Black & White (Picture Perfect #1) (19 page)

"Yeah." I knew he had some pieces of the puzzle. He just didn't know how they all fit together.

"What happened, Beth?" He drew me tighter, letting me know I was safe.

It was strange to be in the arms of a man, feeling secure and protected, without fear of it being used to manipulate me. He was offering me the exact same thing I had been trying to give him - sanctuary. I deliberately forced my hand away from my wrist – refusing to give in to the desire to fiddle with the cuff. William made me feel safe – I didn't need the cuff at the moment.

I opened my mouth and the hidden memories came flooding out. "Mom and Dad married straight out of high school. It wasn't because they wanted to, they had to get married."

"Your mom was pregnant with Wyatt?" William guessed.

"Yeah, back then, marriage would've been expected of them, to do the right thing," I answered and continued. "Unfortunately, Mom wasn't the settling down type. She left Dad because she felt so unsatisfied with their marriage."

"I see," William said quietly, continuing to rub my back in a soothing motion.

"Dad took it very hard, he never saw it coming. Unlike Mom, Dad was deeply in love. He was devastated when she left," I declared numbly. "He shut the whole world out, except for Wyatt and I. All his love and devotion, hell, everything he ever did was for us."

"Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"I don't think it, William, I know. I won't allow you to stop seeing the beauty out there, which is staring you right in the face. You have so much to give and I'm sure Angelina wouldn't want you to shut yourself away." I tried to be mindful of my words, I was treading on sacred ground.

I didn't know Angelina or the full facts of their relationship, but who wouldn't want the person they loved to continue on after their death, to be happy and full of life? Anyone who knew William would understand he had so much more in him to give.

"What's your dad like now?" William asked cautiously. It sounded like he wanted to know how he could turn out if he didn’t get his act together.

I wasn't sure he really wanted the answer, but figured it might help him. "He's bitter, William. Dad still loves Mum deeply, but he focuses all his love on Wyatt and I. I don't know how Jackie deals with it."

"Who's Jackie?"

"His new wife. They're been married for five years. Somehow she tolerates and loves Dad, even though he doesn't show her the love I think she deserves," I replied dryly. I loved Jackie, but could never understand how she was happy with the cold fish Dad had become after Mom left.

"Not everyone loves in the same way, Beth," William answered, as though he was aware of the unanswered questions in my head.

"But, maybe, William, some people just don't know how to love."  It made perfect sense to me, even if William couldn’t see my point of view.

"Maybe. Though I think those people just need to open their hearts and allow true love, the pure joy and magic of it, to show them how," William replied, releasing his grip and gently pushing away so he could see my face.

I peeked up at him. The golden flakes in the deep brown of his eyes sparkled in the glow of sunset filtering through the window. Of its own volition, my hand reached up to cup the side his face. "Maybe."

"Maybe someday, you'll let me show you, when the time is right," he suggested, leaning forward to press his lips against my forehead.

"William, you are too stubborn. I'm not gonna let you waste your life away, trying to accomplish the impossible. This is all about you." I inhaled sharply, focusing diligently on the conversation, rather than the sensation of his soft lips dancing across my skin.

"We'll see, Miss Huntley. I'll convince you somehow, some day, that you can truly love someone and be loved equally in return," William argued quietly, drawing me back to him.

I laid my head on his chest, and relaxed to the sound of his heartbeat, comparing it to my own. His stubbornness about what was between us was simultaneously scary and exciting. It was obviously bothering me more than him, since my heart was pounding out of my chest while his heartbeat was smooth and steady.

Maybe Jude had it right. Maybe it would take a special man to show me how precious love could be. Was it possible William could be that man? I guessed we'd find out just how stubborn he could be, if he continued to pursue this craziness. For myself, there was a part of me which wished it might turn out that he was the one. But there was another part which was terrified of what could happen if he was.

To be continued...

Excerpt from Rainbow of Colors

I was grateful to Jackie for suggesting William and I take some time out and have breakfast alone. Time to talk privately hadn't been easy to find since we arrived in Vancouver. Now I was wondering how much alone time it would take, before things really started to settle down for us and we could pursue our relationship without all the angst and drama. Strangely, it was something I really wanted, for the first time in my life.

He reached across the table, resting his hand on mine. He ran small circles over my skin with his thumb, sending sparks of electricity traveling up my arm. I glanced around the cafe, on a constant lookout for Ivan or any of his friends. What I did see was a lot of empty tables for a Sunday morning. The few people who occupied the small space were those who didn't practice religion. They took advantage of the slow time of the week to enjoy quick service. I recognized a few faces from when I used to live here. One face which was very familiar, sat in a corner booth, partially hidden behind a fake plant which was placed on the back of the bench. She was staring daggers at me. I couldn't believe after all these years, she still held a grudge. Not that it didn't matter to me anyway. She was just a bitch, and her family had always been stuck up snobs. Frankly, I had more pressing issues to deal with.

I huffed in annoyance when she stood and started walking towards us. I clutched William's hand a little tighter. I could handle Crystal Manning on my own, but having William's support was a welcome change in my life. I smiled apologetically at William before she stepped up to the table. He opened his mouth to say something, but the words didn't leave his lips before I was given the shock of a lifetime.

"William Lorde, you bastard!" Crystal's harsh, nasally voice echoed around the small cafe, capturing the attention of the other customers.

William's head snapped in Crystal's direction, his face growing pale as he took in the woman standing just feet away from us. As quickly as his skin had paled, his face flamed with color and his eyebrows narrowed. "What the hell are you doing here, Crystal?" William's voice was as cold as it was controlled. There were layers of anger vibrating through each word.

"I'm here," Crystal sneered, as she pushed herself into the booth I sat in, "because you snuck out of Portland with this little slut."

I was completely stunned. What the hell was going on? How did these two know each other? The air around me suddenly smelled foul and pungent, the stench undeniably the smell of liquor on Crystal’s breath. This early on a Sunday morning and Crystal was drunk. I wriggled closer to the corner of the booth.

"Don't you ever talk about Beth like that, Crystal. You don't even know her," William growled, leaning over the table. His eyes offered a far bigger threat than his words.

His rage was beyond anything I had ever thought was possible. Loving, caring, compassionate William was turning into a protective warrior before my eyes. As much as I should be terrified of his incandescent anger, I wasn't. I was comforted by his defense, his desire to keep me safe from other people’s harmful words or actions. .

"Trust me, William, I know Izzy Labac way better than you do." Crystal chuckled menacingly, turning towards me.

I swallowed the bile which was forcing its way into my throat. I wasn't sure if it is was caused by the smell of her breath, or the discovery that she knew about my professional identity.

William was obviously not fazed by Crystal's revelation. "She is
my
Izzy, and she has nothing to do with us."

I stared at William, completely lost as to why this conversation was even happening. How did they know each other? My mind was wrapping itself around their words, but I wasn't able to make any sense out of them.

"She has everything to do with 'us'. I'm sure she has everything to do with why you won't let me see my niece! What bullshit has she told you?" Crystal exclaimed, loud enough to keep the audience we had captured enthralled.