Holt's Holding part two (The Holt's Series) (29 page)

“I’m sure she has, in more ways than one,” Sebastian added
with a very devious look in his eyes.

The three look at me, and I could swear they all shared the
same fucking expression.

The three looked to each other as if a private and silent
question was being asked. Wesley grinned, shaking his head walking back to
me.
 
Again, with the possessive body
language, he kissed my nose softly.

“Well, hate to disappoint gentleman Lilly and I haven’t
moved that fast.
 
For once, I have to say
the wait is more than worth it.
 
I
actually want to get to know a woman beyond the bedroom.
 
And Lillian here, is a woman worth getting to
know.
 
You should try it sometime
Sebastian.”

“Ok, what have you done with Wesley?” Sebastian laughed.

“It’s called growing up.
 
I’m ready for a family and a future with a woman Sebastian.”

Sebastian cocked his head, and looked over at me, pulling
his lips tight. Hmm, he actually looked a bit dumbfounded to Wesley’s statement.

Looking between Charlie and Sebastian, I almost wanted to
laugh. “Not everyone is ready to grow up Wesley. The Vaihn brothers have a
reputation that they like to maintain.”

“I suppose that works out well for me, thus leaving you
unscathed from their pursuits” he looked down and kissed my forehead.

“Oh shit Wesley, you clearly haven’t been warned of our
Lillian’s reputation.
 
She’s just a
female version of the three of us.” Charlie added

Slitting my eyes at Charlie, my mind was caught on his words,
or choice of words, “ours”.
 
As if.

“I’ve heard. Thanks Charlie; however, she has been anything
but. Perhaps she’s grown up quicker than we had.”

“Clearly, this is turning into a pissing contest.
 
You three can have at it. I’m taking a
shower.” I pulled from Wesley and gave the stank eye to Charlie and Sebastian.
Turning to Patricia, whom had taken a call, just hung up. “Patricia, please
give me a call if there is anything you need from me between now and tomorrow.”

“I certainly will dear.
 
Julie and I are heading over to the country club to meet up with the
wedding planner.
 
Chris is picking us up
shortly.
 
Thanks for hosting on such
short notice.
 
Your home truly is
beautiful, as are you my love.”

I reached over and hugged her.
 
She whispered, “I think you may have more
than you can handle with the three of these fools.
 
Be warned, I adore all three; however, make
them work for you heart.”

“Sometimes the heart has its own mind Patricia.”

“I know better than you think.
 
How I hope in your case, he proves worthy of
it.” She smiled.
 
She was a smart
woman.
 
She knew.

Turning and standing next to her. My eyes landed on Charlie
as he was looking at me. “I don’t put faith in hopeless causes Patricia. He has
a lot to prove.”

I walked a few steps to the opening of the patio door. When
she called back to me.

“Elizabeth, you are a much smarter woman than I was.
 
But remember the opportunity to do so needs
to be offered without reservation and freely on both sides.”

“I suppose it would, I’m not too sure it’s worth it
anymore.
 
Sometimes is better to walk
away.”

“Like I said, you’re a smart woman Elizabeth.”

 
“What in the world
are you two talking about?” Charlie interrupted.

“Just some wisdom Charlie, I think Elizabeth needs a little
guidance from a woman whom has seen her share of life.”

“Thanks Patricia.” I walked through the door and into the
house towards my room.
 
Making a quick
entrance into the bathroom, I stripped down and entered the shower.

Showering, I couldn’t get over it all.
 
Wesley, Sebastian and Charlie, fuck me. Do I
just scream, “Hey assholes come pursue me?”

“Lil, love?” Julie walked into the bathroom.
 
I really needed to have some privacy.

“Yeah?”

“Don’t mean to intrude on you. Um, I owe you an apology for
springing all this on you. I had no idea Sebastian would be here.
 
I just thought it was a good opportunity to push
you and Charlie together.”
 
Pausing she
came around and pushed on the counter. “I know Charlie; obviously, he’s in love
with you.
 
Over the past eight months, he
has constantly asked about you.
 
Shit
Lil, he and I have never talked as much as we have now. Grant it, I think it
has everything to do with you, but I’ll take it.” Turning off the shower, I
stepped out and reached for the towel. Looking at her, she shook her head, “He
even once asked if you were pregnant.” She laughed.

She looked up to me, “It was his baby wasn’t it?”

“Yes, it was.” I offered somberly remembering the child I
lost.
 

“I suspected.
 
Don’t
worry I never told him about the miscarriage.
 
But I think you should tell him.”

“It serves no purpose Julie.
 
It’s in the past.
 
I don’t see how it’s relevant now.
 
I lost the pregnancy, I lost the baby.”

“Baby?” Charlie walked in and looked between Julie and me.

“Are you pregnant Julie?”
 
Charlie looked to Julie crossing his arms.

“Hell no!” she shook her head then looked to me.

“It’s just my two cents Lil.” She added in my direction.

“Julie, Chris is here, and I think Wesley and he are close
to becoming best friends.
 
I think you
should stop that immediately.
 
Wesley isn’t
someone you want your future husband hanging around.
 
I say this because I love you.”
 
Charlie looked to me grinning with an amused
expression plastered on his face.

“Shit, if he was friends with you,” Julie shook her head,
rolling her eyes. “Lil, we’ll talk later.” She jumped off the counter, and out
the bathroom. I heard her close the door behind herself.

“So is my sister planning on having a baby? Is that the
deep talk I just walked in on?” he stood in the middle of my bathroom.

