Troubled Waters (The Lake Trilogy, Book 2) (6 page)

“Oh my gosh.” I can’t hold back the tears any longer and they begin to flow uncontrollably. I fall to my knees and surrender to the pain. All I can feel is the warmth of four bodies surrounding me, loving me. Our sobs join together in a chorus of mourning for the loss of the most incredible person we’ve ever known. When we have cried all the tears we can, we gather ourselves and sit in a circle around Will’s picture.

“I’ll start,” Chris says. “Will was the best guy I knew. He was honest, hardworking, and a damn good football player. I miss you, bro.” Short, sweet, and to the point. Anything else from Chris and it wouldn’t have been sincere.

“Will always treated me with respect. Most guys looked at me and immediately thought I was just another dumb blonde. Not Will. He never assumed anything but the best about me. I never felt like I had to prove myself to him.” Gwen stops before she gives herself over to the emotions welling up in her. I reach over and take her hand and she pushes out a tight-lipped smile.

“Will made life in this ridiculous bubble so much better. It was never about the number of commas and zeros in your bank account. He chose to be more than that. He cared about people. When we were little, I remember how genuinely kind he was. He never used anyone for his own selfish gain, and always thought of others before himself. My life is so much better for having known him.” Caroline’s speech is soft and sweet, like her. She knew better than the others about facing the Gregory Meyer test. I can’t imagine having been adopted at six and spending two years proving yourself to that man, but she was able to do it because Will was steadfast in his acceptance of her even then. “Tyler?”

Tyler’s head is in his hands and there are soft sobs coming from him. After me, I suppose this has hit Tyler the hardest. He and Will were best friends. They’d known each other since they were babies. They grew up together and had been inseparable. Knowing Will had to go to Princeton Ty worked his butt off trying to get in, too. It was near devastating when he didn’t. He settled for Duke since it’d be easier for them to see each other any time Will came home to visit.

“Will wasn’t just my friend…he was my brother. In this crappy, two-faced world we lived in, he had character and integrity. He didn’t care if anyone agreed with him, or not. He’s the one who showed me what it means to be a man…to stick up for what you believe…to protect your friends and the person you love most in the world. Will was everything I wanted to be. I’m gonna do my best to live up to the bar he set. I love you, man.” Tyler can’t contain it any longer and the sobs come again. I slide over and wrap my arms around him like he did for me that night in the Asheville vineyard.

“Shh…shh…” I hold him tight and stroke his hair. “It’s ok…it’s ok…”

“Layla, do you want to say anything?” Caroline asks after Ty has pulled himself together.

“Yes,” I answer.
Breathe. Just Breathe
. “Will was the bright light at the end of a very long, very dark tunnel I had been in. A tunnel I never thought I’d get out of. He was everything you have all said, and more. Despite his upbringing Will was capable of this immense and immeasurable love. He taught me how to be loved and that I didn’t have to be so strong all the time. He taught me how to trust again. He gave me things I thought I’d never have. Things like peace and comfort and assurance. I loved him more than I thought one person could love another and I will never stop loving him.”

The others slide next to Tyler and me and we sit crying together until all that’s left is the silence of night. We’ve given Will what he deserved: a memorial that spoke to who he really was, not some ideal that his father wanted to portray. For us, Will’s memory will live on in the truths we have spoken tonight, and that’s all that really matters.

“Thank you so much. I didn’t think I was going to be able to do this, but I’m glad I did it. It was the memorial Will deserved,” I say quietly, not wanting to disturb the peacefulness.

“It was also the closure you needed, Layla.” Caroline rubs soft circles on my back.

“Yeah…I guess it was,” I say.

I don’t tell them about the ring or about how even though Will is dead, there’s something in me that just can’t let go of him yet. There’s a reason he made sure I had that ring and I’ve got to find out what it is.

I made Luke promise that we would leave the day after the memorial – there’s no way I can stick around this town with all its haunting memories – but when Caroline walks me out to the rental car I can’t help but feel a twinge of regret in the decision.

