Nowhere Left to Run, page 26
“Don’t be silly,” I laughed. “We’re going to have family night tonight, Luke will be with his father tomorrow and Sunday night, and Monday we’ll all be at the Charleston for the Memorial Day fireworks and barbeque. I’ll see you bright and early Tuesday morning.”
“All right.” Marisol hummed as she began putting away groceries, and I worked beside her in companionable silence.
Despite being as rich and successful as I was, I liked to be involved in all aspects of both my home and my businesses, so although we could’ve easily had a bevy of maids and other live-in help, we preferred to keep things less formal. The kids made their own beds in the morning, and even when we were on tour, we sat down to eat dinner as a family as often as possible. My mother and mother-in-law both lived nearby, so they often joined us on the weekends, and the kids’ friends were usually out by the pool or downstairs in the game room. Normally, the house was full of life and laughter, and I suddenly wondered if that would change if Jay left me.
“Honey, are you okay? You look a little pale.”
“Sorry.” I shrugged. “Jay and I had a little disagreement and I guess I’m beating myself up over it.”
“Did he walk out?” she asked in surprise.
“No—we got a bunch of calls from the studio about a big booking mistake, so he ran out of here to take care of it. He said we’d talk about it tonight, but you know me—if there’s something to worry about, I’m bound to worry about it.”
“He’s been different lately,” Marisol acknowledged. “Lighter, as if the weight of the world had been on his shoulders and suddenly it’s been lifted. I thought maybe things between you were better.”
“Better? What do you mean?” I looked at her in surprise.
“I’m sorry.” Marisol turned away, her cheeks turning pink. “I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“No, tell me.” I touched her arm. “No one tells me the truth about anything. They’re all afraid of hurting my feelings. I could really use a somewhat-outside perspective, because I feel like I’m losing him, and I don’t know what to do.”
“He used to walk on eggshells around you, and now suddenly he seems more self-assured, not so nervous.”
“He walked on eggshells around me?” I blinked. “Really?”
“Since you got back from the last leg of the tour, you’ve been tense, coiled tight as a spring, and so has he. There’s no doubt something, or someone, has been on your mind.”
“But there hasn’t been,” I whispered in frustration. “I guess I’m just a bitch.”
“No.” Marisol paused, looking over at me. “You know, I’ve got a good fifteen years on you, but I’m still a woman, and I know pain when I see it. It’s right there, just beneath the surface on you. I don’t know what, exactly, put it there, but I know the stories, I’ve read the gossip magazines… You wear your pain on your sleeve, and while it makes great lyrics for your songs, I’m pretty sure it’s a tough burden for your husband to carry around.”
“He never complains, he never says anything,” I murmured. “He never has. Maybe that’s why. Sometimes I just wish he’d get mad and tell me how awful I am, but he doesn’t. He enables my misery, and I let him. We’re quite a pair, I guess.”
“Honey, it might not be any of my business, but you’ve got to communicate. The only thing that will save you is complete honesty. No matter how much it hurts, it’s better than what you’ve been living.”
“I guess we’ll see what happens tonight.” I popped a few grapes in my mouth and we finished putting everything away in silence.
It wasn’t long before Luke walked in, tossing his backpack on the rack by the garage and immediately heading for the cookie jar.
“Wash your hands!” Marisol called to him, like she did every day, and he turned to stick his tongue out at her, making us all laugh.
* * *
I picked up the twins just before five and when we got home, Jay was back. He and Luke were making pizza from scratch for dinner, one of our favorite meals, and by the time we had them in the oven, Marisol had cleaned up and left for her long weekend. We ate at the kitchen table, talking about the day and laughing as Jay recounted the problems at the studio. He mimicked one musician’s British accent so accurately, and embellished the story so much, everyone laughed until tears ran down their faces. It occurred to me that it had been a while since this lighthearted side of Jay had been visible, and I’d missed it. Had it been his gambling that had knocked the spirit out of him, or was it that he had found someone new that had given it back to him?
