Troubled Waters (The Lake Trilogy, Book 2) (9 page)

“Do you think Mr. Meyer had something to do with Marcus coming here?” I ask feeling momentarily satisfied with my understanding of how we’ve been able to transition with relative ease…until now, that is.

“We didn’t know at first. I wouldn’t have put it past him. But after finding out that he and Marcus had a very public disagreement, I doubt he had anything to do with it. He would never have a
public argument like that just to divert attention. That’s not his style.”

“Oh,” I say, thinking of something else I want to ask about the accident. “What about the…bodies?” I’m trying to piece this together completely. It would have been helpful had they told me all this while I was in a better state of mind. I think my head is still spinning from my fainting. Of course, I’m the one asking all the questions and demanding all the answers.

“It pays to be friends with a medical examiner who despises Gregory Meyer for screwing up so many of his cases. There are a lot of Jane and John Doe bodies down there. We found two who were similar in height and build, and set fire to Will’s car,” Claire adds. I don’t know why, but somehow hearing the words
set fire to Will’s car
doesn’t sound as bad when Claire says it.

“I see.” I’m thinking of what to say next. There have to be more details that I don’t know yet, and I don’t want to leave this conversation until my need to know is fully satisfied. “So how long have you been here?”

“Do you remember the night of graduation?” Will asks as if that’s a night I could ever forget. That’s the night we exchanged rings and made our first vows. I nod and squeeze his hand. “When I said to goodbye to you…I went home, got mom, and we were on the road that night. We really did go up to see my mom’s family. We didn’t tell them what was happening, just that we didn’t know when we’d see them again. They assumed it had to do with my dad, which isn’t new.”

“It was the worst day of his life, Layla.” Eliana has been silent this whole time, but speaks now because she is the only one who can testify to Will’s condition during the hours, days, and months since we’ve been apart. “He cried all the way here. He hated that you were going to think he was gone. He knew the pain it would cause you and it was unbearable for him.”

I look at Will and he has tears streaming down his face. I see how hard it is for him that the decisions he made caused me the pain it did. But he’s right. The only way out from under his father’s thumb was to do something drastic. If he ever found out that Will and Eliana pulled the wool over his eyes, there would be more than hell to pay.

“Wait. How are you walking around here as Will and Eliana Meyer? I know Furtick has been your father’s only eyes and ears, but isn’t that still pretty risky?” Fear fills my heart at the thought of the ramifications of this carelessness.

“We had their names changed,” Claire explains.

“You what? How?” My face is starting to hurt from all the confused squinting I’ve been doing.

“I know a guy,” Luke says with a smirk and motions with his head to Furtick.

“Of course you do,” I say, mirroring Luke’s smirk. Ever since things escalated with Marcus, I’ve been learning not to underestimate my uncle.

“Would you like to tell her what you chose, Will?” Claire says.

He pauses nervously before speaking. “If it’s not ok, we can have them changed again, really.”

“I don’t care what your name is, Will. I care that it’s still
you
. Just tell me,” I say.

“Well, I thought a lot about it and decided on a name that would keep you with me. Even if you decided you were moving on, there was no way I ever could.” Will sighs and closes his eyes for a moment of strength. “My mom chose your mom’s name, Elisabeth Holland. And I…I took your dad’s first name, so, John. Is…that ok…with you?” I start to cry and Will immediately thinks he’s upset me. “We can change them. It’s ok, Layla. I’m so sorry.”

“No! Don’t change them. I love them!” I’m sobbing now. All my worlds have just collided and I can’t keep my emotions hidden any longer. Everything I thought was lost has been found. I have my family and the love of my life right here. Now that Marcus is gone, nothing is going to stop me from living the life that I have worked so hard to finally earn.

I can’t contain myself. I stand and move onto Will’s lap and throw my arms around his neck, crying harder into his shoulder. I thought I’d never feel his strong arms around me again. I press my head to his chest and listen to his heart beating. It’s the sweetest sound and I’ve missed it so.

“Layla.” Luke calls softly and I force myself to release Will and turn to him. “Please, don’t be angry with us.” Luke’s tone is the same sorrowful one he used the night I overheard him and Claire in the kitchen.

“I’m not angry, Uncle Luke,” I say as I move to hug him. “I don’t know what to say. You did all of this so that Will and I could be together. I’m…I’m so grateful.” I burst into tears again and Claire and Will join our embrace.

