Carried Away: A Small Town Romance (The Moore Brothers Book 2) (15 page)

E
llie made
the most adorable Sarah Connor of all time. The time at the gym had given her arms just enough definition to really pull off the black tank top and her ass looked amazing in the black cargo pants. She had taken hours to straighten her hair and pull it back into a ponytail. Add a tactical belt, some toy guns strapped to her waist and back, and a pair of aviators, and she looked smokin’ hot.

“I feel kind of ridiculous trying to pull off Schwarzenegger.” James tugged at the black leather jacket and itched at the prosthetic makeup they had used to make half his face look like a robot. “I’m not big enough.”

Ellie smiled, but her eyes were far away. “You look amazing. Way better than Schwarzenegger ever did.”

“Now I know you’re lying.”

He waited for her to take the bait. To hit him back with some flash of honesty or wit, but Ellie just smiled again. Her eyes searched his for a minute and he could swear she was on the verge of saying something. Instead, she just smiled weakly and turned away.

“What time does the party start?”

James wanted to ask her what was wrong. Wanted to push her to open up and let him in, but he knew how hard it was for her to do that. That it took monumental effort for her to let herself be vulnerable. He was afraid that if he pushed her, she would spook. And he really didn’t want to spook her. He had been thinking more and more about asking her to forget the whole fake relationship thing. There was nothing fake about what was between them. He just needed to find the right time to bring it up and given how distant she had been the last few days, it just kept feeling like not the right time.

“We should probably leave. I’m sure people are already showing up. I just want to make a flashy entrance. Show you off.” He pulled her in for a kiss, the sweet scent of her hair products and perfume wrapping around him and making him want to pull her in closer. She kissed him back, fervently, eager and hungry and needy. Her hands roved his body and she melted against him.

When he looked in her eyes, he saw what he wanted to see. She loved him. Or she was on the verge of loving him. But, there was fear there, too. He didn’t want her to be afraid. Whatever it was she was dealing with, he needed her to know he would help her. He would be there for her. He needed her to know she wasn’t alone anymore and if he had his way, she would never go back to living on not quite enough. Never go back to scraping to keep the lights on. Never go back to being afraid to let people into her heart.

Ellie had been everything he needed. After the shock of discovering Erin’s betrayals, Ellie’s honesty had been such a shot in arm. A breath of fresh air. He trusted her. And that felt damn good.

“Wanna take the bike?” she asked as they stepped outside into the balmy October evening.

“We could,” James said and shrugged. “But it might be chilly on the return trip. Plus, you’re packing a lot of heat.” James gestured to the toy pistols on her belt and the plastic AR-15 on her back. “We might give some people more than a little scare.”

After some discussion, they decided to drive Ellie’s car. Ever since she had moved in, it had done way more sitting in the driveway than was healthy for the battery. Ellie even drove, which was a huge change of pace for James. Not that he minded. Not at all. But Erin had always handed him the keys when they took her car. Everything about Ellie was different than Erin.

Better than Erin.

He couldn’t wait to show her off at the party. Couldn’t wait for people to see them together. To dance with her. To keep his hand on her back. To watch her talk to his family, that satisfied little smile of hers softening her face.

He’d fallen hard. Very hard. And now that he was done fighting it, he was ready to embrace it. Ready to show her what it really meant to have a Moore in her corner. He wanted to protect her and love her and keep her safe. He wanted to hold her up and support her. Encourage her and sustain her. Help her grow and hold her close and learn all there was to know about her while sharing all there was about himself with her.

He guided Ellie through the streets of Bliss to Ian’s home on some secluded stretch of beach. The driveway was already full, so Ellie found a place on the road and whistled as they walked towards the house. “You Moores sure know how to do the whole understated elegance thing.”

James shrugged off the compliment and led her past the rows of cars in the driveway and up into his brother’s house. The sky was darkening early, an angry mass of clouds boiling over the ocean. “Looks like it was an extra good idea not to take the bike tonight,” he said, pointing to the incoming storm. “It would have been an awfully wet ride home.”

“Looks like a bad one.” Ellie stared at the horizon and took a deep breath. The look in her eyes was lost. Distant.

What was wrong with her? Why wouldn’t she talk to him? Why was she pulling away? It made him want to chase her, to confront her, to tell her he loved her and beg her not to leave. But again, he knew she needed her space. Time to process.

Unless…

Was she worrying about the approaching deadline to their relationship? Was she unaware that he had fallen for her and was trying to rebuild the walls around her heart? If that were the case, then he needed to clear the air. He needed to find a quiet place to talk to her, to get her to talk to him, to tell her he wanted her. They pushed through the front door into a cacophony of voices and music and laughter and the tinkling sound of ice in glasses.

