Hidden Truths (Violet Chain Book 2) (25 page)

“Let me go!”

“No.” I turned and began pounding my fists into his chest.

“I hate you! I hate you!” I screamed.

He grabbed my wrists and held me back. “No you don’t, stop saying that. You love me, just as I love you.”

“You don’t love me, you’re lying.” He released my wrists and my hands fell to my sides.

“It’s the truth. I love you, Violet, I always have and always will.”

I stilled him with a look. “You left me.”

“I know,” he murmured. His comment infuriated me; it was just confirmation that he had purposely hurt me.

I jetted to my feet and ran across the sand, towards the steps. I had reached the steps when his hand grabbed mine and he pulled me back, turning me around. I yanked my hand away then pushed him back.

“Leave me alone, I don’t want to talk to you. I don’t want you near me, I don’t want you.”

By the expression on his face, I could tell my words gutted him. “You don’t mean that.”

“Yes I do. Leave me alone, Chain, please, it’s over.” I turned and began to ascend the steps.

“I did it because I love you!” he shouted to my back. His words stilled me and I stopped mid-step. I could hear his shoes thudding against the steps as he ran up. He placed his hands gently on my shoulders and I shivered. “I was protecting you.”

“From what?” I said without even turning to look at him.

He rubbed my shoulders. “Come back down and I will explain it to you.” I shook my head. I wouldn’t let myself be drawn back in. I couldn’t. “Please, Violet, five minutes, that’s all I’m asking.” I should have walked away, but I needed to know so I could have closure, I needed to know why he left me. I turned and waved my hand at him and he ran down the steps and I followed.

He proceeded down the beach and I kept my distance as I trailed behind him. He stopped near a large tree and turned to face me.

“I haven’t been completely honest with you.” Duh. I knew that.

“Go on.”

“Before I tell you the whole story, I want you to know that I was very angry at my father.”

“Because you can’t forgive him for your mother’s and sister’s deaths?” I queried.

“That’s not it, Violet, not it at all.”

“Then what is it?”

“I’m having a hard time forgiving myself.”

“I don’t understand, Chain. Maybe if you tell me what caused the separation from your father in the first place, I’ll understand better.”

“A woman.”

My eyes blinked with shock. “A woman? Elaborate, Chain.”

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly, before saying, “Every year, I go to Ohio to visit the graves of my sister and mother. As part of the ritual I stop at this family diner that I frequented often with my mother and sister. I have only good memories of them there, it’s why I go every time I’m in town.”

“I understand.”

“About four years ago, I was sitting in that diner eating and I overheard a conversation between two women and they mentioned my father’s name, so naturally I listened and learned that one of the women was my father’s girlfriend. I was so angry, it felt like he was cheating on my mother, desecrating her memory. It hurt Violet, to know that my father was moving on, it hurt bad. My father’s girlfriend ended up staying at the diner after her friend left and I approached her and asked if she minded having company.” He stopped as he took a breath.

“Did you tell her who you were?”

“Not at first. We started chit chatting and when she went to leave, I offered to walk her to her car. I don’t know what came over me, but just as she was about to get into her car and leave, I grabbed her and starting kissing her. One thing led to another and we ended back at her house, having sex.”

Disappointment flooded me. “Chain,” I scolded in a whisper.

“I know...I know, Violet, it was wrong. Before I left I told her who I was, her boyfriend’s son.”

“Because you wanted her to tell him what you did. You intentionally slept with her to hurt your father.”

“Yes.”

“But why, Chain? I can understand that you were angry at him for moving on with another woman, but what you did was beyond anger, it was cruel, heartless. What did he do to you that would make you do something so awful?”

He fisted his hands and squeezed his eyes closed as he struggled to get out the words. “He lived.” And there it was, the real reason why Chain despised his father, because he survived the car accident, he blamed his father for surviving. My heart dropped as I saw a solitary tear creep from his closed eyes, falling down his face. I knew all along that the reason he gave for not speaking to his father wasn’t the truth. But never in my life did I expect this. I couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.

What heavy burdens to bear. Losing your mother and sister and holding the guilt of purposely hurting your father.

My poor Chain. I grabbed him and he buried his head in my neck.

“I’m sorry, Violet, I am so sorry, I never meant to hurt you. I would rather die a thousand deaths than ever hurt you.”

I caressed the back of his head. “I know, I know.”

I was happy that he had finally told me the truth, and that he was able to lift the burden of guilt. I now understood why he hid the reason for not having a relationship with his father, but it still didn’t explain why he left me.

“So you’re telling me the reason you broke things off with me was because you didn’t want me to find out that you slept with your father’s girlfriend? Chain, I hoped by now that you would trust me enough to know that I would never judge you by your past.”

He pulled away, wiping the tears from his face with his hands. “It wasn’t just that reason. She threatened to harm you.”

“What? How? Who is she?”

He cleared his throat before saying, “Lonnie Stratford.” It felt like a bomb exploded in my head. It all made sense to me now, the connection between Chain and Lonnie.

“That day I saw her in the office, I freaked out. I couldn’t believe she was there. I had a sneaking suspicion that she would leave shortly after I did, so I waited out in the parking lot for her. I wanted answers. When she was walking to her car, I confronted her and asked her what the hell she was doing with you. She went into a rage, screaming and crying, saying that she lost the only man she ever loved because of me. Apparently, right before they were to be married, she confessed to him about sleeping with me and he dumped her. It was exactly the same time he stopped sending me letters.”

“He was angry and hurt. Can you blame him? You slept with the woman he loved.”

