22
Chase had been watching her. The revelation came to Larke during a phone conversation with Raymond. When the call came a while ago, she had expected him to tell her about his evening with his ex-wife, who he was now patching things up with. The day before yesterday, she’d felt sorry for her friend and had decided to help him plan the perfect evening with the mother of his daughter. Raymond was nice and their relationship had stayed platonic.
The moment he’d informed her Chase had been waiting for him outside his house and warned him to treat her right, Larke thought her knees would buckle from under her. She’d been shocked to the core. But she’d also felt spitefully happy that Chase believed she was moving on with someone else. That feeling, however, had lasted only a few minutes. She wasn’t spiteful and she didn’t want to hurt him in any sort of way.
All Larke wanted was to know what Chase was thinking. Every other emotion became overshadowed by confusion. Why would he all of a sudden show concern for her, well, concern in his own crude manner?
Sighing, Larke traced her fingertips over the set of combs she’d found inside a package outside her door yesterday. Her name had been the only word written on the box. The matching combs were smooth to the touch with carefully rounded tips, that wouldn’t get snagged in her hair.
At least now she knew the gift was from Chase. Had to be because of the detail. Each comb had a tree carved in the center and flying toward the tree was a bird. The bird was the only part of the comb he’d chosen to paint. Yellow and black strokes. A meadowlark bird, like her name. He’d remembered how she got her name.
Her eyes stung and her heart thundered, beating fierce against her ribcage. Did this mean Chase was still in love with her? But if he was, why hadn’t he tried to contact her all this time?
And why now, when she was at her strongest since their breakup, was he tormenting her by reappearing and sending a gift? A gift he’d obviously put so much thought into.
“That guy loves you, Larke. Trust me. I can tell when a man is in love with a woman. Apart from the whole psycho threat, just the way he spoke about you, made it obvious.”
Larke buried her face on her knees while trying not to allow Ray’s words to play on her heart. When her heart thumped again, she knew it was too late. The beating was strong, going crazy with memories of its missing piece.
Half delirious with the need to hear his voice, Larke reached for the phone then thought better of it. Despite Chase’s brutal order to delete his number, she’d never been able to bring herself to do so. Instead, she’d simply disciplined herself, knowing his number was never to be dialed.
Larke tore her gaze from the phone while contemplating her next course of action. Could she ignore what she now knew––go on with her life and allow her heart to mend or do as Chase as done? Seek him out. Her stomach flipped at the very idea. Her entire body felt wired with nerves. If Chase truly loved her then he had to be in a dark place believing she was in another relationship.
Inhaling a deep breath, Larke grabbed the two combs, neatly arranging them in her mass of kinky curls. She grabbed her keys and made the drive to Lake Walnut. After the fire in Lee’s Fortress, she’d read online that the hate group had been disbanded. Although the newspaper article hadn’t gone into elaborate details, she’d shed a few tears knowing Chase was no longer involved. She’d been happy for him. And if she knew him as well as she did, then he would be at the lake house, away from it all, just him and the outdoors, waiting for hunting season to begin.
As she turned onto the street she remembered the house to be on, Larke prayed he would be there. Because if he wasn’t...Lord help her, she would lose all self-respect by breaking down and calling him.
Larke released the breath she’d been holding as she approached the house. There were two vehicles parked in the driveway. A pickup she didn’t recognize and a sedan. Her sweat-misted palms grew stickier. After a long moment of standing at the doorway, she gathered her courage and rang the bell.
The door opened and Larke feared her heart would break free from her chest, because Chase was standing there. He seemed bigger than life. His brown hair was slightly tousled and his blue eyes were as vivid as ever, putting the sky above to shame. Even his body seemed more powerful as if he’d been working out more.
Larke swallowed hard, suddenly wondering how she must look to him after gaining a few pounds, brought on by drowning her sorrow in food. She’d wised up and stopped but hadn’t managed to lose the extra pounds yet. Damn. She shifted her feet, feeling very foolish while her entire body ached and tingled with the effort to not throw herself into his arms, then hold her face up for the kiss that always followed.
The hardening of his jaws blanketed the surprise on his face. “What are you doing here, Larke?”
Breathe. Speak. “I came to see you.”Obviously.She tried again. “I came to see you because of yesterday. Ray told me that you said some…um...things to him about me.”
His eyes darkened. “He sent you up here to talk to me?” His gaze flickered from her face to the combs in her hair but showed no reaction.
Larke shook her head. “He didn’t. I came here because I wanted to. I know you were the one who left these at my door.” She gestured to the combs. “They’re beautiful, Chase. I love them.”
He nodded, narrowing his eyes. “What does your boyfriend think about them?”
“Well, there’s that. I also wanted you to know that Ray and I…” Larke stopped. There was someone behind Chase. A woman. Young. White. Thin with straight brown hair. “Chase do you mind if I…” Like herself, the girl stopped speaking, taking note of Larke’s presence. Chase followed her gaze, turning around as the girl peered at Larke in surprise then mumbled something and hurried away.
Right then and there her heart died. Larke drew her eyes up to see him watching her. His entire body appeared tenser than ever. Of course. Chase wanted her gone. She, like an idiot, had convinced herself he’d been sending secret messages of his love. All she’d done was interrupt him and his girlfriend.
She wrinkled her brows, blinked away the sting in her eyes and forced the lump from her throat. “I was going to say Raymond and I are just friends. But I see it doesn’t matter.” She forced a smile to her lips, knowing it probably appeared wobbly. “I understand now why you wanted me to lose your number. Good reason. She’s very pretty.”
Oh God, she was rambling and he just stood there staring and letting her embarrass herself. Larke bit her trembling lip. “Anyway, I have a lot to do at home, so I’m just going to head on back. Sorry for disturbing you and your girlfriend. Bye.”
She spun around and treaded down the driveway. One foot in front of the other, trying to hurry despite her blurred and cloudy vision caused by the tears struggling to break free. Larke could make out her car at the side of the road. All she had to do was reach the safety of inside. If she lost the battle of holding in the cry, it wouldn’t matter because no one would be there to witness her pain and humiliation. To see her once and for all become undone.
* * *
Larke thoughthe had another girl. Chase stared at her as she hurried down the driveway. A rush of blood pounded in his eardrums. She was going to cry. That much he could tell, after she’d looked up at him with shock and hurt in her eyes. Did she think he’d left her so he could be with a certain type of girl? Chase swallowed hard. The kind of girl wasn’t important, he reasoned. Not when Larke was steps away from her car and about to leave believing she’d been replaced. That was something he couldn’t allow.
Chase dashed down the driveway, catching up with her as she reached the door of her car. He grabbed her hand, carefully pulling her toward him. She jerked her head, staring at him through watery eyes filled with shock and confusion.
