Heart Waves (31 page)

I covered my mouth and backed away from him.

He was quick to close the distance. He grabbed my shoulders gently and eased me back down on the couch. “We need to talk.”

Reece sat next to me leaving some space between us. He raised my hand to his mouth and kissed it. “Tyler’s claiming he overheard these strange men in his father’s office asking about me. He claims they’re Feds.”

“Why? What do they want?”

He shook his head, “I don’t know. Hell I don’t even believe he’s telling the truth.” His eyes fell for a moment and returned with gravity as they met mine again. “But I have to at least consider he might be. And if he is . . . I’m in trouble,” he stated, “I mean serious, in way over my head, deep water trouble.”

My gut twined.

“Have you done anything wrong?”

Reece shook his head, “No.
Nothing besides changing Tyler’s grades.
And it can’t be about that, the charges were dropped and it wasn’t that serious. No one was hurt. I didn’t distribute a virus or anything like that.”

“Then maybe you shouldn’t worry.”

His eyes sought mine. “I’m not. I just want you to be prepared . . .
in case.” Reece’s eyes fell again.

“In case what? You know I’d do anything to help you.”

“In case I have to leave to figure it out.”

“Leave?” I said in a low tone, feeling both rejected and dejected at the same time. 

“It’s not like I want to.” He swallowed hard. “That’s the last thing I want. I’m just saying it may have to be a possibility.”

“Why? I don’t understand.”

Reece looked off to the side and shook his head. “If Tyler is telling the truth, if he’s right, I need to keep you out of this, whatever it is. And Jenna, you need to stay the hell away from Tyler.”

“I get that there is some twisted rivalry thing going on between you and Tyler, but if he were that bad, why would he try to warn you? Why would he send Rebecca to tell you?”

Reece narrowed his eyes, anger burning in them, “So he could set up a scene like the one we fell into. You hate me, and he plays the hero.”

While I accused Tyler of the very same thing earlier, I no longer believed it. “He could’ve, but he didn’t. I don’t think so, Reece. There’s got to be more to it.”

He shook his head, “I don’t want to waste time arguing about Tyler.” He sounded stern, and I realized the subject was closed. I’d drop it for now, but I still had my doubts about Tyler being the bad guy in the scenario.

“In between talking with Rebecca and looking for you, I called my father, to give him a heads up.” Reece continued. “He’s got some influential connections. He’s looking into it.”

A storm of guilt short circuited my brain. I’d been so wrapped up in the drama I created, so afraid and
insecure,
I never even bothered to consider Reece. How many times did he allude to being in trouble? Allude? He outright said it, and I just let it go over my head.

“I am so sorry,” my eyes stung, filling with water.
             

He smirked, “Not as sorry as I am,” he stroked the side of my face. “If this is real, I have to fix it, or else I’ll have no future.” He choked out.
“Nothing to offer you.
Nothing to offer myself.”

My heart broke for him. I chose to push back the ache in my chest, took his hand and held it between both of mine. I fought to keep the tears in my eyes instead of spilling down my cheeks. “That’s not true. You’re all I need.”

“It is true and you know it.” His tired, heavy eyes made him look older than his years.
Old and broken.

“It’s going to be okay, Reece. We’ll figure this out together.” I swallowed hard, hoping I sounded more convincing than I felt.

He shook his head. “This is on me. I got myself into it. I’ll find a way out. I promise.” He looked sincere, he sounded convincing, but there was more. “Jenna, do you remember the night we met?”

“How can I forget?” I answered with a smile. “My whole life changed that night.”

“Mine did, too.” He seemed to lighten a bit at the memory. “I want to you remember everything about that night.
Everything.
It’s important, okay.”

“You’re not making any sense. Reece, what are you going to do?” A surge of panic surfaced.

“Nothing right now.”
A look of steel came over his face.

I shivered reaching out to touch him, feel the warmth of his skin. Like a crack in glass
spidering
out from its core, desperation coursed through my veins.

“I love you. I want to help you.”

His mouth covered mine, softly, carefully, like he was afraid I’d break. “Just know that I love you and only you. I mean know it.”

“I do.”

He pulled me into an embrace and held me tight. “It’s really late. You need some rest.”

I shook my head and swallowed hard, afraid if he walked out the door I’d never see him again. “You can’t just leave it like that. I have so many questions.”

“We’ll have time to talk tomorrow.” He smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Get some sleep.”

“Only if you’ll stay with me.”

He nodded. “I’m too tired to drive now.” He paused. “Besides, there’s nowhere else I want to be.”  

I knocked on Grace’s door, positive she wouldn’t have a problem with Reece spending the night. She offered to give us her room and sleep in her brother’s, since she had a full bed and he only had a twin. I saw no need in playing musical beds, besides, I didn’t want room. I wanted to spend the night in a crowded bed pressed up against Reece.
And if one thing were to lead to another . . . all the better.

As we lay together, I tried to convince myself this was the worst of it, the not knowing and not having a plan. In the morning, he’d give me more details, and we’d both be calmer, more rational. I’d convince him to let me help, that I could be an asset to him.

I hoped with a good night’s sleep I wouldn’t feel so panicked and frantic. Reece held me close and ran his fingers through my hair, trying successfully to soothe me off to dreamland.

“We’ll get through this,” he whispered.

I smiled in response, my eyes, already heavy with sleep, stayed closed. “We’ll always be together?” I meant to declare it; a statement of profound trust and belief in our love. Instead it came out like a question. And I couldn’t help but wonder, why he didn’t answer.

It wasn’t the night we planned. I would have preferred a night without the over-the-top drama, but it could’ve ended a lot worse. The bottom line, it ended with us together. We loved each other and I was going to spend the night lying beside Reece, basking in the warmth of his arms.

My
hope lie
in tomorrow. Tomorrow was a new day. Tomorrow we could plan together. It would be okay, as long as we had tomorrow.

I took one more deep breath, inhaling the scent of his spicy cologne and freshly laundered clothes. Just a little bit of heaven. And then beside my heart’s true love, I succumbed to sleep and sweet and peaceful dreams.

Danielle
Sibarium
, author of
For Always,
grew up in Brooklyn, New York. Throughout her childhood, she transported herself into a fantasy world full of magic and wonder. Books were the gateway between her play world and reality. On any given summer afternoon she became Snow White sweeping and cooking for the dwar
f
s, or Cinderella waiting for the prince.

In 2007 Danielle collaborated with Charlotte Doreen Small to write songs for her CD,
More
. Danielle wrote the lyrics for
Take My Hand
, and
Goodbye
, while Charlotte contributed the melody.

Danielle graduated from Farleigh Dickinson University with honors, and currently lives in New Jersey with her husband and three children.

Visit her online at www.daniellesibarium.com