Second Chance at Forever (Forever Book 2) (12 page)

Reese was fighting her resolve to talk to me. She looked like she wanted to scream it and tell me the truth, but something was holding her back. What did my father have on her? He loved his blackmail and threats. He was a man of his word. If Phillip Reed wanted to hurt you, he could easily do so. He had resources at his disposal with just one phone call. He must have had something on Reese and forced her to leave me. It was the only logical answer. She was crying now, and her lips were trembling. I wanted to take her in my arms and comfort her.

I could never bear to see her in pain. No man who loves his woman ever wants to see her cry. I felt as if a knife was being plunged into my chest. I couldn’t take it anymore, and I wrapped my arms around her body. Reese continued to cry into my chest, as I gently stroked her back up and down. If she didn’t start communicating with me, my body was going to do all the talking.

WHAT AM I supposed to say to Walker? Sorry about your father dying, but he was a selfish bastard who destroyed me by forcing me out of your life.
My cheek was still pressed into Walker’s chest. He was waiting for me to explain, but giving me the time I needed. This was the man I had always loved. As angry as Walker could get, he would never hurt me, and he would always show how much he loved me. In my wildest dreams, I never could have imagined that my entire world would shift tonight when I walked into that restaurant.

I was the coward who ran from him, like an escaping fugitive. I never considered what my leaving really did to him. He must have been out of his mind when he came back to his apartment to find me gone. I had one hour to get out of town, according to Phillip’s instructions. He was cold, determined to erase me from Walker’s life.

I looked up and took in Walker’s chiseled features. Time had been kind, and Walker was still devilishly handsome. I cleared my throat and tried to erase the dirty thoughts I was now having as I continued to look at him. My life with Samuel was not even a thought in my head at the moment. I wanted to rip off Walker’s shirt and trail my tongue up and down his chest. Walker was giving me all the signs that I could take back what was mine…he wouldn’t stop me.

If a bucket of cold water were present, I would douse myself and cool off. No matter what signals my traitorous body was showing him, I was still a married woman. I couldn’t betray my marriage. Finally coming to my senses, I removed myself from his arms. And already felt the loss of our connection.

“Walker, I’m sorry. I don’t know what came over me. I shouldn’t have kissed you or even let you touch me the way you did. I crossed a line here tonight.”

“I don’t see it that way at all, Reese. Turning around to see you standing in front of me after all our years apart only proved one thing.”

“Which was what, Walker?”

“My feelings for you have not changed, Reese. I almost passed out when I met Riley. She’s you, eighteen years ago. Jackson had to elbow me in my ribs to snap me out of my gazing at your daughter. She must think I’m completely nuts.”

“I wouldn’t worry about Riley. She only has eyes for your son, and she probably didn’t even notice.”

“Well, Jackson did, and I’m sure he will let me know how he felt about it when I see him again. What are the chances that our children will be attending the same school we attended, and have now fallen in love?”

“That thought has been crossing my mind as well. Let’s just hope the apple doesn’t fall too far from the tree. Hopefully he’s nothing like his grandfather.”

Now Walker’s calm demeanor changed. I had insulted him just now, what the hell was I doing? It was his father who I was angry with, not him.

“What does that mean, Reese? You don’t even know Jackson. He is the best thing I have in my life.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to say that about your son. Jackson seems wonderful, and Riley cares for him a great deal.”

“Then why the snide remark about him? Will you now tell me what my father did to you, and to us?”

“It’s complicated, and a very long story. I don’t even know where to begin.”

“Lucky for you, I have all the time in the world and have waited long enough to hear your reason why you left me.”

“I hate how you keep saying ‘how I left you.’ Walker, don’t you know that I not only left you, I left us? I mourned the loss of our relationship every day since I walked out of your apartment, or shall I say…was forced to leave.”

“Reese, you don’t have to be afraid any more. I am here with you right now, please talk to me. You talk about mourning us; you have no idea what I have been through. I should hate you for leaving me, but instead I sit here forgetting all the pain I suffered. And I all I want to do is just bury myself deep inside you and fuck you until you scream my name. How sick is that? I’m back there again, Reese, our last night together at my apartment. I remember every detail about that night. I can even tell you what you were wearing when you arrived, until I removed you from your clothing.”

chapter four continued...

REESE SMILED AT me. She didn’t forget how I pulled her in and took her right up against the door. It had been many days since we had seen each other. Our schedules were busy with school, our work commitments, and I was traveling back and forth to California. I couldn’t help myself when my eyes met hers. I was on fire with desire for my woman. We made love throughout my apartment, never making it to the actual bed.

“Walker, how can I begin to tell you how sorry I am for leaving you? I should have been stronger, and not let your father bully me. I remember feeling you kissing me in the early morning. I believe I even heard you say that you would be back soon. I must have drifted back to sleep, and then I heard knocking at the door. I thought you forgot your key. I wrapped myself with a sheet and ran to the door to greet you. To my shock, your father was on the other side with his lawyer, scowling back at me. Without asking if you were home, they walked right in, as if they knew I was alone. Your father ordered me to dress and meet him in the living room. I was praying you would return, so I wouldn’t have to talk with him. Your father didn’t give me a choice, so I dressed and sat down.”

