes darted to Dustin’s but
couldn’t hold his gaze for more than a moment before looking away. 

“Faith,
what’s going on?” Peter asked, reaching out for her.  She took his hand and
held it for a moment before letting his fingers slip from her grasp.

“Life,
I suppose,” she murmured 

“Life?”
Dustin asked, his voice gruff with confusion.  “What the hell does that mean?”

Faith
shook her head as if pulling herself out of a daze, and smiled.  “I promised
I’d stay until tomorrow.  Tomorrow’s here.  Excuse me, I need to go get my
purse.”

She
turned, but Dustin wasn’t about to let her escape that easily.  He followed her
through the front door and cornered her in the foyer.  Her hand was unsteady as
she grabbed for her bag.  So many things between them were left unsaid.  So
many things he thought they’d resolved just hours ago.  He once again felt like
he was on the outside demanding to be let in.

Faith
hadn’t noticed him follow her.  She was startled when she turned, confronted
with his proximity and unable to escape.  He watched her bite her bottom lip,
trying not to raise her eyes from his chest.  “Yes?” she asked with forced
breeziness.

“Stop
it,” he murmured, bringing his hand up to cup her cheek.  Instead of letting
him tip her head back, she leaned forward, her forehead falling against him. 
He wrapped an arm around her and pulled her close, feeling the electricity of
their nearness as he settled his chin against her curls. 

“Who’s
that guy?” Dustin asked, his words barely a whisper.

“My
lawyer,” she replied on a sigh.  “My manager.  My best friend.” 

“Why
is he here?”

Faith
pulled back, putting literal space between them, and Dustin felt the calm he’d had
all morning crack and shatter.  “To check up on me.  To come and get me if I
didn’t have enough courage – which I obviously didn’t.”

“You’re
not making any sense.”

“I
know,” she said with a sad laugh.  She ran her hands through her hair and took
another step away.  “He will though.”

“I
thought—”

“What?”
she asked.  “What did you think?”

But
he couldn’t say it – not with Faith already halfway out the door.  She didn’t
get to steal his heart twice.  “That you weren’t leaving so soon,” he said
instead. 

She
brushed the unshed tears from her eyes, and his gut clenched, so very close to
reaching for her.  But he wouldn’t, not if she refused to talk to him this
time; he was done with her silence.  “Well, I don’t want to see how long before
cordial starts to bite us in the ass.”

She
walked across the room, at the door, hand on the screen, when she turned back
to him.  “Dustin?”

“Yeah?”

“Pucker
up.”  He didn’t respond to her halfhearted attempt at levity; her eyes turned
serious.  “Kiss me goodbye.” 

Her
request felt final, something to end the story.  Part of him wanted to deny
her, angry and incredulous that she was leaving him again.  But the other part
knew this was always how it was going to end, foolish to think otherwise, and
yearned to touch her one more time.  He was at her side in three steps, his hands
around her face and lips pressed against hers.   

He
kissed her deliberately, trying to memorize the feel of her lips against his,
of his tongue sliding against her skin, of the taste of her pulse.  He sunk his
teeth into her bottom lip, wanting to prove that she was real and not just some
figment of his imagination his loneliness brought to life, wanting to leave her
with a visible reminder of him like the scar she left on his heart.  He tilted
her head to the side and deepened their embrace, knowing this would be the last
time he touched her, knowing that she needed to remember it just as much as he
did.  He pulled away out of breath, still wishing he had never let her go.

Faith
pulled his hands from her cheeks and held them between their bodies, her
fingers running over his calluses.  “You can’t make this easy, can you?” she
asked, sorrow clear in her voice.  His eyes narrowed, but it was too late; she
had already pushed him aside.

Dustin
watched her slip outside and followed, even more confused than he had been
before.  Faith looked over her shoulder at Dustin, tears glistening in her
eyes.  “I’m sorry.  I’m so very sorry.”  And before he could respond, she
disappeared into the car.

