As Darkness Gathers (Dark Betrayals Book 2) (26 page)

My release unfurled so brilliantly and suddenly that tears leaked from the corners of my eyes. It erupted in my center and radiated outward, so all-consuming that, for a moment, I couldn’t breathe or see, and the only thing I heard was Clay’s harsh breaths and the sound of him groaning my name as he found his own release.

It was several minutes before our breathing began to slow. Our skin was damp, and I could feel tendrils of my hair stuck to my forehead and cheeks.

When Clay started to move, I clung to him. “Don’t leave me. Not yet.”

“I won’t,” he promised and rolled us over so he was on his back, and I was sprawled bonelessly over him. He swept a hand down over my spine and cradled my hip, keeping me secure against him. With his other hand, he combed my hair back from my flushed face. “All right?”

I tightened my arms around him and refused to lift my head from his chest. “Never better.”
 

But I had lied. I was shaken to the core.
 

Chapter Thirteen

The rasp of stubble over my shoulder woke me, and I sighed as Clay pressed his lips against the side of my neck.

I rolled over and found him propped up on his side, watching me. I pushed the tangle of my hair back from my face and smiled at him. “Morning.”

He leaned over me, stroking a curl back from my forehead. “Your hair is wicked in the morning.”

I shoved him, and when he fell back, I grabbed a pillow and smacked him with it. He caught the edge, though, and yanked it away. Laughter rendered me helpless, and he dragged me across the mattress until I was caught against his chest.
 

“You are such a jerk,” I said, still chuckling.

“That may be, but you can’t resist me.”

I stopped trying to wiggle away and turned into his arms, pressing my face into the solid curve of his shoulder and inhaled deeply. “No,” I whispered. “I can’t.”

He tightened his arms around me and we lay for long moments with limbs entwined before he said, “I want to go get some flowers for your mom before we head over there.”

I leaned up and pressed a quick kiss to his lips. “I’m staying in bed a little longer.” I squeaked in surprised when he squeezed my behind before gently rolling me off him and climbing out of bed.
 

“Lazy bum.”

After pulling the covers around me, I propped myself up on an elbow.
 

He grinned when he caught me watching as he pulled on jeans and a sweater. “I’ll be back soon.” Planting a hand on either side of me, he dipped his head and kissed me long and hard until I gripped his sweater and had to resist dragging him back down into bed.

I dozed for a while longer before mustering the will to shower, dress, dry my hair, and put on a little makeup.
 

After straightening the bedclothes, I reached for the window and pulled open the curtains. I staggered back, my hand flying to my mouth to stifle my cry of horror. I stared at it, and my stomach heaved.
 

I glanced over my shoulder. The bed was directly in view of the window, and even though the curtain had fallen into place last night, with the lights on, our silhouettes would have been visible.

I swallowed around the desperate urge to vomit and jumped when Clay called my name from the living room, announcing his return. I yanked the curtain closed over the letters that had been painted in a vile red on the glass, written backward from the outside so I could read the word clearly.
 

WHORE
.

The shaking started from deep within and spread outward to encompass my limbs. I pressed both hands over my mouth so hard my teeth dug into my lips and I tasted blood.

Someone had seen us. Someone had
watched
us together.
 

The violation made my stomach cramp, and it felt as if what Clay and I shared last night had been tainted.
 

I lost the battle with my roiling insides and raced to the bathroom.

“Finch?”

Hunched over the toilet, I tried to steady my gasping. “Almost ready!” I shouted, hoping he didn’t hear the hoarse break in my voice.
 

I flushed the commode, brushed my teeth, and tried to quell the tremor running through me. I stayed in the bathroom until I was able to school my expression into a semblance of normalcy, and then I stepped into the bedroom to meet Clay.

“Everything all right?”

I tossed a hollow smile in his direction without meeting his gaze. “Just fine.” I grabbed my purse and the gift I’d purchased for my mother a few weeks ago from atop a stool at the counter. “I’m ready if you are.”

We drove to my parents’ house in silence. I felt Clay’s gaze on me multiple times, but I didn’t turn my eyes from staring sightlessly out the window until we arrived.
 

“Are you okay?” Julia asked as soon as she saw my face.
 

“Of course.” I skirted between her and Sydney and knocked on the front door, barely keeping my composed mask in place. The slightest crack, and they all would know something was wrong. “We’re here,” I called as I opened the front door then frowned when silence greeted us. “Hello?”
 

“They didn’t forget, did they?” Sydney asked as we walked in, and she nudged the front door closed with her foot.

She carried two trays of food, and Julia carried cupcakes.
 

“I called Ms. Rhodes this morning, and she said we were still on for lunch,” Julia said.

“You didn’t tell her we were going to make a party of it, did you?” Sydney asked.

“Of course not! I can—”

“Come on,” I said before they could start to argue. “Let’s put this stuff in the kitchen, and then I’ll call them.” I flipped the kitchen light on with my elbow as I came around the corner and then halted. “Mama!”
 

She was sitting at the breakfast table in her flannel robe staring out the window, an untouched cup of tea before her, the dogs lying at her feet.
 

“You didn’t hear us come in?”

She cleared her throat. “Sorry, sweetheart, I was distracted.”

I took the flowers from Clay and set them on the counter and approached her. “Are you all right? What’s wrong?”

