Lana felt her heart hammering in her chest, not wanting to listen to another second of anything he had to say. She turned to leave, but he continued, making her stop and turn back around.
“A psychotic mother who tried to blackmail you. His ex, who actually did, then...I’m sorry, ran you both down in the middle of a street and almost killed both of you! You’re in love with that? Is that somehow less wrong than what I did? I’ve never made you feel unsafe or put you in any danger, Lana, never, and he can’t say that,” Sam spat out.
His words stung, but only a little. She wasn’t in love with the drama of what happened, and that seemed to be what everyone in her life didn’t understand.
“All that may be true, but here’s the difference between him and you,” she yelled, “Those things happenedtoboth of us;he never did any of those thingsto me himself.“ He has never, not once, in any of this, made me feel less than the most loved, most important person in his entire life,” she yelled. “He has never made me question myself or my choices, and he has never,evermade me cry.”You, cannot say the same!”
With those last words, Lana took off towards the house, leaving everyone sitting at the table in shock. As she weaved through the house, she made a beeline to the hall bathroom and closed the door, locking it behind her. She sat on the toilet and cried for what felt like ages before the small knock on the door came through. Lana stood, opened the door, and found Sam waving a white paper napkin in the air. Her eyes immediately rolled at his presence.
“What now?” she asked, as she snatched it and blew her nose on it.
“I’m sorry,” he said.
“Sure,” she replied, flushing it down the toilet.
“No, really, I am. I’m sorry for being a coward and walking out on you the way I did. I’m sorry for all the gossip at thehospital that made it almost impossible for you to work there. But mostly, I’m sorry for letting someone as special and as beautiful and as brave as you slip through my fingers.”
She looked up at him, surprised, not expecting to hear any of that from him.
“Thanks?” she replied, unsure of what to say.
The truth was, she didn’t need his apologies anymore. She didn’t even need a reason why anymore. All of it was behind her, and she wanted everyone else to feel the same.
“I’m gonna get out of here and let you enjoy your family. But just listen to me.”
He looked down at her, sincerity written all over his face.
“Think about what it is you’re doing, OK?” he started, “I know you love each other. I could see it all over him whenever I got anywhere near you, and I respect him for doing what I couldn’t. But that ex of his? There’s a reason she’s not in jail, Lana, and I don’t trusther, hismother,or thesituation. God forbid she tries anything else and is successful the next time. I couldn’t live with myself if I didn’t tell you to keep your eyes and ears open when you’re up there. Don’t forget my brother works for the Feds. If you ever need help with anything, I’m only a phone call away.”
Before she could retort, he walked away and left her in the darkened bathroom alone. He was right. Kim was a serious danger, one she was very aware of. She knew what he was saying was an extension of what her family was feeling. They were scared for her, and she was scared all the time. Except here—here was home. There were no angry townspeople or glaring stares.
There were no batshit crazy girlfriends to taunt her, or a manipulative mother-in-law to undermine her. She was surrounded by people who loved and cared for her, and she didn’t have to watch her back every second of the day. But theone person who made any of it OK was Kayden. If anything, Sam’s speech only reinforced what she felt before she left Hamby. She would fight for her man. Kayden was her future, and he was her new home.
10
bump in the night
Lana lay across her bed with her face smashed into a pillow. She’d called Kayden a few times that night since she’d gotten back to the townhouse, but he hadn’t answered.What could he be doing?She rolled over onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. Her eyelids burned as she forced them to stay open.
She looked back at the clock and decided against trying him again and finally welcomed the beckoning call of sleep. Before her eyelids touched, the cellphone on her pillow started to chime. Kayden’s ringtone filled the silent room, and her lips spread into a smile as she reached for it and pressed “answer” on the touchscreen.
“Lana?” Kayden asked, as she breathed a sigh into the phone.
“Hey,” she replied sleepily.
“Did I wake you?”
“No. I was hoping you’d call me back before I fell asleep. Where were you?”
“I’m sorry. I’ve been holed up in the loft, working on the Spence Hotel deal with Taylor all night.”
“Oh?” she asked, rolling over onto her stomach.
Considering Mr. Spence didn’t want anything to do with Kayden just a few short days ago, the statement piqued her interest.
“Yeah. They changed their minds, and construction’s going to start next week sometime—if everythingelsegoes smoothly.”
“That’s great news,” she muttered.