Dustin
stared at the car heading down the dirt road, at Faith leaving him
again
. 
“What the hell is she sorry for now?”

“I
have the answer to that,” Jackson said.

“Who
are you, exactly?”  You could always count on Peter to ask the relevant
questions.

“I’m
her lawyer.”

“And?”

Jackson
ran a hand through his hair.  He smiled at the men who gave him identical angry
stares.  “Can we go inside to discuss this?”

“Right
here will do just fine.”

“I’m
pretty sure you’ll want to sit down.  And have a stiff drink.”

“Is
that your legal advice?” Dustin said, the words ground to dust.

“Same
advice I gave her four days ago so yes.”

“What
happened four days ago?” Harmony asked.  The men turned in surprise to find the
teenager leaning in the doorframe, curiosity alive on her face.

Jackson
smiled at her, and Dustin wanted to punch the look right off his face.  “I will
tell you,” Jackson assured her, before turning back to the men, “
if
we
go inside to talk about this.  You really don’t want to hear what I have to say
on a front porch.”

“Front
porch has seen worse,” Dustin murmured.

“Fine,
I don’t want to say it on a front porch.  Sound carries.”  Jackson winked at
the girl, and she giggled.  Peter’s expression relaxed some, but Dustin’s fury
just rose.

“I
just want someone to tell me what the hell is going on!” Dustin bellowed.

“Let’s
go inside and find out,” Peter said.  Dustin knew he was being petulant,
wanting to flat out refuse allowing this lawyer through the door, but his heart
had just been broken again, slowly leaking heartache.  He knew Mr. Fancy Suit
didn’t bring good tidings, and he wasn’t sure how much more he could hear and
remain standing.  Maybe a chair wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

Dustin
dropped down at the kitchen table, wishing he felt more confident watching the
lawyer across it.  He’d hoped Jackson would look out of place, see some disdain
on his face at the modest surroundings so unlike Los Angeles estates, and be
able to feel a modicum of superiority.  But the man looked as comfortable in
his kitchen as a boardroom; he’d probably blend in anywhere.  Why wasn’t there
an icy tundra around when you needed it?

Peter
took the seat to his left, and he could feel Harmony lingering in the
background.  He’d send her away but he wasn’t sure it would help any – there
didn’t seem any way to ignore the elephant in the room any longer.

Jackson
took some papers out of his briefcase and looked at the more friendly face.  “I
wasn’t really kidding about the alcohol,” he said to Peter. 

“I
got it,” Harmony said.  Dustin would have smiled at her eagerness to help, prolonging
her stay in the room, if he didn’t think he was going to explode.  All this
anticipation was killing him; he knew a bomb was about to be dropped and cursed
Faith for leaving him at ground zero while she retreated out of the blast zone. 
The look on Jackson’s face made him wonder if there was going to be anything
recognizable left.

A
beer appeared in front of him, and he downed it in one gulp.  He didn’t want to
hear any of this – maybe if he got buzzed fast enough, he wouldn’t have to. 
But Peter knew him better than he knew himself and slid his own beer bottle
across the table, out of reach for Dustin to steal.

Jackson
sat there, waiting.  His eyes were shrewd, though kind, as he sat across the
table contemplating them.  It was the kindness that irritated him most.

“Spill
it, suit,” Dustin growled, drumming his fingers against the table.

“I
am Ms. West’s attorney, and some information was recently brought to my
attention that needs to be taken care of immediately.  It’s highly sensitive. 
And personal.  For you, Mr. Andrews.”

“Harmony,”
Peter said in his best teacher voice, the one that brokered no discussion.  She
sighed in irritation and retreated.  Jackson waited until her footfalls drifted
away before turning to Dustin.

“What
happened four days ago?” Dustin asked, cutting off the lawyer before he could
speak.

“I
told Ms. West what I’m about to tell you.”

Dustin’s
heart hammered against his chest.  So this wasn’t some secret Faith had been
keeping from him all these years, not like the name of his baby girl now etched
into a porch swing.  This was something that had knocked her down as well, if
the look in her eyes when she first arrived was any indication.  And she’d
pulled herself up and came to find him.

