What the Heart Wants (32 page)

As she rang the doorbell, she recited an opening line. But every word that came to her mind didn’t feel right. How did you tell the guy you were seeing, I think I’ve been dreaming about you. Were you dreaming about me, too?

The deep breath hadn’t helped to calm the fluttering in her heart. And when dark eyes fell upon her, she swallowed back the nerves threatening to spill the contents of her stomach.

“Heaven?” he whispered, stepping around the door as he faced her. “What are you doing here? My God, how long have you been standing out here? You’re soaked.”

She walked into his arms hoping the warmth of his embrace would settle her stomach. But no warmth came. At least, not immediately. He hesitated, but finally curled his arms around her.

“I needed to see you,” she blurted, hoping like hell her voice wouldn’t crack.

Fingers wrapped around her arms as he pulled her back. His eyes peered into hers. “What’s going on? You seem upset?” He stole a glance behind the door.

“We really need to talk. I need answers and I need them now, before I lose my mind.” She didn’t wait for an invitation to come inside as she brushed by him and into the house.

She waited until he finished shutting the door and turned around. Hugging her chest, the air blowing from the nearby vent sent a wave of goosebumps over her skin. The need to be in his arms overtook her.

She stepped toward him, but when his gaze fell on her, something felt different. His brows gathered in a deep crease, his lips pressed firmly together. He was rubbing his hands, as though he was fighting against the urge to touch her. But she couldn’t blame him. He didn’t want to get wet.

“Heaven, this really isn’t a—”

“Are you upset that I’m here?”

His face softened. “Of course not. I’m always happy to see you. I’m just…never mind. Tell me what’s wrong. What has your stomach knotting?”

“How did you know my stomach was upset? Don’t answer that. I have other things I need to ask you. More important things.”

His gaze went past her to the upstairs. Why the hell did he seem so distracted? “So talk. What do you have to ask me?”

“I’m not sure if there’s a right way to ask you what I’m about to, so I won’t waste any time. Before we met, were you…um…having dreams about me?”

That got her a jaw drop. “Wh—why would you ask me something like that?” he stammered.

He was about to lie to her. She could feel it. The way his body stiffened at the question, or how his gaze kept averting hers. Why would he lie about this? If he’d had dreams about her, why not own up to it?

When she reached for him, he took a step back. “What’s wrong with you? Why are you treating me like you don’t even know me?”

“I’m sorry. I just…I don’t know what you’re trying to insinuate?”

“I’m not insinuating anything. I’m asking you point blank. Were you dreaming about me, before we met?”

His lips parted, his tongue pressed against his teeth. But when he met her gaze, the hardness had reentered his eyes.

“I don’t know what you’re—”

“Don’t you dare lie to me,” she shouted. Her voice had him flinching.

He glanced up the staircase once more before taking a step closer, though his eyes lingered at her waist. “Can we talk about this later? I have to—“

“Were. You. Dreaming. About. Me?”

“Yes,” he whispered.

Heaven struggled for a breath. Her stomach flipped as the room began to sway. “Why didn’t you tell me?”

“I tried…a couple times. Like today, when we were out by the willow tree. I started to tell you, but you kissed me.”

“Are you blaming me for keeping this a secret?” she snorted. “And what about the other times? Why haven’t you told me before? Why didn’t you tell me when we first met?”

Angry eyes shot down to hers. “Would you tell someone you just met that you’d been dreaming about them for months?”

Her heart fluttered. “You’ve been dreaming about me for months?”

“I can’t talk about this. I won’t talk about it. I’m sorry.” He backed away from her and turned around.

“You can’t talk to me about it, but you could talk to Scott and Layne?”

“Is that who told you about this? Was it Layne? I’m going to kick his—”

“No, it wasn’t Layne. It was Hope. Scott let it slip to her today,” she half laughed when she wanted to scream. “Everyone knows about this dream but me. Hell, Faith probably knows about it. I don’t understand how you could keep this from me.”

“Dylan, is everything okay?”

Heaven turned in the direction of the voice. The soft, feminine voice. A bare shoulder stared back at her. As did a face that was all too familiar. “Susan? Susan Jenkins?”

What the hell?