“I really don’t want to say goodbye to you again,” I tell her.

“I know. I don’t either. But we’re both going back to school, so that should keep us occupied, right?” she says as she throws her arms around my neck.

“Yes, lots to keep us busy.” I haven’t told her about the situation with Marcus, which, after Will, is the thing currently occupying my mind – that and the fact that Luke has taken his fatherly duties to DEFCON 1. “Let’s not get too busy to stay in touch, ok? You’re a sister to me, Caroline. I don’t know what I’d do if I didn’t have you.” I hold her tightly, not wanting to let go.

“I love you, too, Layla.” Caroline hugs me fiercely and we have to force ourselves apart when Claire says we absolutely have to leave. “Text me when you land, ok?”

“Ok. I’ll miss you.” I force a smile and make myself get into the car.

I don’t know how, but I actually made it through a whole month of classes after Will’s memorial. It’s amazing what one can accomplish on autopilot. The few friends I’m making were not oblivious to my demeanor and showed the proper amount of concern when I told them that a dear friend had passed away. Had I told them it was my boyfriend, my love, my soul mate, it would have been a catastrophic case of sympathy, which I don’t want or need. I suppose it’s actually been really good that I’ve had school. If not for the busyness of classes and homework, I’m not sure where I’d be.

Walking into the house after a particularly boring day I stop cold as my eyes meet with the stranger sitting in the Great Room. Luke introduces him as Furtick, but I already know him as one of the thugs who beat the crap out of that poor guy outside the law firm.

“Miss Weston. It’s nice to meet you,” he says, standing to shake my hand. He’s pretty cordial for a guy who roughs people up for a living, or hobby, or whatever you call it.

“Furtick,” I say, mirroring his friendliness. He gives me just the smallest smile and somehow…I immediately like him. His smile is sincere and I can see in his eyes that he’s more than what Mr. Meyer made him out to be, which I have found to usually be the case. The images of him outside the law firm that day disappear and all that I see is a man who came to our aid when Luke said we needed help.

“I need to talk with you about your patterns,” he says, cutting to the chase.

“My patterns? I’m sorry, I don’t understand.”

“Furtick has been following you over the last four days. He’s made some observations and has some suggestions that will keep you safe,” Luke tells me.

“You’ve been following me?” I ask.

“Yes ma’am.”

“I never saw you. I never even felt your stare.”

“I’m very good at what I do, ma’am.” Furtick smirks and I see the human, non-thug in him. He has a nice smile and beautiful brown eyes. I don’t know what his past experience is to make him so good at what he does, or so useful to Gregory Meyer, but it doesn’t matter, Luke trusts him, so I do, too. Moreover, my gut tells me he’s the real deal.

“Yes, you are,” I smile back. “Why, exactly is he following me?”

“We’ve been monitoring the situation with Marcus,” Luke answers.             

“I’m a bit confused. Marcus hasn’t been around for over a month. I assumed he left town, came into his right mind, so what’s the need to have him around?”

“We don’t have confirmation that he’s left Florida. His car is still here and there have been no flights registered under his name to anywhere, foreign or domestic. Also, he was never registered for any classes at the university.” Furtick gives his report very matter-of-factly.

“Wait a minute. He said he transferred. You mean he dropped out of Davidson on some delusional whim, got into FSU, and never even registered for classes?” I can’t even begin to understand this.

“I’m sorry, allow me to clarify. He was never a student at the college at all. There’s no application on file,” Furtick continues.

“This is so bizarre, Uncle Luke. I can’t shake this feeling that something happened after we left. I mean…this just isn’t like him. He’s so polar opposite of the Marcus I knew.”

“I agree, Layla. I’ve got someone working on that right now, but I think it’s going to take a little time, so until then I need you to do whatever Furtick tells you. Can you do that?” I nod my head, still reeling from the craziness of the situation. “Are you doing ok?”

