Wish for You (6 page)

My eyes round. “You did? I have money. You can have it.”

Placing a hand over mine, he smiles. “Thank you, but we don’t need it.”

“
I don’t understand.” My lips tremble. I know something is wrong. Nothing is as it should be—everything’s already happened, without me. “Did I do something?”

“
No,” my mom exclaims, her green eyes sympathetic. “We’re just… happy about a new opportunity for us.”

I look at my dad. “Then why are you holding my hand?” Then I cast my gaze on my mom. “And why do you look sad?”

“
We’re going to be missionaries. Next month, we leave for Turkey.”

I knew my parents had been praying for this opportunity. That they’d been on a waiting list, and then had been moved to training for the trip. Their dream was finally coming true. Only I knew what would happen if they went on a mission trip. The financial backing only covered minor children, not me.

“
I don’t want to go,” Hanna screams from our shared bedroom. “Why does she get to stay, and I don’t?”

I blink. “I don’t understand.” Actually, I do understand… I just want a miracle to happen. I can feel the blood drain from my face, and I start tugging on my hair. Hard.

My mother knocks her chair over as she rushes to be by my side. “Look at me.”

I force myself to look at my mother’s face. “I am,” I whisper. But inside, my mind is shouting at me. So loudly and so incoherently that I screw my eyes shut and try to make sense of it all. But I can’t.

“
Lacey, honey, you have to move out. We’ll help you get your own place. It’ll be different, but we’ll make it home.” My body starts to shake violently, and I don’t want to control it. I don’t want it to stop. “Don’t do that, baby girl… don’t…
Oh God
. Joe, help me.”

Someone starts to scream, and they don’t stop until I fall on the floor. It’s not until my dad is lifting me up and carrying me to my bedroom, murmuring that he’s sorry, that everything will work out according to God’s plan, that I realize the screams were mine.

Chapter Six

Wyatt

Challenge accepted.

If Lacey thinks she can uphold her end of our friend arrangement by introducing me to one of her teammates, then she has another thing coming. Of course, she really
thinks
Ella is what I want.

Japanese-American, college student, perfect grades, badass tattoos on her shoulder blades, a roller girl, and with streaks of pink in her hair that can be hidden with a simple twist.

“
Out of respect for my grandparents,” she says, demonstrating her technique before letting the shiny mass fall down again. “My parents really don’t mind, as long as my studies come first, but you know how that is.”

Smiling, I nod. She’s really easy to talk to, and I have to say that I’ve enjoyed myself so far.

Overall, Ella is a really hot, nice, smart woman.

But, all in all, Ella is really not for me.

I have to give Lacey credit though, for driving home the point that she only wants to be friends. She had barely made introductions before she marched out of there, too busy to stay. Actually, she hadn’t marched at all. She had ran.

I frown.

“
I’m sure she’s fine,” Ella says before taking a sip of her beer, correctly assuming that I’m thinking of Lacey. “She always skates home.”

“
Yeah, but
sure
doesn’t cut it for me.” I pull out my phone and dial her number again. “I have to
know
.” The phone rings but, mercifully, someone answers this time.

“
Hewo?”

It has to be Benjamin. He’s the only one of the boys old enough to answer the phone
and
take messages. “Hi, Ben. This is Wyatt.”

“
Wacey’s sleeping.”

Relief doesn’t even begin to describe how I feel right now. I glance at the television, noting the time. It’s only seven thirty, and Lacey’s a night owl. Something’s not right, but she’s home. She’s safe. “Will you tell her I called?”

“
Yep.” He hangs up the phone, and I reluctantly put mine away.

Ella beams. “Everything’s good, right?”

“
Yes.” I take a shot, and then chase it down with a beer.

A hand slides up my thigh. I slowly set down my glass and grab Ella’s hand, moving it to her leg and leaving it there. “It was really good to meet you. Thanks for the invite.”

She frowns. “You’re not one of those guys, are you?”

I raise a brow. “I have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“
You know, the ones that want Asian women to be all submissive. Sorry to burst your misogynistic bubble, but I don’t have time for that.”

“
Good for you.”

“
That’s all you’re going to say?”

I’m not going to defend myself to someone whose first instinct is to jump to conclusions that are both insulting and male stereotyping. I served with women, from all branches of the service, who kicked ass for our country, and I respected the hell out of them for it—and not because they had a vagina instead of a penis.

Instead, I shrug and say, “I don’t have time for any more than that.”

“
Oh God. I’m sorry,” Ella apologizes, but it’s too late.

“
S’kay. I really have to go.” I pay my tab and head out the door, thankful that we drove separately.

As I drive back to Forrestville, I can’t get Lacey out of my head. Not even two weeks of forced distance helped. I thought that by working in another store, my emotions would have time to get under control and it would be easier, but it wasn’t. For two weeks, I did nothing but work, come home, get wasted, and then repeat the entire process the next day, interspersed with visits to my cousin’s house for some blow. The
only
thing that saved me from a tongue-lashing from my parents was that I sobered up by the time I had to be at work.