Susan pursed her lips, her brows scrunched and gathered above her eyes. “Do I know you?”

“No,” Heaven answered, choking back the urge to cry. “No, you don’t.” She turned back to face Dylan. His eyes were bigger than fifty-cent pieces. “Excuse me.”

“Hang on,” Susan shouted down. “If I don’t know you, how do you know me?”

“You’re a reporter. Who doesn’t know you?” Heaven couldn’t bring herself to look into those icy eyes, again. Her heart would finish breaking if she did. “But if you want to know who I am, think back to a little bridal boutique a few weeks ago. Maybe that will jar your memory.”

The loud gasp was confirmation. Susan did remember. “That was you?”

Heaven didn’t answer. She moved past Dylan, desperate to reach the door.

* * *

This really couldn’t be happening…not like this. The first tear that slid down Heaven’s face shattered Dylan’s heart. “Heaven, wait. This isn’t what you’re thinking.”

“So now you can read my thoughts?”

Fuck. She was on the verge of a breakdown. He didn’t need her voice to confirm it. The hum between them shook like a palm tree in a hurricane.

“No. I can feel how upset you are. Please, let me explain.”

Damn it! Why did he tell Layne and Scott about the dreams? And why in the hell did Scott open his big mouth to Hope?

“I’ve been such a blind fool,” she sobbed. “I thought you cared about me. All of this has been a lie.”

“That’s not true, Heaven. How can you say that after everything we’ve shared?” he reached out to her, his fingers wrapped around her arm.

“You’re just like every other guy I’ve met. Just like your best friend. You’re a rock star. Where would you be without your fans? Guess you have the media in your pocket, too.” her eyes darted up to Susan. They didn’t linger long before they made their way back to him. “I can’t believe I fell for you. I should have known better.”

“I’m not with—”

“Go to hell,” she shouted, jerking her arm from his grasp as she ran out the door.

“Heaven, wait!”

Thunder cracked in the distance as the lights flickered. Dylan gazed up at Susan, who looked just as bewildered as he felt.

“Does she think…?”

He didn’t stick around to hear her finish. His heart pounded with such force, he thought it would beat out of his chest. He slipped on the wet tile, struggling to keep his balance as he rushed for the door.

He stepped outside and into the buckets of water pouring from the sky, but Heaven was already in the car.

As the engine turned over, the car jerked forward from the sudden shift in gears. Heaven met his gaze for a brief moment before turning away and stomping on the gas.

“Heaven!” he cried out, hoping she would stop, but it was no use. He watched as the taillights of Chelsea’s car faded down the driveway.

Pain seared his chest, nearly sending him to his knees.

“God, no!”

* * * * *

CHAPTER 21

It wasn’t the sound of the vase crashing against the floor that had Dylan slamming his fist against the wall. It was the voice coming from behind him. And the fact that he’d couldn’t find his keys.

“She
is
your girlfriend, isn’t she?”

“I don’t have time for your questions, Susan. I gotta find my keys.”

“You mean these?”

He spun around to see his keys dangling from her fingers. “How the hell did you get those,” he asked, reaching for them.

Susan jerked her hand from his and hid it behind her back. “You sent them flying across the floor when you started ransacking that table.”

“Give them to me. I need to go after her,” he growled, taking a step toward the reporter.

Susan took a step back. “Not until you answer my question.”

His fingers missed her bare shoulder. Stupid strapless top. If she’d had on something with sleeves, she couldn’t have avoided his grasp. Or made it look like she was standing upstairs with nothing on.

No wonder Heaven thought…

His heart pinched.

“I’ve never hit a woman in my life, but don’t push your luck with me. Give me my damn keys.”

“What the hell is going on down here?” Dylan’s eyes shot up the stairs, landing on his father’s stern face. “Who’s doing all this yelling and door slamming?”

“I don’t have time for this bullshit,” Dylan shouted. He reached for his keys once more, but Susan took another step back.

“Dylan, I don’t know what the hell you’re doing, but we’ve got a case to settle. I need you both back in the study. The lawyers are going to eat me alive if you both don’t get your asses up here.”

“Oh, there is no case,” Susan seethed. Her eyes moved from Dylan’s to Nathaniel’s. “You tried to tell me those pictures I had published were libelous. Guess they can’t be when your son is really with that girl.”