“Happy Halloween!” Ian and Juliet materialized out of nowhere, Ian wearing his Navy dress whites and Juliet wearing a white button down and a bomber jacket.

“Let me guess,” James said. “Maverick and Charlie from Top Gun.”

Juliet clung to Ian’s arm and smiled up at him. “Take me home or lose me forever,” she said and then wrinkled her nose.

“Two things,” said Ian. “First, we are home. And second, that’s what Meg Ryan said to Goose. You are not Goose’s wife.”

“Nope. I’m your wife.” Juliet blushed. “Or I will be before too long.”

Ian leveled a finger at his fiancée. “Not if you keep mangling Top Gun quotes, you won’t.”

James wrapped an arm around Ellie and pulled her close. He hadn’t believed in love. He’d thought Ian was so foolish for moving so quickly with Juliet. But, after meeting Ellie, after living with her and realizing just how differently he felt about her versus the way he felt about Erin, he felt the urge to apologize to Ian for judging him. True love, when you found it, it knocked you off your feet and redefined you. There was no questioning it. No denying. It was a force of nature and to fight it was to fight destiny. Or something like that.

Look at him. Thinking such deep, philosophical thoughts when there was partying to be done.

“Let me guess,” Juliet said. “The Terminator and Sarah Connor?”

“Your knowledge of 80’s pop culture astounds me.” James pushed his glasses up on his head and turned to Ellie. “So, do you think I can be trusted to have a drink tonight? I’d say you’ve cured me of my need to drink myself into a stupor.”

Ellie looked up at him, the strangest flash of fear darting through her eyes before he watched that damn mask fall down over her face. “I’d say you’ve more than earned it.” She said. “Let’s go get you a drink, big boy.”

Juliet pointed to the multitude of drink options in the kitchen and James led Ellie that way. Whatever had her so up tight, he was going to get to the bottom of it tonight.

P
regnant
.

The word had been echoing in her head since she had peed on the stick in the gas station bathroom. Those two little lines screaming up at her. The walls of the bathroom pressing in on her. The roar of her blood in her veins drowning out all thought.

Pregnant.

Each day since then, she had promised herself that this was the day she would tell James. That she’d sit him down and hand him a drink and tell him she had lied about being on the pill and she was pregnant. And each day since then, she had chickened out and fallen asleep with her head on his chest and her heart growing heavier by the minute.

At the same time, these irrational moments of joy would grow inside her, a secret garden of happiness amongst so much worry. There was a baby inside her. A child who would need her. A child who would come into the world and together they would make a family, even if it was just the two of them, surviving on not enough of everything. And then the little bubble of happiness would burst and desperation would make another attack on Ellie’s heart.

Her entire life was an illusion. Her relationship with James. Her living in his huge house. His family taking care of her, welcoming her to their dinners, protecting her against the world.

Tick tock, Cinderella. Midnight approached.

And now, here she was at his brother’s house, dressed in a couple’s costume she didn’t deserve, being led to an entire table of drinks she couldn't consume. James grabbed a beer for himself and pointed to a blender.

“Oooh! Look babe! Margaritas.” He smiled and grabbed a glass, started filling it with ice, dancing to the music.

“Nah,” she said and thunder rumbled in the distance. “I’m not really in the mood.”

“Not in the mood?” The storm outside moved into James’s eyes. “What’s up with you?” He put the glass down and put a hand on her shoulder. “Talk to me. What’s been bothering you lately?”

Ellie stared into those dark eyes and considered telling him that she was sick and needed to go home. Considered telling him that she was tired of being in a fake relationship and wanted to call it off and then just disappearing from Bliss, never to be seen or heard from again. Considered telling him anything and everything but the truth. She opened her mouth, only to close it again. This was such a bad time. She couldn’t tell him here, at a party. Couldn’t drop a bomb on him like this when people surrounded him.

Of course, she said that every single moment she considered telling him anything these past few days. And now, here she was saying it again, only this time it was really, really true. A flash of lightning outside brought a few shrieks of surprise from the guests around her and Ellie jumped. Tears pricked at her eyes and despite her very valiant attempt to push them back, they started to trace their way down her cheeks, each one an admission of her guilt.

“Ellie.” James looked terrified. Put a hand on her arm and drew her close while outside, the clouds burst and rain pummeled the house. “What’s wrong? Please…” His eyes echoed his pleading voice. “Talk to me.”

She took a breath. And another one. Swiped at the tears only to have more fall from her eyes. She pulled him towards the corner and leaned in close so no one else could hear.

“I’m pregnant.”

She said it and regretted it in the very same instant relief wash over her.

James’s mouth fell open. His eyes glazed over. “What?”