“No, she’s not pregnant or looking to get that way right
now.” I offered walking over to the sink and pulling the toothbrush. Looking up
in the mirror, my memory flooded back to the last time he stood in my bathroom,
and the events that followed. Catching his expression, it was obvious he too
just skipped down memory lane. “What?” I looked at him through the mirror.

“Just remembering.
 
That was perhaps the best weekend I’ve ever had.” Grinning he slighted
his head and produced a smile, “The way you blew into the conference room, the
events that followed that night.” He grinned and shook his head. Then paused in
thought, “You never asked me for more, why?”

“You had just informed me of your upcoming marriage
Charlie.
 
Please, I do have some dignity.
You couldn’t give me more, so I saw no need to ask.
 
Hell, I wasn’t too sure I wanted more.”

“Did you?” he asked our eyes caught in the mirror.
 
Sucking a deep breath, I felt lost for a
moment.

“That question, and answer, is irrelevant.
 
It serves no purpose Charlie.” I rinsed my
brush and spit out the toothpaste. Turning to him, I walked pushing by him, and
headed for the closet.

Pausing, I remember Sebastian’s forceful nature, I had to
shut down that memory. Walking to the drawers, I pulled a matching bra and
panty out. Without debate, I dropped the towel to the floor knowing he was
watching me.

“You certainly seem to have no bashfulness.” He offered in
a light tone.

“Why should I, you’ve seen me naked before.
 
What difference does it make now?”

“I certainly have, haven’t I?” He leaned into the
doorframe. “Thanks for the refresher. I almost forgot how perfect your body
was. However, where did the scar on your lower abdomen come from? I don’t
remember you ever having one?”

Looking down my hand grazed it.
 
The evidence of my baby.
 
The scar, still fresh, as it was only three
months old.
 
My miscarriage entailed a
full C-section. I didn’t even realize that the tears had pooled and released
down my face quietly.
 
My private hell,
as the daughter I lost was the second child I have had and the second child I
would forever long for.
 
Flashes of a
sorted past seemed to plague me at random times in my life.
 
The man who in many ways made me would be the
one person I would forever bury with my subconscious.

Shaking a bit, I stepped into my panties and raised them
up.
 
Moving to my Bra, I put it on trying
not to look at him. He stepped to me, as his hand lifted my chin, forcing me to
look at him.
 

“What happened?”
 

“Nothing, I want to talk about.” I offered trying to pull
my face from him.
 
If he only understood.

“Really, that’s why you’re doing everything you can to keep
from crying. I don’t buy it.
 
Again, what
happened Lilly?” Lowering my eyes from his, they felt heavy with the surge of
tears I held.
 
I didn’t want to do this,
not now and not with him.
 
Where in the
hell was my control over my emotions.

“Lillian, tell me.
 
If not I’ll hunt down Julie and have her spill!”

“I was stupid and got pregnant Charlie. I lost my
baby.
 
I was forced to have a C-section
to deliver a premature still born. Happy?” the tears fell instantly.
 
Pulling away from him, I pulled a dress of
the hanger, Stepping into it.

“My baby? Wasn’t it?” he grabbed my arm and pulled me in.
“I’m so sorry Lil. You should have told me.”

“You were married Charlie.” I lost my emotions and gripped
him tight as my tears fell freely.
 
He
held my tighter breathing out.
 
In that
moment, held in his arms, my will felt as if it dissolved instantly.
 
I needed him and wanted him.
 

Sensing a shift, his body tensed.

“I had the right to know Lil; I would have been there for
you.
 
How long ago did this happen?”

Pulling up from him, I wiped my tears from my face. “It was
not even a full three months ago.”

Shaking his head, “That’s why you never showed for the
takeover. You were showing.” He looked down and for once looked genuinely
somber and caring.
 
However, there was
anger in his eyes I had not seen before. “You were willing to have my child,
yet you felt you couldn’t tell me?
 
Have
I truly given you the opinion that I didn’t care for you?”

“Charlie you married someone else.” I looked to him
confused at what he was getting at. “That would be a pretty huge sign that you
don’t care for me.” I rolled my eyes.

“And you never asked for anything more of me than a
weekend.
 
I would have given you more had
you asked it of me.” His voice became cold and angry.

There it was.
 
He
just flipped the tables on me.

Shaking my head in disbelief, I broke off from him. “I
suppose it no longer matters now.
 
I lost
the baby and it just wasn’t meant to be.”

“What if it was, what if you and I were always meant to
be?
 
How else can you explain this pull
between us?
 
Let’s face it Lil, it’s
always been here.
 
You once even admitted
it.” He cocked his head down to me inferring he had understood my comment about
the man whom stole my heart when I describe a moment when I was fifteen.

“I’ve grown up Charlie.
 
I’ve dismissed the longings of a teenage girl.
 
Life doesn’t work out like that.”

“Oh and who’s the cynical one now?” he raised his
expression.
 
He almost looked annoyed with
me.

“Charlie, I don’t want to do this with you.” I walked past
him and back to the bathroom pulling my vanity stool and started applying my
makeup.

He followed me in. “When would you like to do this? By all
means Lil, god forbid you lend me any consideration, especially when I’m
clearly being supportive.
 
You were
pregnant with my fucking child.” His voice was now a full yell. “Yet, you felt
I didn’t have the right to know. Suppose you hadn’t lost our baby.
 
Did you ever plan on telling me? Did you ever
plan to tell me I was about to be a father?” He was in full blown rage.