Love is Only a Whisper (Whisper Series) (28 page)

“Ashton!”

He didn’t even look at his father but kept his gaze on his
brother. “Nicole is mine. She’s always been mine. She was
never
yours.
You were just too blind to see it.

“I love her. Can you say the same?”

A boulder of silence felled. For the longest time no one
said anything. Ashton swallowed trying to dislodge the lump in his throat.

“More than you would ever know.”

Brent eyes widened with surprise. “What?”

“She’s not a possession, a merger, or just a random woman,
as you once elegantly put it. She’s the woman I love and I won’t let anyone or
anything come between us. That includes friend, foe, or brother.”

Brent’s eyes blinked as if he was in a dream. He ran a hand
down his face. “This can’t be happening. I don’t know of any woman who ever
gotten past your hard exterior.” He frowned at Ashton as if he was looking for
the missing pieces of a puzzle. “You’re telling me that Nicole is that woman?”

“I’m telling you that Nicole and I are married and will
remain so. She’s the mother of my child and any future children we’ll have.
She’s no longer a part of your life.”

Brent grimaced. “Just like that.” He snapped his fingers.
“I’m to forget all the years we have been together?”

“Yes.”

“Unfortunately, I realized my love for her too late but it
doesn’t erase what I’m feeling.”

Brent moved toward the door.

“Son, I’m sorry but you and Melissa—”

“Melissa and I are getting a divorce.”

“What in the hell is happening to this family!” Camp
shouted. “You haven’t been married six months and you’re talking divorce.”

He looked at his father. “It’s what we both want.”

“I know things were strained between you but I didn’t know
it had gotten to this point.”

“We should’ve never gotten married. It was a mistake. After I realized my feelings for Nicole it was hard to keep it from her so I told her. She’s already moved out of the house. All we want to do is put this marriage behind us and start fresh.”

Camp touched his Brent’s arm. “Why don’t you take a few days
off? Give yourself time to think. You don’t need to make irrational decisions
right now.”

“I know what I want.” He stared hard at Ashton. “As usual
you get the girl.”

“It wasn’t a contest. We all have lost and won in this.”

“I can’t forgive you, not right now.”

“I’m not asking for your forgiveness because I don’t believe
there’s anything to forgive. We’re adults and made adult decisions.”

Brent’s shook his head and laughed harshly. “You’ll never
change, Ashton. I ask that you make her happy. She deserves it.”

“I know.”

“I can’t stay around and see you with her.”

Ashton remained silent.

Brent walked out and never looked back.

“I don’t like this, son. The gap between the two of you is
too wide.”

“It is what it is, Dad. Brent created it.”

His father stared at him for a long time. “I didn’t think I would see the day when you would become a cold-hearted man toward your family.” Ashton stiffened at the words. Camp stared at him for a moment longer and left the office.

Ashton exhaled the penned up air in his lungs with
relief.

Nicole stood in front of the mirror and pulled her hair back into a messy ponytail. Her eyes were swollen and red from crying through the night. She was tired and cranky but her hand unconsciously rubbed the small round bulge, bringing a quick smile to her face.

She and the baby would be fine. Survival. If she could make
it through her parents’ death, becoming an orphan and overcome being a lonely
and shy girl, she could do anything.

“You’re being stubborn,” Sally said. “Ashton should be here.
It’s not right you asked to be released this early…” She looked at the gold
watch on her wrist. “It’s seven in the morning. You know that Ashton will be
here within the hour.”

“If you had a problem picking me up, you should’ve said so.”

Sally rolled her eyes. “You know I don’t.”

“Good. So drop it.”

She needed to come to grips with the end of her short-lived
marriage, but not now. Today was a new day. She was being released with a clean
bill of health. The doctor said she and Ashton could resume sexual intercourse
as long as they took it easy. It wasn’t going to happen.

First, she’d to go to Ashton’s house, pack her things and
then move back to her house. A clean break. This would grant her some measure
of control. Of course with Ashton being the man he was, she would have a fight
on her hands. He didn’t like to lose; the thought of failure wasn’t even in his
vocabulary.