No,
he realized bitterly; she hadn’t come to see him.  She’d come to see Peter. 
Jackson handed him a manila envelope full of papers, but he couldn’t look at
them, his heart beating so loud he couldn’t concentrate on anything else.  He
didn’t know what they said; he just knew it wasn’t going to be anything good.

“According
to statements made to me by Ms. West last week, I became concerned about the
legality of one of your last interactions.  Pursuant to the laws of the state
of California – ”

“Stop!”
Dustin yelled, slamming his hand against the table.  His breathing was labored,
and he knew if he didn’t move soon, he was going to be tempted to throw the
table across the room.  “Is this how you told Faith whatever you’re going to
say?  Pursuant to legal whatever.”

Dustin
lifted his eyes from the table to look at Jackson.  The lawyer’s expression
softened, and he didn’t want to think about what he looked like to cause that. 
“Just tell me straight.  Just tell me.”

“Tearing
up a marriage license doesn’t erase it.”  After that statement, the room was so
quiet that you could hear a pin drop.  “You and Faith have been married for the
last ten years.  You just didn’t know it.”

Faith
brushed the tears from her eyes, the ones that had started falling the minute
Jackson’s car pulled out onto the highway.  She was thankful for the driver
ensconced behind the partition; she didn’t have to think about the road, and
she didn’t have to think about what a mess she was since no one could see her. 
She already had enough on her mind.

Had
she just blown it again?!  The way Dustin had kissed her goodbye – every fiber
of her being had demanded she stay, swayed by the warmth of his skin.  That man
was chivalrous and dutiful, but a small part of her still doubted his
sincerity.  It all went back to that day a decade ago, exactly a decade ago, to
a hospital bed and a paper gown.

She
let herself remember that moment.  The doctor told them she’d lost the baby,
and she’d cried herself dry as Dustin held her, stoic as ever.  She’d seen
sadness in his eyes, mirroring her own, and wondered how a day that was to be
the happiest of their lives had ended up so wrong. 

She’d
drifted off to sleep for a few moments, the whole experience draining, and when
she awoke Dustin wasn’t by her side, but there were voices in the hallway.

“Let
her sleep,” Dustin had murmured.

“Is
she okay?” Peter had asked, sounding concerned.

“As
good as can be expected I guess.” 

“Dusty,
man, what’s going on?”

She’d
heard him sigh.  “It’s been a crazy day.”

“Talk
to me.”  Faith couldn’t see but she’d always imagined Peter clasping his
brother on the shoulder like he always did, giving him a squeeze for comfort
and a shake for being irritatingly taciturn. 

“We
were having a baby.”

“Were?”
Peter had asked.  Faith had started crying at his question, the quiet anguish
in his voice too much for her to take.

“Were,”
Dustin had gulped.  “Now we’re not.  Kind of makes the wedding this morning
unnecessary, right?”

“Wait,
what?!  You got married!  And didn’t tell me?”

“We
didn’t tell anyone.  Didn’t even have any witnesses.”  He’d paused for a moment
before a curse burst out.  “Hell, if nobody saw it, maybe it didn’t even
happen.  Maybe this whole day is just one big damn nightmare.  Maybe none of it
is true.”

Faith’s
insides had turned to ice.  He thought all of it was a mistake.  She’d sought
comfort in his arms as she cried, grateful to have him by her side.  But he
wasn’t; he was miles away, mired in regret that any of it had happened.  Less
than twelve hours ago he’d slipped a ring onto her finger, placed a kiss behind
her ear, and whispered she was the most beautiful sight he’d ever seen.  It had
all been a lie, a mirage in the distance.  He’d never been all in.

“Don’t
say that,” Peter had admonished.  But it was too late – he had said it, Faith
had heard it, and there was no coming back from that.  “What are you going to
do?” Peter asked. 

