Only in Time (A Mystique Antiques Novella) (12 page)

Tears formed in Ally’s eyes as she slapped him across the face. “Lies. It’s all lies! Mom gave up drinking a month before I left. Cassie said she’s been sober since.”

Heat pulsed in Jonah’s cheek as he continued to stare at her, not flinching from her assault. He deserved any ounce of pain she chose to put him through. But she also deserved the truth. “Your mother may be sober now, but I can assure you of this. She wasn’t that night.”

“Don’t you dare blame my mother for this! You had a chance to tell me how you felt, but you didn’t. Hell, you could have called me after I left. You had six years to find me and tell me. Now you want to play the victim.”

“I tried to call. A couple of times. Every time I heard your voice, I’d choke up.” His voice began to shake as he moved his eyes to the floor. “Deep down, I knew your mother was right. I wasn’t any good for you, Ally. Doesn’t mean it hurts any less to know that someone kissed you before I did.” He gazed up at her mouth, remembering the warmth of her lips pressed to his. “To know that someone touched you the way I always wanted to touch you… It’s killing me.”

“You don’t think it hurts me to know you’ve been with other women? You’re such a hypocrite. I can’t take this!” she cried, throwing her hands in the air. She brushed past him, stomping toward the door.

“Ally, wait!” He pleaded, forcing his legs to take quick steps.

Curling her fingers around the knob, her eyes darted back to his. “Get out, Jonah! I never want to see you again.”

He stepped forward, reaching out for her, but she swatted his hand away. The rejection rocked him to the core. She hated him. Disgust raged in her tear filled eyes. He’d rather have taken a beating than to have her look at him like that.

Raising his hands in front of him, he took a step back, hoping she would change her mind. The change never came.

“Whatever you want, Ally” he snorted, turning toward the door as she opened it. He’d made it two steps past before he met her eyes once more. “I’m heading back to L.A. tomorrow, instead of Wednesday. You won’t ever have to see me again. But it won’t change the truth. I love you, Ally. I’ve always loved you. Probably always will.”

Ally pulled into the driveway, listening to the hum of the windshield wipers as they passed across the glass. She could almost hear the bathtub calling her name. Could almost feel the scalding water burning her skin. What better way to help her forget the last few hours of her life?

She’d been so lost in thought that she hadn’t noticed everyone else leaving the office hours before she did. Even the drive home became a blur.

Only one thing stood in her way of unwinding with milk and honey bath salts. The familiar figure standing at her door. She didn’t know why her mother had stopped by her house. Didn’t really care. All she wanted was to be left alone.

Killing the engine, she listened to the raindrops beat against the roof. They pounded in a rhythm that matched the ones in her chest. Strong, steady, miserable beats.

Inhaling the berry scented air freshener, she prepped herself for the impending chat with her mother. Granted, they were getting along better than they had in years, but lingering resentment remained. Regardless of how much she fought it. She shouldn’t expect it to go away soon. Her mother didn’t.

Closing the door behind her, clicking resonated off the pavement as she ran toward the porch. She covered her head with her briefcase, but it didn’t stop the cold drops from dampening her blouse. Hopefully her mother wouldn’t stay long. Between mental exhaustion and wet clothes, she couldn’t put the bath off for long.

Pink lips curled up at her once she stepped onto the porch, but they didn’t hold the sincerity they had the last time she saw her mother.

Tightness formed in Ally’s neck. She did not have time for her mom’s drama when she needed to decompress from her issues.

Stepping out of her way, her mother waited while Ally slid her key in the lock. “Hey, Ally-bear.”

“Hi, Momma. What are you doing out in this weather?” The door creaked open once Ally turned the knob. Making her way inside, she set her keys and purse on the end table before stepping out of her heels.

The plush carpet teased her toes, providing her a smidgen of relief. At least until her mother shut the door behind her. “Rough day at the office, sweetie?”

Unable to stop herself from snorting, she gave her mother a nod, moving toward the couch. “It was definitely a day I’ll never forget. You have no idea, Momma.”

“Oh, I think I do.” Slow steps brought her mother around the edge of the recliner. She gave Ally a quick lookover before easing down to the cushion. Each second she sat silently, body rigid and perched at the edge, Ally’s stomach churned tighter.

“Something’s on your mind, Momma. I know how much you hate the rain. You wouldn’t go out in a downpour just to come hang out with me.”

Feigning a smile, her mother nodded. She worked her hands together as they sat in her lap. “I had a visitor today. Jonah McCabe. He left about an hour ago, after he told me what happened.”

The weight of the words sent Ally to the couch, its cushion cradling her bottom as she sank inside. Anger pulsed within her heart. Jonah had no right talking to her mother about anything they’d discussed. She couldn’t understand why he was hell bent on breaking her heart. Admitting her feelings should have been enough satisfaction for him. What did he gain by lying about the past?

“Did he tell you about the lies he’s spreading about you?”

Her mother’s hands stilled in her lap. Parting her pink lips, she drew in a breath, releasing it just as quickly. “It’s not lies, baby girl. Everything Jonah told you is the truth.”

Each beat of Ally’s heart vibrated throughout her body. In her ears. Behind her eyes. Over her skin. If not for the ticking clock on the wall, she would swear time stood still.

“You were drunk the night I left for New York?” The knot in her stomach twisted when her mother nodded. “Why? You stopped drinking a month before I left. Why would you start again?”