She scrubbed her hands over her face before turning from the window. “You know, I made it easy for the man—our anniversary and my birthday on the same day—and somehow he still managed to forget.” She laughed, but the sound was watery and her eyes were red-rimmed.

Clay cleared his throat. “We’ll wait outside,” he said quietly when I glanced at him.

I sank into the chair adjacent to my mother. One of the dogs rested his head on my foot. “Daddy’s never forgotten.”

“He did today. He left a little over an hour ago, said he and his buddies had a bowling tournament today.” She took a sip of tea, grimaced, and pushed the delicate china cup away. “Thirty years. It’s a pretty big milestone. Over half our lives.” She tucked her hair behind her ears. “I’m afraid he’s having an affair.”

“
What?
” I stared at her. “Mama, no. Why would you think that?”

“Over the last week or two, he’s been so secretive. Phone calls he won’t tell me about, e-mails he won’t let me see. I don’t know what else to think.”

“There’s an explanation,” I promised her. “But
that
is
not
it.”

“Finch? Ms. Rhodes?” Julia called. The note of urgency in her voice had the dogs leaping to their feet and racing from the room. “You’re going to want to see this!”

My mom and I glanced at one another and hurried through the house. We reached the front porch in time to see my father pull up to the curb in my brother’s Jeep, towing what looked like a giant tin can.

Darcy trotted up the stairs. “Happy birthday, Ma.”
 

He stooped to kiss her cheek, and she patted his chest, but she was staring across the yard, dazed.
 

Darcy approached me hesitantly, and I wrapped an arm around his waist. “Hello, runt.”

He let out a shuddering sigh and relaxed. “Hey, squirt.” He glanced over my head. “Hi, Clay. Julia. Sydney.” His Adam’s apple bobbed when he said Sydney’s name—he’d had a crush on her from the first time I’d introduced them—then he turned back to me. “Do you know what’s going on? Dad called me last night and said he needed to borrow the Jeep for the hitch. What’s with that hunk of metal? And the monkey suit?”

My father climbed out of the vehicle, looking uncomfortable but dapper in a three-piece suit and clutching a bouquet of yellow tulips. The dogs bounded across the slushy yard and bounced around his feet.
 

“Jacob?” My mother’s eyes were wide, and she started hesitantly down the steps. “What on earth?”

“You said I don’t see you anymore.” He shrugged within his suit jacket and cleared his throat. “But I do. I always see you. And I’m always humbled by you. By your grace and beauty and your love. It’s been steadfast for thirty years, and I’m counting on at least thirty more.”

Her chin trembled. “But I’ve changed. I’m not the same woman you married. Twenty pounds, gray hair, wrinkles, and—”

“We’ve both changed. Neither of us are the same people we were thirty years ago.” He strode across the yard, his gaze locked on her, and nudged the dogs out of the way. “I didn’t think I could love you more than I did that day in church, watching you walk down the aisle like a vision, but I was wrong. My heart is more full now than it was then. And you’ve never been lovelier. Even in that old robe.”

My mother laughed and her hand shook as she lifted it to her lips. “That looks almost exactly like that old Airstream we drove up to Niagara in for our honeymoon.”

“It took me a couple of weeks to find one.” My father’s smile was sheepish. “That’s what the calls and e-mails were about. And these.” He held out the tulips. “I tried to find pink ones to match the bouquet you had at the wedding, but yellow was all the florist could find.”

She fingered a delicate petal, but instead of taking the flowers from him, she lifted a hand and cupped his cheek. “I’m not sure what I ever did to deserve you, Jacob Rhodes.”

“You got lucky.”

They both laughed, and I bit my lip to keep from tearing up.
 

When I glanced at Darcy, he looked befuddled, but Julia was grinning, and before Sydney ducked her head, I caught the gleam of tears in her eyes. Clay rested his hand on my shoulder, and my eyes slid closed.

“You’ve given me everything I wanted in life and more, Margo. Don’t ever doubt my love or attraction for you again.”

She shook her head. “I won’t.”

My father glanced up at his audience. “You kids don’t mind if we skip out on you today, do you?”

I smiled. “Not at all.”

Sydney cleared her throat and said, “Take the wine.”

“And my cupcakes!” Julia shouted.

I studied Clay’s features as he drove home—the strong, square jaw, the straight line of his nose, the slant of his brow, and the curve of his lips when he smiled.

He wasn’t smiling when he turned to me after he parked the car in front of my apartment. “I think we should talk.”

I nodded, tucking a wavy lock of hair behind my ear, and then followed him inside. Once I reset the alarm, I turned to find him leaning against the kitchen counter.
 

“Do you want to tell me what’s going on?” he asked.
 

I swallowed and looked away.

“Do you regret last night?”

My chin began to tremble. “No.”

He closed the distance between us, but I stiffened and glanced toward the window when he tried to embrace me.

“Then why won’t you let me hold you?”

My chest felt too tight, and my eyes burned. I hated the flash of vulnerability I saw in his eyes when I darted a glance at his face. I took his hand, led the way into my bedroom, and pulled back the curtain.
 

I felt ill again looking at it.

“Jesus Christ.”

“I found it this morning,” I whispered. Dread coiling in my stomach, I chanced a look at Clay.