Before now, I wasn’t ready to set Lacey up with anyone—bad date or not. Now, I’m ready. I have to set her up, if only to prove I am as heartless as she is. To prove that I’m completely over her.

It’s the only chance I have of getting her back.

***

The next day, after work, I stop by Lacey’s house. Her borrowed car isn’t there, but it’s a Saturday, so she doesn’t have class and I know her work schedule. She has today off, but she still hasn’t called me back.

I knock on the door, but no one answers. I check around back. The huge conversion van her family uses to shuttle all twelve of them around is gone.

“
You just missed them,” an elderly woman calls out. “They left about ten minutes ago.”

That meant that they wouldn’t be home for a while. Her parents didn’t go on oh-crap-I-need-to-make-a quick-trip-to-the-store runs. It was an event when they went out.

“
Thanks. I’ll stop by tomorrow, then.”

“
It’ll be a shame to see them move,” she says, sweeping off the patio.

“
Move?”

“
Entire family’s moving to do God’s work in a foreign country. Bless their hearts.”

I knew her parents wanted to be missionaries, but I had no idea the entire family would be going. “When are they moving?”

“
In a couple of weeks.”

My heart stops beating in my chest. I thought I had plenty of time to win Lacey back. Plenty of time to show her that us being only friends was a really bad idea. That we belonged together… I begin to panic, unsure what to do. I feel almost as helpless as before, when she’d given me no say, and now it was happening all over again.

I want to hit something… or someone.

“
Thank you,” I manage, pulling out my phone.

Cole answers on the first ring. “What’s up?”

“
You. Me. Sully’s. One hour.”

“
Who pissed you off?” Apparently, it is possible to convey the white-hot fury coursing through me over the phone.

“
Do you have time or not?”

“
Can’t. Kelly’s sick, and Parker’s working.”

“
Fine. Hope she feels better.”

Ending the call, I stride to my truck and climb inside. By some miracle, I drive to my condo, cutting the engine before I realize where I am. I can’t unlock the back security door fast enough, because my hands are shaking too hard.

Finally, I open the door and race upstairs, needing my heart to pound because of something,
anything
other than her.

I shove the door open. It bangs against the wall, closing behind me as I march down the hall. I don’t care what or who I have to do tonight to get numb. I want to forget her, and the only way I know how is to go back down that road I’d promised myself not to travel.

A whimper startles me out of dark, inner rages. Lights from the hallway shine on auburn hair, and my heart lurches in my chest.

Lacey sits on the floor, in front of my door, with her arms wrapped around her legs and her head resting on her knees. The doorman must have let her in, and I make a mental note to thank him for remembering my instructions when it came to Lacey.

No matter what, no matter if I’m home or not, or having a party… always,
always
let her in.

Her head lifts up, tearstained face meeting mine. “I need you,” she begins, and I drop to my knees and cup her face. Finally,
finally
, she’s come to me. She realizes that we do belong together. “I need you to help me find an apartment.”

“
An apartment?” I ask in complete bewilderment.

“
I need a place to stay.” Her brown eyes collide with mine, the misery in them clawing at my heart. “Will you help me, as a friend, find a place?”

My hands fall, along with my shredded heart. “As a friend,” I repeat.

“
I don’t know who else to ask. Rae’s gone. My teammates don’t live around here, and I’m not comfortable asking anyone else,” she says, licking her pink lips. “You’re the only one I trust, Wyatt.”

My attention is riveted on that sweep of tongue. I can’t help it. I could sleep with a thousand women, and still, with just one innocent look or movement, Lacey would have me ready to go again, like I’d never been with anyone before. She has the power to destroy me, again and again.

You’re the only one I trust, Wyatt.
The words echo, reminding me that I have the same power over her.

“
Do your parents know you’re here?”

“
They dropped me off.”

“
Without knowing if I was home?”

“
They didn’t ask me.”

I help her to her feet and give her a hug. I can’t help it. It’s what we do. We comfort one another, and damn, this girl needs comforting. “So you didn’t have to lie.”

“
I never lie.”

I smile, despite myself. “No, you don’t.”

“
Will you help me?” she asks, her voice small and unlike the girl I saw on the skate track. Unlike the girl so confident at the skate park and at work. Unlike the girl who helps take care of her family and tries her best to be a good friend to everyone.

“
Come inside. Let’s talk about your budget and what you’re looking for, okay?” I release her long enough to unlock my door and open it. Out of habit, I walk inside first, flipping on the lights, and checking for… bad guys, I guess.

Luckily, I had the place cleaned this morning, and since I’ve always been something of a neat freak growing up, my condo looks good. Devoid of life, but good.

Lacey walks past me, to stand in the middle of the living room. I shut the door, lock the deadbolt, and toss the keys on a table in the foyer. As I go to her, I try to imagine my place through her eyes.

Stark walls, big flatscreen, even bigger furniture. Great view of a manmade lake. “There’s a guest bedroom that way, with a private bathroom, if you want to rent it from me,” I joke, but Lacey stares at me, her eyes huge.