He stared intensely into my eyes. “No. I don’t blame him, I know what it feels like to hurt for the woman you love. And that’s exactly why I left you, Violet, because I loved you.” He wasn’t making any sense.

“I don’t understand.”

“Lonnie saw a picture of you and me in the paper and tracked you down and found out that you worked for your father and that he owned a marketing company. She took all her savings and created a chain of fictitious hair salons and approached your father about hiring his firm. She wanted to hurt me for breaking her and my father up, by getting to you.” Then it hit me like a ton of bricks.

“Oh my God! She was drugging me.”

Chain looked confused. “What?”

“Remember when you found me passed out at the office and brought me home?”

“Yes.”

“Remember how I told you I didn’t eat anything?”

“Yeah, what’s your point, Violet?” he asked impatiently.

I walked back and forth. “Lonnie had offered to go pick us up some lattes that night to keep us awake because we were working so late. I think she may have drugged mine. And it wasn’t the only time. It happened one other time too, the day you saw her in my office.”

Chain shook his head. “After we are done here, we will go straight to the police.”

“Okay.”

“When you found out that she was threatening me, why didn’t you just go to the police in the first place?”

“She said if I ratted her out, she would hurt you. The woman isn’t playing with a full deck, Violet. I wasn’t about to take any chances with your life.”

“So you told her that you would stay away from me?”

“I told her that you meant nothing to me, that I was actually coming there to break things off with you, because you were getting too serious.”

“And she bought it?”

“Yep, she sure did.”

“So that’s why you banned me from your office building.”

“Yes. I saw her that morning sitting across the street from my apartment and when I drove to work, she followed me. I had to make sure that she believed me completely, so when I walked into the building, I told the security guards and Madeline that if you showed up I wanted you removed.”

“Because you knew I would come.”

“Yes. I knew you would. I’m really sorry if that hurt you, Violet, but I was trying to protect you the only way I knew how.”

“I understand. But Chain, you should have told me the truth from the beginning and none of this would have happened.”

“I know. I felt so guilty, Violet, for what I had done to my father, I wasn’t thinking straight and then when she showed up, I was afraid that she would hurt you. So I did what I thought was right at the time.”

“From now on, I want you to be completely honest with me, bad or good, promise?”

He smiled. “I promise.” He poked his finger into my stomach. “So do you forgive me?”

I raised a brow. “Should I?” He wound his arms around my waist.

“Yes, you should.” I curled my arms around his neck.

“Why?”

“Because you love me.”

I chuckled. “Oh, I see.”

His eyes fluttered as he moved his face closer to me, placing his lips to mine. The kiss was the gentle, tender kind that sent shivering tingles throughout my body, leaving me breathless and wanting more. His lips left mine and he smiled. “My Violet.”

“Yes, Chain, I am yours. I think you should talk to your father, it’s time to put the past in the past.”

“I did.” That comment completely took me off guard. I think I was more shocked by that statement than the whole Lonnie thing.

“What?”

“Well I can’t take all the credit. David was being nosey, wanting to know more about why we broke up, so he sought out my father and brought him to my office.”

“Well, how did it go?”

“Good. He forgives me and we are working on trying to get our relationship back on track.” I was ecstatic at the news.

I squeezed him. “Oh, Chain, I’m so happy. I can’t wait to meet him.”

A grin splashed across his face as he looked past me. He placed his hands gently on my shoulders, turning me around.

“Your wish is my command, sweetheart.”

A man stood, smiling, only inches away from us. He was a small man, maybe 5’9, 160 lbs; his hair was light brown with gray streaks glistening on the sides and top. But his eyes were so familiar to me. I pivoted my head towards Chain, smiling as tears fell from my eyes. He kissed my forehead and as I turned back around, Chain’s father held his hand out to me. “Violet, it is so nice to finally meet you. Sean has told me only good things,” he said as he patted my hand.

“It’s Chain, Dad, remember?” My heart fluttered with happiness.

His father chuckled. “Ah yes. Chain.”

I shook his hand. “Mr. Michaels, it’s good to meet you too.”

Chain draped his arm around me. “My dad is in town for a few weeks.”

“Is he staying at the apartment?”

“Yes, but if you don’t want him—” I pressed my finger against his lips.

“Of course he can stay…so do you two want to go get something to eat and talk or something?” I queried as I flickered my eyes from Chain to his dad.

“Actually, there is one more thing I need to show you.” His father smiled, nodded and walked away.

“What do you have to show me?”

He pulled me into his arms. “Do you still want to marry me?”

“Of course I do.” He pointed to the tree and carved onto it was a heart with ‘Chain loves Violet, forever’ inscribed inside it. Tears filled my eyes as I turned to Chain, who now was down on one knee. He took my hand in his.

“Violet, you are my best friend, the love of my life, my absolute everything. I promise to always put us first, to cherish you, to protect you. I have your father’s permission to ask you what will probably be the most important question I will ever ask. Will you marry me?” I had always dreamt of being proposed to this way after watching a teen movie called ‘Her Love.’ I never imagined that I would be here, in this moment. It was so overwhelming and touching that here it was, happening, and for once in my life, I believed in fairytales, that dreams did come true. That Chain was my prince, who had come to sweep me off of my feet and take me to my happily ever after.

Tears streamed down my face. “Yes, Chain, I will marry you.” He slid the ring onto my finger, then placed a kiss on my lips.

He lifted his head and stared into my eyes. “I wanted to make this day special, unforgettable. Did I, Violet, did I make this day unforgettable for you?”