Digging into her purse, her mother pulled out an envelope. The worn, yellow tint hinted to its age. “Because I found this. It’s from your father. He sent it right after he arrived in Afghanistan. I kept it hidden in my jewelry box for years, afraid that you would find it. I think it’s time for you to read it.”

Ally stared at the envelope, debating on taking it from her mother. She didn’t know what good would come out of reading the letter. Unless it explained why her mother picked up the bottle again.

Setting the envelope on the coffee table, her mother scooted it across the top. Ally leaned forward, letting her fingertips stroke the aged paper. Most of the ink had faded from the outside, but she recognized her father’s handwriting. She still had the letters he mailed to her.

Anxiety pulsed a wicked path through her heart. She gripped the envelope, pulling out the letter within its decrepit walls. As her eyes trailed over the cursive letters, she could hear her father’s voice in her mind, repeating each word as she read them.

Line by line, everything she ever knew of her father began to change. The man she adored more than anyone had a secret. A gut-wrenching secret.

Fragmented sentences replayed in her mind. A new one added to the playlist the further she read.

You and Ally are my life… I’m sorry for what I’ve done… We were going through a rough patch… It only happened once… Please forgive me.

The letter fell from Ally’s hands, making its descent toward the floor. She didn’t care. Could only stare at her mother. “Are you telling me the reason you started drinking is because Daddy cheated on you? Because that’s no excuse for abandoning me all those years.”

The lines on her mother’s face deepened as she fought with the moisture in her eyes. “I didn’t start drinking because your father cheated. I started drinking because I sent your father to his death.”

As her stomach continued to roll, Ally bit back the bitter taste in her mouth. Her heart raced as much as her mind. How could her mother have been responsible for her father’s death? He’d died in Afghanistan.

Blinking away a few tears, her eyes trailed past the coffee table, up the arm of the chair until she found the courage to meet her mother’s eyes. “What are you talking about?”

 Swiping the tears from her cheeks, her mother inhaled a shaky breath. “A couple months after the letter came, your father called. He begged for my forgiveness. Promised that he would make it up to both of us if I let him. But I couldn’t answer. Told him I’d have to think about it. If I’d known that…”

Another round of sobs racked her mother’s body. Ally wanted to go to her. To tell her it was okay, but the weight of her heart pinned her to the couch. “I still don’t understand how this makes you responsible for his death.”

“I broke his heart, Ally. I refused to forgive him. He left that evening for his last mission. Jonah’s father, Michael, was in the same unit. He’s the one that told me how your father wasn’t himself, but being the first sergeant he was, he refused to stay behind.”

Ally didn’t doubt a word of it. Her father loved serving his country. Took pride in training men and women to serve and honor as well. He’d never turn down a chance to lead his men.

Pulling a couple tissues from her purse, her mother dabbed at her eyes and nose before continuing. “They were on a mission to rescue a group of children being used for suicide missions. They thought they’d cleared the house. Were even moving the children to a secure location when your father heard another child crying. He raced back into the house to find the child. A few minutes later, the house exploded.”

The walls in the house began to sway. Ally felt the carpet cradle her knees as she went to the floor, sobbing. It all made perfect sense. Her mother’s guilt. Why’d she turned to the bottle. Her last words to her husband had haunted her every waking moment.

“Ally-bear. There is more I need to tell you. About Jonah.”

Sucking in a shaky breath, Ally pushed off the floor, rising to her feet. A lock of hair fell from her clasp as she shook her head. “I can’t deal with this tonight, Momma. I just can’t. Would you please go?”

A tearful nod later, her mother left the recliner. “I’m sorry, Ally. For everything. I hope you can forgive me someday.” She watched her mother collect her purse before turning toward the door. Reaching it within seconds, she shot Ally one last look. “The most precious thing we have in life is time and love. While time may not always matter, love will. You’ll find the answer you’re looking for. If you open your eyes…and your heart.”

* * *

Swirling the glass of wine in her hands, Ally eyed the envelope again, wishing that she’d never read the letter. She could have gone the rest of her life without discovering the things she had today. Not just about her father, but Jonah as well.

Her eyes shifted to the watch. She studied the second hand as it ticked away, knowing the time would be inaccurate. It’s where all her problems began. The second she received it. Had she not been late for the comedy show, she never would have run into Jonah at the bar.

Unclasping it from her wrist she held it in her hands, examining the face. How could something so ordinary turn her life upside down with just the slowing of gears? This watch was cursed. Maybe it had been the reason Abigail Hamilton lost so much of her life. God knows it had stolen enough of hers.

Without a second thought, she smashed the face of the watch against the table. Hearing the glass cracking against the wood sent of wave of satisfaction through her soul. She’d rid the watch of the curse and the evil it possessed. Another swing of her hand sent the watch back into the table. And then again. The assault continued, each strike filling Ally with a sense of control. She smashed it eight times before the back casing cracked open.

Pinching the watch between her fingers, she pulled it apart. The gears continued to move, growing slower with each passing second. It wouldn’t be long before they stopped. Then she’d be rid of the gift. It would never steal another moment from anyone, least of all her.

As she shifted focus to the back of the watch, she noticed rusty debris within it. She blew at the powder, choking on the dust particles floating in the air. God forbid she just spread some toxic disease that hadn’t existed since the 1800’s.

Turning the casing between her fingers, the light above her hit on something under the residue. Ally rubbed at the powder, removing what she could with her fingertip. When her eyes gazed back inside, engraved words stared back at her.

The heart does not see through blind eyes. Only the mind. Time matters not…