“What the hell are you talking about, Susan?” Nathaniel asked as he trotted down the steps.

“The girl from the picture. She was just here. You missed your son’s little lover’s spat with his
girlfriend
.”

Nathaniel’s icy glare rained down on Dylan. “Heaven was here?”

“So you do know about her?” Susan scoffed. “This is perfect. I can’t wait to run this story in the morning edition.”

“Listen,” Nathaniel shouted. He advanced on Susan so fast she hit her head against the wall in an attempt to avoid him. “You’re not here because of a libelous photograph. You stole another man’s property. Those weren’t your photos to publish.”

Susan stepped away from him. Her heels crunched the broken pieces of vase sprawled across the floor. “You don’t have proof that I stole anything.”

“We have Sid Baker’s testimony. And I’m sure we can subpoena your editor-in-chief.”

The menacing laugh spewing from Susan’s lips sent a shiver through Dylan’s chest. “My editor-in-chief makes a career out of keeping the truth a secret. Subpoena him if you want. He’ll lie. Trust me. And Sid Baker…well, I wouldn’t count on him to back up that testimony. I’ll make sure of that.”

“Why can’t you get past the fact that things didn’t work out between us, Susan?” Nate asked as he followed her across the room. “Why do you have to go after my son?”

“Please,” Susan snorted as she turned to look at Nate. “I was never after you. My god, you’re old enough to be my father. I wanted him!”

Dylan turned to face Susan. Her finger pointed straight at him. Was she serious? Her eyes narrowed in on him.

“Seeing what unfolded here tonight makes all the times you rejected me worth it. You’ll never find happiness, Dylan. You’ll be old and miserable, just like your father.”

She took another step toward the door, pausing at the table that Dylan had just cleared off with his fists. Grabbing the purse and umbrella near the base of the table, she turned to walk toward the door and then spun around. “Here,” she said, tossing Dylan’s keys through the air. “You might need these. Good luck patching things up with your
girlfriend
.”

* * *

Heaven tried to keep her composure when she made it back to the condo. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do when the only thing she could concentrate on was the burning in her chest. It wouldn’t subside. The minute she walked through the door, she met Hope and Scott, who were on their way out.

“Hey, Sis, what are you doing back so soon? I thought you were—what’s wrong with you?”

“Nothing, I just want to go to my room.” Heaven answered, sweeping past her sister and Scott.

“You’ve been crying,” Hope said as she grabbed Heaven’s arm. “I want to know what’s going on.”

“Hope, please don’t do this. Not now. I have no energy to discuss this with you tonight. You two go out and we’ll talk tomorrow.”

Hope shook her head, her eyes protesting Heaven’s request. Why couldn’t Hope leave things alone? “If you’re not going to talk, I’m not going out. I refuse to leave you in this condition.”

Heaven was about to respond when her cell phone started buzzing. She glanced down to see Dylan's number flash across the display.

“Aren’t you going to answer that?” Hope asked, but Heaven took another step past her. Not that she got far before Hope cut her off. “Who is it?”

“It’s Dylan.” Heaven mumbled.

“Okay, you really need to start talking. You’re drenched, you have red eyes, a puffy face, and now you won’t answer Dylan’s calls. Tell me what happened.”

Heaven still didn’t respond to her sister’s demands. She kept her eyes on the ground, fighting to keep her stomach from flopping like a fish.

“That’s it,” Hope began as she turned to Scott. “I’m sorry to cancel last minute, but my sister needs me.”

“No, I don’t!” Heaven snapped at her. She glanced over at Scott to protest.

Scott’s eyes were sympathetic to her plight. “It is okay, Heaven. Hope and I can go out some other night.”

“I will be fine,” Heaven shouted. She raked her hands through her hair then let her arms fell hard against her sides “I am not in the mood to talk to anyone. If you two don’t go because of me, then I will get back in Chelsea’s car and go somewhere else for the night.”

“Don’t do that,” Hope pleaded. “Look, if you don’t feel like talking, I will leave. You don’t need to be behind the wheel of a car right now. Go take a hot bath and get some sleep. I will check in on you when we get back.”