I never thought that I would be the kind of girl that was worthy of such commitment and sacrifice, but I’m standing here in a room full of people who have done just that. Luke and Claire sacrificed the careers they worked so hard for. Will and his mother sacrificed their lives, their whole identities. And Furtick…the man would take a bullet for me and he barely knows me. My heart is full to overflowing.

I collect myself as our emotional moment is interrupted by an obvious throat-clearing from Furtick.

“Yes, Furtick,” Luke responds.

“I’m sorry to break things up, but we still have the matter of Mr. Reynolds.” He’s strong and straight to the point. I wonder how he felt watching us. He doesn’t strike me as the kind of guy that gets emotional.

“What do you mean? I thought you said he had gone back to Davidson?” Will asks Luke. There’s concern in his voice. Telling him about the situation with Marcus has been the last thing on my mind, but it seems that he’s been made more than just aware.

“That’s what we thought, but I just got a text from Taylor that he’s disappeared. No movement at his home for two days. When he investigated further, he found the apartment empty.”

“How is that possible?” Luke says with obvious annoyance.

“Don’t worry, sir. Taylor will rectify the situation.”

“So what do we do? What if he comes back? He can’t see Will or Eliana,” I say as I’m regaining my normal breathing pattern after so much crying. Although it seems I’m about to enter a new level of hyperventilating. “No, no, no, no. I can’t, I can’t go back to hiding. Not here, not now that I’ve just got you back. Your father will kill you if he finds out. He’ll kill you both!” I start to shake and Will helps me into a seat.

“Layla, no one is going to find out, but I need you to pull it together. We didn’t come this far for it to fall apart now. Just ride this out with us a little while longer,” Claire’s calming tone does its job and I begin to feel better immediately. I love that she has that effect on me.

“Let’s just take a break here. Will, get the lantern in the garage and take Layla out on the dock while Furtick and I discuss some options.” Luke’s is a welcome directive. Being alone with Will is just the medicine I need.

As Will and I walk the length of the dock out to the water my mind floods with memories of our time on Lake Davidson. It was there that he professed his feelings for me and there that I knew I had fallen in love with him. I want so much for the craziness with Marcus to disappear so that Will and I can begin a new life together here.

Will has a firm grasp on my hand and is carrying the lantern with his other hand. This leaves me to brush the palms and Spanish moss from our path. My stomach is doing flips like the first time Will and I walked the flagstone path to the lake together. I remember so clearly that being the night I became completely enthralled with Will. That was the night I truly started to live again.

“Here we are,” Will says softly, inviting me to sit with him. It’s so much like when we sat together back home. We take our shoes off and scoot as close as we can together, and as Will slips his arm around me I have to fight to keep myself from crying again.

“Here we are,” I echo.

“I missed you so much, Layla,” Will says softly. “I was so afraid I was going to lose you.”

“You could never lose me, Will. In life and death, I’m yours forever.” I turn my body so I can face him, taking his hand in mine. I run my finger across my father’s wedding band. “Did you really think I would move on?”

“Layla,” he sighs. “I knew I was taking a risk by disappearing and an even bigger one by faking my death. My father could have found out and I would have faced a worse fate. The scariest part was knowing that you could choose to move on. For all intents and purposes I was gone, dead. You had every right to move on with your life. I couldn’t expect you to hold on forever.” Will brushes my face with his thumb and I close my eyes relishing in his touch.

“It’s only been a few months, Will,” I say.

“I know…you weren’t supposed to find out yet. We were going to wait until Christmas to see where you were.” Will hasn’t released my face from his caress.

“I told you I wasn’t going anywhere, remember?” I smile.

“I’m so glad you didn’t.” Will pulls me to him and kisses me. It’s exactly as I remember, only better. His kiss is strong and sweet and full of all the love he has for me. He holds my face in his hands, keeping me locked in this place of bliss.

“Oh, Will. I thought I’d never see you again.” I break from our kiss and hold him tighter than I ever have. “Um…I don’t want to bombard you, but there’s still so much I don’t know.”

“You can ask anything, Layla. I’ve missed not sharing my life with you. It’s been torture,” he says, tucking a loose lock of hair behind my ear.

“Well…what have you been doing?” I ask.