She may have been naïve before, but not anymore. She had to
rethink everything now. Her baby needed for her to be strong and capable. She
would take care of them both.

Her friend continued rambling. “I
don’t understand what is going on. Since you won’t talk I have to draw my own
conclusions.”

“You need to stop your overactive imagination. My marriage
is off limits.” Nicole paused and looked around the room. “Can you grab my
overnight case by the window?”

Sally sucked her
teeth and went to retrieve the bag.

A young auburn haired nurse walked into the room. “Mrs.
Sinclair, I have your discharge papers for you to sign.”

She took a deep breath and pasted a smile on face.

“Are you sure you want
to do this?” Sally asked.

Nicole signed the released form and handed the clipboard to
the young woman and smiled. “Thank you.”

“Mrs. Sinclair, I’ll return with the wheelchair to take you
down.”

“That isn’t necessary.”

“Sorry, hospital rules.” She walked out the room.

Sally groaned. “Let me
call Ashton. He doesn’t even know you’re being discharged right now.”

For the last two days, he’d come to the hospital, staying for hours, not saying much but watching her through hooded eyes. It was painful to realize that conversation between them no longer flowed but had become stilted, forced and felt like a chore.

“Nicole, the man is your husband…the father of your baby.”

She rolled her eyes. “I don’t need you to tell me who he is.”

“Well, someone does. You’re being stubborn. If I had—”

“I have heard enough.”

“I think you’re making a
big
mistake.”

“Duly noted.”

“Are you ready, Mrs. Sinclair?” The young woman pushed the wheelchair through the door.

“Yes, I am.”

###

Nicole walked into Ashton’s home, turning on the lights, as
she moved up the staircase to the master bedroom. Sally followed close behind.

“What happened between you and Ashton?”

“Not now, Sally.”

“It must’ve been huge for you to be this angry.” Sally
prompted. “It’s not like you to hold a grudge.”

“Will you stop, please?” Nicole walked into the bedroom, headed to the closet and began removing clothes from the hangers. “Will you get my suitcase from the other closet?”

Sally opened the double doors to the closet. “You’re being really tight-lipped about the entire situation. I don’t understand at all.” She threw the designer case on the bed. “I’m just about it all—”

“I might as well get it over with because if I don’t you’ll keep pestering me. But before I tell you anything, I want you to know that it was all a huge misunderstanding.”

Sally tilted her head to side, slamming her with a cool
stare. “Spill it.”

“Ashton came home and found me in Brent’s arms. He was
kissing me.”

“Let me get this straight Ashton
caught
you kissing
Brent, the man you
claimed
to love, the man who you wanted to
marry
.
And you wonder why he’s mad as hell?”

“For the record, I didn’t kiss him, he kissed me. It meant
nothing.”

“Really?” Sally planted her hands on her hips “Are you sure?”

“Don’t be ridiculous. You’re making it sound sordid and it
wasn’t. Ashton should’ve known it meant nothing.”

“Are you serious?”

“I would have understood.”

“You’re kidding, right?” she said sarcastically. “I can’t
believe you don’t understand why Ashton was pissed. If the roles were reversed,
you would’ve responded the way he did.”

“No, I wouldn’t.”

“Great. So you’re just going to run away… like always. This
is crazy.
Ashton loves you!
”

“How many times do I need to tell you that our marriage
isn’t based on love, Sally?”

“If you believe that then you need your head examined.”

Nicole glared. “
He doesn’t love me.”

“Bullshit. The man loves you,” she insisted.

“Whose side are you on, Sally?”

Sally sat on the bed. “Since you’re my best friend, I’ll
hear yours first.”

Nicole felt like she was in a storm and feeling her way
blindfolded. “You’re really pushy. It can be annoying.”

“So I’ve been told. So talk.”

“He said some things that can’t be taken back. If there’s no
trust, there’s nothing.”

“Trust doesn’t come easily.”

“I realize that now.”

“You messed this one up royally, Nicole.
Platonic friends
don’t go around locking lips.”

“You’re making too much of it. Drop it.”

