What the Lightning Sees: Part Two (10 page)

“Have you canceled Saturday with Romano?” Jake asked as he walked up to me in the office lobby. We were both early.

“And hello to you, Jake.”

“I mean it, Haven. You need to cancel.”

“You know full well I can’t move Louis. I’m up against a deadline. I’m having to write this up on Sunday as it is.” I was pretty sure Louis was harmless, but Jake was so dead set against me going near him, it unnerved me. “But I won’t go anywhere without you. I promise. And he said I should bring a passport, so I guess you should too.”

“He said what? Fucking hell, Haven, are you kidding me? Can’t
I
take you for your Saturday night date?”

“Please calm down. What do you think he’s going to do? Sell me into slavery? And no, I can’t date you for this article. Unless you’ve been keeping things from me, you’re not a member of Glass Introductions and I don’t manipulate the facts. End of story. Please try to work with me on this?”

“You are impossible,” he said, rolling his eyes.

I swiped him across his abs. My hand hit granite. Our eyes met as I touched him and his face softened.

“If he’s bought you a ticket somewhere, and not me, you aren’t going.”

I was prepared for the ultimatum, and I was okay with it. I did trust him, and if he felt this strongly then I needed to listen to him. “You have yourself a deal.”

“We have a deal?” Jake seemed surprised. “Okay then.”

We headed outside and Jake flagged down a cab. I gave the driver the address of the restaurant where Mark said he’d meet me.

“So who’s the chump tonight?” Jake asked.

“We don’t say chump in the UK, you’ll have to translate.”

“I don’t know, someone gullible, a general douche?”

“And Mark is a chump because he’s agreed to go on a date with me?”

“No. He’s a chump because it’s an entirely futile evening for him. You’re mine.”

What? Had I heard him correctly? For once in my life, I was left with nothing to say. I had run out of snark. I didn’t want to contradict him. I wanted to turn over the possibility of belonging to him in my head and look at it from different angles. Could it be true? Would it be true?

The rest of the journey continued in silence. I wanted to ask him what he’d meant, but every time I tried to form a sentence, it came out wrong. I stole glimpses of him a couple of times, studying the contours of his jaw, my gaze sliding over lips that could do things to me that I’d never known before him.

Part of me would be his forever.

Mark was good looking, tall and a little rough around the edges. I liked that about him instantly. He was clearly a bit awkward about having Jake taking shots of us. He asked several times about anonymity.

“Okay, I’m going to leave you two to it,” Jake said as he packed away his camera. “I’ll see you Saturday,” he said as he turned to me. I searched his face for something that would help me believe I hadn’t made up what he’d said about being his in the cab but his eyes were blank, all business. He shook Mark’s hand and headed out.

“Portraits are the normal start to a date for me,” Mark said, a bit dazed.

I laughed. “Sorry about that. And honestly, we won’t identify you in the photographs. You have my promise.”

“And you seem very trustworthy. A nice, normal girl as my granny would say,” Mark said, smiling at me.

“I’m going to take that as a compliment.” I laughed.

“You should. My granny didn’t say it to a lot of people. She was a cantankerous old biddy. Even I was scared of her. I should say you look beautiful.” Mark’s rambling was rather endearing. He was nervous and that made me more confident, as though it was my responsibility to put him at ease.

“It’s not obligatory,” I replied, smiling at him. He was as bad at this dating thing as I was but the compliment felt genuine and I accepted it as such.

“I’m really not good at this, am I?”

I laughed again. “You’re doing fine. I feel great after all these compliments, so you’re doing better than you think.”

“Yes, it’s all part of my master plan to win you over,” he said, a gleam in his eye.

I relaxed and sat back in my chair. Mark was going to be good company.

Jake

Beth was curled up on the sofa when I got in from dropping off Haven. “I need to tell you something,” I said to her. I had hoped that I wouldn’t have to bring this up, but I was going to meet Romano for a second time on Saturday. If Beth ever found out that I’d knowingly met with him, and I hadn’t told her, she’d never forgive me.

“Did you elope?” Beth asked.

God, I really didn’t want to destroy her good mood. “Nope.”

“Kiss her again?”

“Nope. I left her on a date with another man and came home as my penis shriveled up and fell off.”

“That’s a delightful image.”

“Well, you asked.” My phone rang and I glanced at the screen. Millie. Why was my ex calling? I pressed cancel and turned back to Beth. “I’ve only got Saturday and then there will be no reason for me to see her again. I’m in California next week and unless I think of something by then, I guess we’ll go our separate ways.” I slumped on the sofa, grabbing the tub of ice cream from her and digging out a spoonful for myself.