Will gives a little chuckle at the simple curiosity of my question before answering. “Mom and I got settled in a great apartment not far from here. We had to lay low for a while, so Luke had everything set up for us. It was crazy! We walked in and the place was furnished, with a fully stocked kitchen, and even clothes in the closets. Luke and Claire are two of the most incredible people. We could never have done this without them.” He shakes his head in amazement.

I understand exactly what he’s saying. We agreed early on that if he and I were ever going to make it, we would have to make Luke and Claire our allies. When they took on that role without hesitating, I knew that we were in good hands.

“I agree. I don’t know where I’d be if I didn’t have them.” We smile as we celebrate Luke and Claire’s greatness. “Go on. I want to hear more!”

Will laughs again at my cuteness and continues. “I got mom registered for classes, which was really exciting. She always wanted to get her degree, but Dad put the kibosh on that from day one. Be careful when you ask her about it, though. She’ll start talking and won’t stop. It’s really wonderful, actually.” He smiles as he thinks about how happy his mother finally is. “Then, Luke got me connected with some contractors and we built the dock…for you.”

“You built this?” I’m amazed.

“Well, not by myself. It takes a specialty crew to build out into the water, but I oversaw the project and got my hands as dirty as I could. With every board and every nail, I thought of you. I thought about all the time we spent on the lake back home. I thought of how it became a special place for you to think and clear your head. I thought about the night I gave you this ring.” He takes my hand and we gaze at my beautiful promise ring as it twinkles in the light from the lantern and the moon. “I thought about all those things, and I wanted to create a place for you here that might give you at least a little of that.”

“Thank you. You did an amazing job. I’m so proud of you…and I’m more than impressed.” I kiss him once to show my thanks.

“I love you, Layla.” Oh how I have longed to hear those words again. I watch his lips form the words and my heart flutters.

“Say it again.”

Will takes my face in his hands and stares his ocean eyes into mine. “I love you.”

“One more time?” I smile.

“I. Love. You.” Will kisses my cheeks in between each word, and then ends with a soft, sweet kiss on my lips.

“I love you, Will.” It feels good to say it directly to him, and not in some quiet declaration in hopes that he’ll return, or as I did most recently, to the memory of him.

Our sweet moment is cut short by the sound of Luke’s voice. “Will! Layla! We found him!” he shouts.

We race back to the house to hear Furtick finishing a phone conversation.

“Right…Where? Who is she? Ok, keep me posted…yes, stay on him.” Furtick looks to us as he wraps up the conversation and ends the call. “Taylor has found Mr. Reynolds. He’s been staying with a young lady in Charlotte. No information on who she is yet, but we’ll get it.”

“I want eyes on him at all times. Tell Taylor to bring in Cline. He is
not
to lose him again.” Luke is both pissed and relieved at the same time. Claire stops his pacing and calms him, helping him to focus on the positive that has just transpired.

“As long as we know where he is at all times, we’re good,” she says, stroking Luke’s shoulders.

“So I guess Furtick will be leaving us then, huh?” I say with a little sadness.

“Like hell he’s leaving,” Luke replies.

“If we know where Marcus is then there’s nothing to worry about, right?” I ask.

“I’m not ready to let go of the extra protection. Marcus is too unpredictable.” Luke is solid in his statement. If he thinks we need to keep Furtick then I’m not going to argue. I like Furtick and have actually really enjoyed having him here. “You and Eliana will need to make some physical changes,” he says to Will and his mother, moving on to another topic.

“What kind of changes?” Eliana asks.

“How do you feel about shorter hair and a slightly different color?” Claire suggests.

“I don’t mind at all. It is much hotter here so shorter hair will be a welcome change. I’m more concerned about William.” Eliana’s trained compliance is helpful in this situation.

“I’ll do whatever I need to. I can grow it out and color it, or shave it for all I care. I’m open to anything.” Will says, pulling me close to his side. He’s unwavering in his commitment to me, and after all he has done, there is no way I could ever doubt his love for me.

“There’s another matter we need to address, Layla. You have to be aware of how you refer to Will and Eliana. Here and
only
here are you allowed to call them Will or Eliana. As soon as we step outside of this house, you must
always
refer to them as John and Elisabeth.” Luke stares at me until I respond.

“I think I can do that.”

“You have to more than think, Layla. There is no alternative, especially if you’re going to be seen with either of them on campus. Have you told anyone about your life in Davidson?”