“I’m pregnant. When I said I was on the pill that night? It was a lie.” His eyes darkened and he pulled away from her and her heart lurched in her chest. “I don’t know why I lied. And I don’t know why I didn’t take it back as soon as it was out of my mouth. I thought it would be okay. That I could go get on the pill and we’d be okay.”

“You thought it’d be okay.” Lightning flashed again and Ellie didn’t know what was more ferocious, the storm outside or the storm in James’s eyes. “You lied to my face and you thought it’d be okay.”

Ellie shook her head, stepped towards him and her heart fractured, tiny cracks racing over its surface, when he stepped away. “I’m sorry…”

He held up his hands. “How dare you?” he asked, his voice hissing out between clenched teeth. “After all I’ve done for you? After all I’ve let myself feel for you? You repay me by doing something like this?” James leaned forward and put his face close to hers. “I let myself think you were different. That love existed. You gave me hope.”

“You gave me hope, too! Love
does
exist.” Ellie reached out to him, her hands shaking. “James, I’m sorry. I love you and I’m sorry and I didn’t know what to do and I still don’t know what to do and I need you to tell me how to make it all better. What do I do?” Her entire body shook. Her jaw quivered. Tears dripped from her chin to her chest.

“What can you do?” James wasn’t keeping his voice quiet anymore. He was yelling and people were starting to stare. “You can get the
fuck
away from me! That’s what you can do!”

This strangled sob tore through Ellie’s throat. This horrendous sound of pain that signified the shattering of her heart. Tears poured down her face unchecked. “James…” She tried to reach out to him again, to explain. If only there was a way to make him hear her. “I’m so sorry…” She meant it with her very soul.

“Just get away from me.” He shrugged away from her touch and glared at her. Grit his teeth and lifted his lip in a snarl of disgust. All around them, people stared. Ian and Juliet hurtled towards them from some other room, twin expressions of panicked confusion on their faces. Ellie took one last look at James, at the revulsion on his face and his broken posture and then she spun and faced the shocked guests. Humiliation spawned another sob and Ellie looked at the floor.

Without another word, Ellie ran from the room, pushed through the crowded hallway and rocketed out the front door. Rain pelted her face and shoulders, plastering her ponytail to her head almost instantly. The roar of the wind tried to overpower the roaring in her heart and mind. She fumbled her keys out of her pocket and ran through the crowded driveway, stomping through the quickly growing puddles, splashing water up onto her pants. The stupid plastic gun she had strapped to her back bounced wildly against her legs.

She wanted to turn around and see James barreling out of the house. Wanted him to yell after her. To forgive her. To beg her to come back. She knew he wouldn’t do any of those things. The look on his face—so full of loathing—it told her he never wanted to see her again. Another sob tore through her throat and she could no longer tell the tears from the rain.

She dropped her keys in a puddle and scraped her knuckles against the pavement when she bent to pick them up. Managed to get her door unlocked and collapsed into the driver’s seat. She got the engine started and pulled out onto the road, wishing she could wait until the rain let up but needing to be in movement.

The storm pummeled her car, the wind rocking the vehicle while the rain fell in straight lines, exploding across her windshield. The steady thump of the wipers fought with the frantic pace of her heart. Her breath caught in her chest and her fingers and lips started to tingle while blood and water dripped from her hand to her knee.

Gone. It was all gone. She’d had it and she lost it all in the time it took to speak two little words. The breath from between her lips the tempest that annihilated her house of cards.

Her tears combined with the rain and she couldn’t see a thing. She should pull over, wait out the storm. But she needed as much distance between her and James as she could possibly manage. She dreaded seeing her apartment again. So small and cold. Fear tucked into the corners, little memories of Ben lurking in the dark, pointing and laughing at her.

Ellie swerved around a corner, her hands slick on the steering wheel and her foot heavy on the gas. She looked in the mirror and saw a pair of headlights. They bore down on her, too fast. She tapped her breaks and turned on her emergency blinkers and still the car barreled towards her. She hit the gas, panic thrumming in her body, electricity shooting through her veins.

And still the car gained on her. She spent more time looking in the rearview than she did out the windshield. More time trying to understand what was happening than she did paying attention. She rocketed past a stop sign, glanced in the mirror and saw her pursuer do the same.

Still gaining.

She passed her apartment and flew down the road, away from Bliss. The roar of the rain and the thunder of her heart drove her forward but still, the car behind her closed the gap.

And then, as if in slow motion, she watched it get too close. Realized it wasn’t slowing down. And then, in a screeching howl of metal on metal and the tremendous thump of engine against trunk, the car slammed into her. She fishtailed. Lost control. Her hands, a mix of blood and rain slipped on the steering wheel.

She screamed.

And the world on the other side of her windshield veered and then spun and flipped itself head over tails over head over tails. Something hard hit her face, and something even harder hit the side of her head.

Light flared.

And then darkness.