“Yeah, I’m good.” I breathe deeply and try to separate the Marcus who was my friend and this new, Lex Luthor version. “Furtick, you said you had some suggestions for keeping me safe? I’m assuming that means you think he might come back.”

“Well, Miss Weston, because we don’t know where he is at the moment, we can’t be too careful. So, first of all, I’ll be following you at all times. This includes keeping an eye on you while you’re at school. Don’t worry – I’ll continue to be a ghost. Secondly, I observed that you are consistently by yourself while on campus. Make friends, even if just for show. You need at least one person with you at all times. Should Mr. Reynolds approach you at school he may not make a scene if there are witnesses. Lastly, you’re not to be out after dark.”

“But you just said you would be following me at all times,” I argue, even though I’m never out after dark anyway.

“It’s much easier to keep a trail during the day, and alternate routes aren’t as easily identified at night.” Furtick stares at me for a moment. “You’re
not
to be out after dark,” he reiterates strongly. I nod in acquiescence.

“Is there anything else?” I ask him.

“Your phone. You’re not to answer any unknown number. May I have it please?” Furtick says, stretching his arm out, palm up. I hand him my phone without question and he begins scrolling through the numbers. There are literally eight contacts so it takes him seconds to review. “Sir,” he says to Luke as he shows him something on the screen.

“Layla, you’ve still got Will’s number in here,” Luke says with a soft, but disapproving tone. Why would Furtick even think to show that to Luke anyway? Luke must have given Furtick the whole story with all the sorted details.

“I know. I can’t delete it…not yet. It would be…I would feel like I was erasing him from my life and I’m just not ready to do that. Please, Uncle Luke.”

Luke hands the phone back to me and I give him a small smile of thanks.

“Is there anything else I need to know?” I ask Furtick.

“Yes. Despite what you may have seen, I’m not a violent man.” Luke has obviously told him about me observing his handiwork.

“I believe you, Furtick. If Luke trusts you, I trust you.” I stare him straight in the eye and hope he believes me, too.

As we wind down for the night, I help Claire make up the guest room for Furtick. It seems we’ll be a family of four for a little while. I don’t mind. There’s something about him that is a welcomed addition. Perhaps it’s that I already like him a lot, or maybe it’s just the added safety he brings. Luke is a great defender but he’s emotionally involved. Furtick, however, will be able to act on the situation based on his trained instinct alone.

As he unpacks his two bags I see that he’s got just one small duffle bag for his clothes, but a larger bag with his
tools
, so to speak. As I attempt to catch a peek of his weapons of choice he gives me a not-so-subtle look. “It’s better if you don’t know what’s in there,” he says. His words are soft and caring so I respond in turn with a gentle squeeze of his arm and a smile that says
thank you
.

*****

Furtick has remained ghostly as promised, so I’m doing my part in trying to befriend a few girls in my Psych 101 class. Of the girls I met at the freshman reception just one is responding to my pathetic attempt at making friends. Dana is from Georgia and her southern accent reminds me of all that was good about living in Davidson. It’s taken several days, but I’ve finally gotten close enough so that it doesn’t seem weird for me to automatically walk with her after class.

“My parents are coming down for the weekend. Ya’ll should come out with us! You and your aunt and uncle,” she twangs.

“That’d be fun,” I say. I’m working really hard at this. I don’t really want to go out with Dana and her parents because the closer I get to her, the more I’m going to have to hide. But…I
do
like her, and maybe it won’t be so bad to share my story with her one day. Plus, I’m under strict orders to make friends. If I don’t make some effort here I have a feeling Furtick will have something to say about it. “Just let me know when.”

“What’s your number? I’ll call you later when I find out what the plans are.” Before I give her my number I quickly realize that I need to add her to my phone so I know it’s her calling, so I suggest we swap phones and enter our information. As I’m typing away I think that Furtick is in a hidden corner watching and proud of me for being aware and making his job a little easier. “Later!” she says skipping away. As she leaves me at the entrance of the coffee shop I pause for a moment letting her southern sweetness linger in my ear.