“Hey, you’re interrupting my threesome with Ben and Jerry.”

“You’re gross,” I said, shoving the tub back at her.

“So, have you decided to fight for her?” Beth asked.

“I have. I’m just not sure I’ll win. I’m not quite sure what to do.” My stomach churned at the thought of not seeing Haven again. I was running out of time and I didn’t have a plan.

“So what did you have to tell me, my penis-less brother?” Beth pulled me back into the moment.

“I don’t want you to get upset,” I said and then instantly felt like an idiot.

“Well, problem solved, because if you tell me you don’t want to get me upset then that’s that—I won’t,” Beth said around a mouthful of ice cream.

“Sarcasm isn’t your thing,” I said as I grinned at her.

“Oh yes it is. It’s exactly my thing. Come on, get it off your chest.”

I took a deep breath. “Well, you know Haven’s been dating these guys.”

“Yes, I kinda gathered from your hideously bad moods and the fact that you’ve told me so like a million times. What about it?”

“Well, the second guy was someone we both know.”

Beth paled instantly and put the ice cream on the coffee table.

“Romano,” I said.

She looked at me. “Shit.”

“Fuck. I’m sorry. I never wanted to hear his name again. I just didn’t want to keep it from you.” If I could have scooped out her pain and taken it on myself, I would have. I hated seeing her upset; it reminded me about how bad things had been for her and how I could do nothing about it. Romano and losing the baby had been a tipping point for Beth. She’d spiraled so far down I wondered if she’d ever be my sister again.

“I think I should call my sponsor,” was all she said.

I handed her the phone. “Do you want to talk about it?”

“I never want to go back to that place again,” she said quietly.

“I know. You’re stronger now. What can I do?” I asked her.

“You’re right. I am, and you can’t do anything. You’ve done so much for me already. Thank you for telling me. Does Haven know?”

“No, she knows we have a history and that I hate him. I’ve begged her to stay away from him, but I haven’t told her any details. She’s having her follow-up date with him.”

Her eyes widened. “She is? You can’t convince her not to?”

“I’ve tried. The other two guys can’t do Saturday apparently and she’s on some deadline for Robert. He’s told her to bring a passport.” I pushed my hands through my hair.

“Wow.”

“She’s agreed that if I can’t go with her—I bet the sleazeball will try and pull some stunt to get her away from me—that she won’t go.”

“Okay, well that’s good. He’s not going to physically hurt her. And if Saturday’s the last time they see each other, then that will be the end of it,” Beth said. She seemed very composed.

“If it were up to me, he wouldn’t be breathing.”

Beth rested her palm over my clenched fist. “He didn’t turn me into an alcoholic, Jake. It wasn’t all him.”

“I know but . . . but I want to kill him,” I said.

“Yeah, well, you in prison is the last thing I need so calm down. And I need to know you’re not going to lose it on Saturday.” Beth looked at me, waiting for my reply.

I nodded. “I promise you.”

“I’m going to call my sponsor,” she said as she got up.

“I love you, Beth.”

“I know, and I couldn’t love you more. I’m okay. Honestly. It’s a preventative measure.”

Haven had agreed that I could meet her at her place as Romano was picking her up at nine in the morning and he hadn’t told her where he was taking her.

“A stretch limo? Really?” I said as we stood at the top of the steps to her building, under the awning, avoiding the rain as the car pulled up.

Haven laughed. “It’s ridiculous. It’s like we’re going on a hen party.”

“A hen party?” I asked.

“Translation alert: a bachelorette party,” she explained.

I nodded. She was right; it was tacky. “That would be far more preferable.”

“For you, I’m sure. Loads of drunk women who aren’t wearing much,” she teased and poked me in the ribs. A jolt of energy ran through me.

I smiled at her and she smiled back. I wanted to reach out for her. “I’m not going anywhere without you,” she said.

Her reassurance relaxed me and I followed her down the steps to the car. She’d worn her hair up today. It placated me slightly and made me think that she was keeping a part of herself back. A part of her that I’d seen.

Romano stepped out of the car to greet us. “Haven, my princess. You look so beautiful.” He kissed the back of her hand. I could do nothing but stand there and watch.

“Mr. Harrison, or should I call you our third wheel?” He laughed heartily at his own joke. Haven smiled tightly and I glared at him in between capturing photographs of our ridiculous transportation.

We got into the car and Romano made sure he was sitting next to Haven on the back seat while I was to her side. He arranged himself far too close to her.