“I think we need ice cream,” Joss announced when the last of the pizza was gone.
“From Delaney’s,” Jessie added, referring to a small local shop that made their own brand of gourmet ice cream.
“And then charades,” Luke added. “We haven’t played in ages.”
“We can do that,” Jay said, nodding. “What do you think, Casey?”
“Sure,” I said, smiling at the kids’ excitement.
“How about your mom and I go get the ice cream, and you guys put the dishes in the dishwasher and set up the game?”
“Okay!” Jessie jumped up, grabbing some dishes, and Joss and Luke followed suit.
They yelled out their orders as we hurried to scribble them on a piece of note paper. Within minutes, we were in his Porsche pulling out of the driveway.
“That was fun,” I laughed, glancing at him.
“Yeah, it was.” He reached over and grabbed my hand.
“You seem happy today,” I said slowly. “Is it all because of the gambling debts being taken care of, or is there something else?”
He looked over at me. “What do you mean?”
“I couldn’t put my finger on it before, but it just hit me that you’re acting like a man who’s in love. And I’m pretty sure it’s not with me.”
He was silent for so long I actually turned to stare at him. “Oh my god, have you been having an affair? Was that what you were planning to tell me tonight?”
“It’s not what you think,” he said quickly. “It’s not like that at all. I’m not going anywhere, unless you want me to, but you have to let me explain.”
“Oh, god.” I sank back against the leather seat, feeling like I was going to vomit.
“No, Casey, listen to me.” He pulled the car to a stop at a red light and looked at me. “I let myself get caught up in that gambling bullshit and I know now that it was a dumbass way of getting your attention. I thought if I could win a ton of money, you’d think I was cool or something, but if I got myself in trouble, you’d have to take care of me like you’ve always done.”
“Jay…” I squeezed his hand. “I got you started, but you took the ball and ran with it! Why do you keep—”
“Wait, please.” His golden eyes bore into mine, a tiny smile playing on his face. “I’ve always loved you, from the minute I first saw you play live, when you were about seventeen. Then when I actually met you, you were everything I could have hoped for and more. I made myself indispensable to you because I wanted to be in your life. I knew you loved Erik, and I knew you probably would never love me the way you’d loved him, but after we were married I allowed myself to believe that if I could just be a big enough man—professionally, financially, romantically, whatever—maybe you would love me that much. And when it didn’t happen, I started to spiral out of control.”
“Oh, Jayson.” Out of the corner of my eye, I thought I saw headlights coming toward us far too fast.
“And then I met someone who made me realize that I was being an idiot—both to you and to myself. She made me believe in myself again, and although I’m not proud of some of the things I’ve done, I know how to make things right. For all of us, if you’ll just trust me.”
The light turned green but he was still looking at me.
“Jayson…” My voice trailed off as the headlights seemed to be coming right at us. “Jay, the light.”
“Screw the light. Listen to me. Erik is alive.”
I screamed as a truck careened through the intersection and plunged into Jay’s side of the car. We spun in a circle and my seat belt pulled taut. I thought I saw the airbag inflate and felt something sharp stabbing my shoulder, but then the side of my head exploded with pain, and there was blackness.
* * *
Get ready for NOWHERE LEFT TO HIDE, book 3 of The Royal Trilogy—here!
* * *
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Nowhere Left to Hide - the exciting conclusion to The Royal Trilogy!
* * *
We have nowhere left to hide...
Erik
Loving her from the shadows shattered my heart.
Watching her move on nearly destroyed me.
I let them both go, knowing it was the only way to keep them safe.
Now the threat is back and there’s only one way to protect them: Come back from the dead.
It’s time to claim what’s mine.
My woman. My kingdom. My life.
* * *
Casey
The only man I ever truly loved died to protect us, and nothing will ever be the same.
I've spent the last decade becoming someone else, forcing myself to let go of the past.
The past won’t let go of me.
The life I’ve rebuilt is crashing down around me.
I thought it was over, but fate isn’t finished with me yet.
Kat Mizera, Nowhere Left to Run