“No, not really. I mean, I did say something to this guy, my friend, Finn. I only said something because he saw Marcus stalking me in the coffee shop. Am I in trouble?” No one said not to say anything about my life before FSU.

“It’s ok, honey. Luke is just a little on edge right now,” Claire interjects. “What did you tell him?”

“The truth, mostly. I told him that Marcus hated my boyfriend because he dated Marcus’ sister and it didn’t end well, that I had to break up with my boyfriend because his father didn’t approve of us dating, and also that I moved here to start over. Was that ok?” I direct my information to Claire since she is providing the most comfort at the moment.

“That’s perfect. You did great.” Claire smiles, making me feel less like I’m in trouble.

“Wait. Luke, you said Marcus had shown up here. Why is Layla using the word
stalking
?” Apparently Will got the abridged version of the Marcus situation and not the whole story like I had once thought. There’s a fire in his eyes. He’s not happy about this and his blood is beginning to boil. I’ve seen this look before and it’s not good.

“I didn’t want to worry you. I thought we would have it sorted out before we revealed you and Eliana. But…it’s bigger than I thought.” Luke answers Will’s fiery comment as coolly as possible.

“What does
that
mean?” Will asks with a quizzical look.

“Right now I’m just working on theories and I need some time to get the facts. For now, there’s nothing to really worry about. We know where Marcus is, and as long as we know that, there’s no threat. But I need you both to be patient. Can you do that?” He directs his question to me and I’m only slightly insulted. This whole thing with Marcus started because I couldn’t leave well enough alone. I
had
to march myself down to the bookstore to unearth the story behind the story from Will. I can’t help but wonder if I had kept my query to myself if things wouldn’t have turned out differently. Or if Will and I had just been patient, waiting until we graduated like Claire said…if Will Meyer might still exist. There’s no changing the past. The only thing we can do now is press on.

“Yes, Uncle Luke, we can do that.” I give him a small smile and he returns it, letting me know his stress is dissipating at my willingness to be obedient. I look at Eliana and sigh. “Well, I guess it’s time to get you to the salon.”

It’s a rare morning in the Weston house. Luke and Claire are running errands and Will is at school. I’d be at school as well, but my instructors are at a conference so classes were cancelled. It’s my light day, so that means no classes at all today. This leaves just Furtick and me in the house…alone. It’s strange. He’s always with me, but not
with
me. There he sits, at the kitchen table, with his laptop and a stack of files.

Furtick is handsome by anyone’s standards.  He’s still physically fit from his military years so I have every confidence in his ability to protect me and the ones I love. His face is strong, and he’s always so focused, but I’ve seen his eyes soften sometimes when he’s watching me interact with Luke and Claire or Will.

I remember what Luke said about why Mr. Meyer
employed
certain men as his henchman, as Luke put it. It makes me wonder what Furtick did. What skills were so useful to Gregory Meyer? Considering he was in need of Mr. Meyer’s assistance, I wonder if he ended up with an honorable or dishonorable discharge.

“You want to know what I did,” Furtick says, not even turning around.

“What?” I ask, realizing that my curiosity has burned a hole in his back.

“You want to know what I did, how I got connected with Meyer.” He’s not asking me, but making an observation. I suppose I was going to ask at some point, but there hasn’t been a clear opportunity. I’ve truly been so appreciative of all he’s done, and how he’s handled the whole situation, that any thoughts I’ve had about asking have been dismissed. I want to know for the pure curiousness of it because his answer isn’t going change how I feel about him. I don’t care what he did because that isn’t the Furtick that I know. The Furtick I know is strong and quietly caring, not the thug his former boss would pigeonhole him to be.

“Yes. I’d like to know, but you don’t have to tell me,” I say.

Furtick turns around and I see a look on his face that is foreign. There’s timidity to his presence. His eyes shift as if searching for the right words. He’s struggling to find the right path to take in telling his story. Where to begin? His eyes lock on mine and they’re filled with fear, afraid that what he is about to tell me will alter how I feel about him, how I trust him. I understand this feeling more than he’ll ever know. I see the pain in his eyes and I want to cry. He’s let his guard down and his humanity is leaking.

“Whatever it is, it’s ok,” I say in soft reassurance. “There’s nothing you can say that will change what I think about you, Furtick.”

“You may need to reconsider that statement after you’ve heard what I’m about to tell you.”