Reese continued, “He declined coffee. He wanted to get to the point for his reason for being there. I sat down and listened. His lawyer, Jacobson, retrieved two manila folders from his brief case. He handed them over to your father, and Phillip showed me what they contained. I was horrified at what I was looking at. Walker, the folder contained the very pictures that I never wanted you to know about. They were the same nude modeling pictures that your father had threatened me with on New Year’s Eve so many years ago. I thought I would never have to think about them again after you confronted your father. He obviously knew they could still hurt me, and believe me when I say that they did, in ways that I can never explain.”

“Reese, I told you that I didn’t care about those photos. I told you repeatedly how I knew and loved the real girl, not the one in those photos. You and those other girls were victimized, and preyed upon by that sleaze of a photographer. Please tell me, baby, that you didn’t run because of those photos? You had to know that I would have never let my father hurt you that way. Reese, please talk to me?”

TO LOOK AT Walker, after all these years hurt my heart more now than the hurt I felt the day I left him. He looked so broken at that moment, and he sat there asking me to relive the most painful time in all of my life, but this was his story too.

“Walker, there is so much more you don’t know.” He took my trembling hands and folded them into his, willing me to talk to him.

“Enlighten me, Reese, I must know everything,” he said.

“Walker, when you confronted your father and declared our love for one another in front of him and all of his friends, I thought our fight with him was over, but I was so wrong. Your father hated me, and he stopped at nothing to remove me from your life. I have no explanation to why he did what he did to me, and to us, but I was a fool to believe that he would just stop.”

I WAS REELING from what Reese was telling me, but I needed to allow her to continue with her story. She looked so drained now. She asked for some water and needed to take a few breaths to compose herself before continuing.

“After perusing the file, I ripped up the pictures and slammed the file down onto the table. Your father laughed at my reaction, telling me that he had many copies. He threatened to show you the photos and expose me to the world. He would begin with you, and then stuff every mailbox of all my professors at NYU. He didn’t care that I had already told you about it, he said that the pictures would speak volumes about me, and the whore behind them. He told me that you would be disgusted and would never be able to move past it. I never believed that, Walker, and again I tried to argue with your father that you loved me and wanted to marry me. I even showed him my locket, and he just didn’t care. Walker, your father was ruthless. I believe that was the word you used when telling me about him, but he was so much more. He was cold, heartless, and what he showed me next completely destroyed me.”

“What was it? My god you were twenty one years old! You didn’t have time for a past, let alone do anything that would have made you leave me. What the hell did he have on you, Reese?”

“Mr. Jacobson handed me a check for one hundred thousand dollars and told me to take it to start a new life.”

“Stop the car!” I screamed at Stephen. I leaped out from the back of the limo and emptied the contents of my dinner all over the sidewalk. I was retching and couldn’t catch my breath. Oh my god, my father paid off Reese to leave me. He fucking ruined my life. Reese put her hands on my shoulder, but I pulled away from her. I never felt so betrayed in all of my life. I loved this woman standing in front of me for most of my adult life. How could she do this to me?

“Did you take the money, Reese? Please tell me that you didn’t.”

“I didn’t take it, Walker. I would have never done that. Walker, please understand there is so much more to tell you.”

I calmed down and stepped back into the car. Reese joined me and continued with her story.

“Walker, after I refused his money, your father told me something that I hadn’t had the chance to tell you. I had planned the night before, but you distracted me. I was going to tell you when you returned to the apartment, but never got the chance.”

“What, Reese? What is it that you’re not saying?”

“I was pregnant, Walker, and carrying your child. Your father somehow knew this and told me that if I even dare try to have your bastard child, he would ruin me and make me suffer for trapping you. He told me that I was only a means to an end for you. After you had your fill of me, you would leave me and marry Elizabeth. He convinced me that this was your plan, and I was easily disposable. I wasn’t thinking clearly, Walker, so for a second I believed him, and he knew he had me. Then his lawyer handed me the other envelope. They both sat there waiting to take pleasure in seeing my reaction.”

“What the hell did it contain, Reese?”

“Your father had the deed to my grandparent’s properties in Georgia. He said he had the power to own them all, and once he did, he would level the properties to the ground. If you believe anything, Walker, please believe that I tried to fight back. I begged your father on my hands and knees to not hurt my family and let me stay with you. I cried, clawing my way through his thick coat of armor, but he wouldn’t listen to me, Walker. He told me that I was the one responsible for this, and it was my fault. If I didn’t want to hurt my family, then my only choice was to leave you. He had it all arranged. All I had to do was walk out the door, and out of your life. He promised not to hurt my grandparents, and he would take care of you. Please say something, Walker.”

I felt tired and defeated from all of these shocking revelations. I was trying to process everything. I asked, “What happened to the baby, Reese? Do I have another child out in the world that doesn’t know I exist? Is Riley my daughter?”

“No, she’s not, and no, you don’t, Walker. Your father left me devastated and ripped open to my core. I had no choice but to leave you. I went to my apartment and packed a bag. I was on the next flight to Los Angeles, and I never looked back.”