“Fine. If you want to end up single and raising your child alone, then let your marriage go down the toilet. You better think real hard if that’s something you want to let happen. Because Ashton won’t be alone for long.”

“I know how women are drawn to Ashton. I was one of them.
When he decides he wants something, he goes for it and damn the consequences.
There’s a lot of chemistry with us. So much that it gets in the way of reality.
I need for him to trust me…to want me—and not because I’m pregnant with his
child but
really
want me for me. I won’t be a novelty and certainly not
with someone who thinks he can train me to his way of thinking.”

“I have known him a lot longer than you have. He’s a man’s
man. Strong, stubborn, and a force to be reckon with. Nicole, believe me he
wants
you
. The baby is just an added bonus.”

She stubbornly remained silent.

“Nicole. Swallow your pride. You can’t keep doing what—”

“Why in the hell did you leave the hospital without calling
me, Nicole?” Ashton shouted.

Nicole and Sally swung their heads to the man standing in
the doorway. His arctic gaze was directed on her.

“Ashton,” she hissed his name and wrapped her arms around
her waist. “What are you doing here?” Anger tightened her voice.

“I live here, or did you conveniently forget?”

Nicole inhaled deeply and slowly released the air through
her teeth. He was not going to cause her to lose it.

Sally cleared her throat. “Well, I think that is my cue to
leave.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

“Yes, she does,” Ashton said.

Nicole bit back the retort on her tongue.

Sally gave Nicole a hug and rolled her eyes at Ashton. He
glared back but stepped aside allowing her to slip through the door.

She went back to carefully folding the items on the bed. Now
he’d moved further into the room, standing erect and watching her. He was
livid. Her hands clenched the clothes tightly, her nails digging through the
fabric. She had to calm down, take control of the situation.

“Leave the clothes, Nicole.”

She continued as if she hadn’t heard him.

One long stride had Ashton at her side. His fingers gripped her elbow, spinning her to face him. He used his other hand and swiped the clothes onto the carpeted floor.

“What’s wrong with you?” She jerked her arm from his hold and gathered the clothes from the floor.

“I said to leave it.”

She continued to retrieve the clothes.

“You don’t want to test me right now, Nicole.”

She stood slowly. Tension and raw anger radiated off him in waves. His gaze was cold on her face. Yes, he was furious but an unspoken message passed between them. Ashton ran his life with calm, cool reason and not obstacles. She was a thorn in his side. Well, at the moment she didn’t give a damn. She pushed past him to leave the bedroom. He placed a hand on her arm, stopping her.

“Whenever you don’t want to deal with something, you run.
Not again. We’re going to talk about what happened.” He opened his mouth and
then closed it, finally sighing deeply. “I know I said things that can’t be
retracted.”

“You think?” she sneered.

He frowned, a flush coloring his face. “When I saw you
kissing my brother—”

“I wasn’t kissing, Brent. He kissed me.”

“
And you let him, dammit
.” He pinched the end of his
nose and then breathed deeply, exhaling the air slowly through this mouth.
“Look, I don’t want to argue. You just got out of the hospital. You should be
resting.”

“I’m fine.”

“Humor me.”

“I’ve spent two days doing nothing but sleeping. I’m not
tired.” She wrenched her arm from his grasp and walked out of the bedroom.

He found her in the kitchen rummaging in the fridge. He stood in the doorway, arms crossed as he watched her derriere inviting him further into the room. Since he had told Mrs. James, Nicole was coming home today, she had stocked the fridge with cooked and uncooked items. Nicole’s arms full with a small bowl of chicken salad, lettuce and tomato, she closed the fridge door with her hip and moved to the counter. Grabbing a serving spoon and a knife, she placed them alongside the bowl of chicken salad. Then she turned and retrieved the fresh bread from the breadbox on the counter. She didn’t look at him, which only made him more determined to get her attention.

Nicole was pissed. It
was evident by the slamming of the teakettle on the burner and the fact that
she also had taken the pitcher of homemade lemonade from the fridge. She
definitely wasn’t going to drink hot tea and a cold beverage. She didn’t
realize what she had done because anger drove her.