He
was quiet for a long time, long enough for Faith to concoct hundreds of answers
for him, each one more devastating than the last.  “What do you think?”  Dustin
had answered.  He had sounded resigned, sad. 

She’d
flinched as if he’d slapped her, his words slicing her open.  She couldn’t take
any more of it, trying to turn away from the second devastating wave of
heartbreak of the day.  They heard her and had peeked in through the door – she
couldn’t even look at him without crying, sobs racking her body again.  Dustin
and Peter were beside her in seconds, and she’d found herself cocooned between
them, unable to do anything but shake with loss.

She
thought back to it now, wondering if she had misunderstood.  It still seemed
pretty clear to her; he’d wanted her to go but didn’t want to be the bad guy,
didn’t want to be the one that said it, so she’d done it for him.  But Dustin,
Dustin hadn’t just been a man surprised to see her.  He’d been angry, livid
that she’d left, still after a decade.  Was that the attitude of a man that
regretted everything?  A man that hadn’t wanted her there in the first place? 
No, it was the attitude of man that still had a lemon tree in his front yard.  What
was she supposed to think?  How was this all supposed to go?!

Faith’s
eyes fell on the manila envelope beside her.  She needed a distraction from her
thoughts and picked it up, trying to forget Dustin was probably looking at the
same thing right about now.  She pulled out the papers and flipped through them
until she got to the copy of the confidential marriage certificate Jackson obtained. 
She’d told Harmony that Ally was her alias.  It was the truth, but how messed
up must you be when your real name is the one you use to hide.  Allison Faith
West had signed the document in front of her; Dustin was the only person who’d
known that was her legal name.  Her real name.  The person who didn’t have to
be a persona.  A tear ran down her cheek.  Allison Andrews would have been a
stupid name anyway.

She
looked out the window, realizing where they were, and called to the driver. 
“Take this exit,” she commanded.  “I need to make a stop.”

Melody’s
laptop rang, the annoying bubble theme of an incoming video call.  Her stomach
grumbled and she decided it was a good time for a break.  She pulled her
computer and a bag of almonds into her lap and accepted the call.  “Hey—”

“You
will not even—”

Melody
smiled at them trying to talk over each other, but it drained slowly off her
face at the look on her sister’s.  Harmony looked anxious and worried, two
things she almost never was.

“Harm,
what’s wrong?”

“I
know,” she said.

“Know
what?”

“Why
he’s sad.”

When
she didn’t elaborate, Melody got even more concerned.  “Are you going to tell
me?”  When she didn’t jump to answer, Melody continued, “Harm, what’s going
on?”

“Mel,
this morning he was really good.  Like really, really good.  You saw that
picture I sent you – he was smiling and talking.  Uncle Dust said good morning
– today, this morning.  It was crazy.  I thought maybe I had woken up in the
wrong house or we were in the Twilight Zone or something but no, he was happy. 
He was really happy.”

“Harm,
you’re kind of scaring me…”

“And
then this cute lawyer came.  And Faith left.  But the lawyer, he stayed.  And
they tried to kick me out of the room, but I was not going to miss this, so I
turned the voice recorder on my phone on and – ”

“You
recorded them?” Melody asked incredulously.

“Of
course I recorded them.  I wanted to finally know what was going on.” 
Harmony’s face fell.  “But it was so much sadder than I thought.  I kinda wish
I had never turned the recorder on…”

“Harmony,”
Melody said, trying to catch her sister’s attention.  Her mind had drifted away,
and she looked like she was about to cry.  “Harmony!  What happened – tell me
what happened?”

“I
had left the room, and they were talking really quiet so I couldn’t hear, and
then all of a sudden Uncle Dust just started laughing, like creepy Heath Ledger
Joker laughing.  He sounded weird, a little crazy and like he might start
crying.  And then the door slammed and his truck peeled away.  Dad and the cute
lawyer kept talking for like half an hour, so I just went and got the tape
recorder, and Uncle Dust isn’t even back yet.”