Taking the Fall (1-4)

“Let me do a house check, it will make me feel better,” he says. I know he’s not asking but I want him to as well. It will make me feel better after everything that’s happened today. I’m still anxious at the possibility, no matter how remote, that someone tried to hurt me. It makes me worry about Carter too.

“He’s fine. I talked to him today,” Saint says, confirming that he really is more observant than I had given him credit for.

“Thank you,” I say, opening the door and letting him in the house. It doesn’t take long for him to go through my little place, and I notice he seems to know his way around. I wait for him at the door and don’t comment, because I don’t want to know why he knows my house so well.

“Looks all clear. I’ll check around the outside before I head out,” he says while walking out.

“Thanks, Saint.”

“I’m glad you’re okay. I know you don’t believe me, but Carter would have lost it if you were hurt.”

“I don’t want to talk about him anymore, Saint. I get that you want to get back with Jeanette, but can we leave any and all mentions of Carter out of it? I’ve moved on.”

“Got it,” he says, not quite believing me. “Lock the door and set the alarm. Later, Layla.” He leaves and shuts the door behind him. I make sure he doesn’t see my eye roll. I’ve lived on my own for four years and I know how to take care myself.

I lock down the house and head for my bathroom. I opt to take a hot shower instead of a bath. All I want is to wash away the hospital smell. I don’t bother to dress and just throw on my pink fluffy robe and grab my Kindle. My tummy rumbles loudly and I realize I haven’t eaten today. I don’t feel like making anything, so I just order Chinese.

I’m getting to a really juicy part in my book when the doorbell rings, making me jump. Figuring it’s my takeout, I grab my wallet, turn off the alarm and open the door.

“That’s how you open a fucking door, Cherry?” Carter growls. I jump back in shock and end up tripping over my own feet, falling flat on my ass.

My heart starts pounding at the sound of his voice. Looking up at him, I see his face is set in a hard glare and his jaw is tightly clenched. He’s just a big as I remember, but I swear his effect on me is magnified. After all, now I know how he kisses, what his hands feel like as they caress my skin, how it feels to be owned by him.

Instantly he’s on me, lifting me off the floor like I weigh nothing. I automatically wrap my arms and legs around him to keep from falling. Kicking the door closed with his foot, he walks to the couch, dropping down on to it so I end up straddling him. I know I should be screaming and yelling at him, but my body just clings to his, and I bury my face in his neck. I felt scared all day and I finally feel safe again. It’s as if he’s taken all my worries away with just his presence.

That’s when it hits me. My moment of relief is swept away by sadness and jealousy. All I can smell on him is cheap women’s perfume. I lose it. Angrily, I push myself off his lap. God! To think I curled myself around him like a loyal puppy. Here I am clinging to him, and he’s spent his night with another woman? What happened to all that “I’m yours, and you’re mine bullshit”? I swear I can feel my tattoo of his name burning my skin.

“You stink, Carter. You smell like another woman. I understand that you don’t want to be with me, but, Jesus, have some compassion.”

“It’s not what you think, Cherry,” Carter says softly. He starts to rise and I hold my hand out, not wanting him to get up. He looms over me, filling my entire field of vision. He’s easily over a foot taller than me, and right now I need to be on the same level as him.

“I don’t believe you. See, you have this problem of lying to me and running away. You’re just that kind of man it seems,” I throw the words at him as my anger gets the best of me.

“Never lied to you,” he clips.

“Doesn’t matter. I don’t want to fight about this and I’m done crying. I’m letting you go,” I say forcefully. Maybe if I’m forceful enough with my words, even I’ll believe them.

“You’re letting me go?” he says in a tone that implies I’ve lost it. Maybe I have. God, why does he have to be so beautiful?

I tear my eyes away from him and shift my gaze to my feet. “I can’t justify this to myself anymore. I fight with myself trying to rationalize your actions. I go over and over everything that happened between us in my head. I’m driving myself crazy. Every time I give myself over to you, it’s just a waste of my love. Leave me alone, Carter.” I put my hand over my belly and his eyes go there. “Leave us alone. Please.”

I wish I could sound more commanding, more convincing but I can’t. I feel my shoulders drop in defeat and I close my eyes tightly

The silence is deafening.

CARTER

Did she just say “us”? She didn’t just say “us”. Did she?

I look up at Layla as she stands over me and I see her shoulders start to shake. I watch in horror as tear start to run down her cheeks.

“No, no, no, no, no,” I chant, standing and picking her up again. “Don’t cry, baby, please don’t cry.”

I’m making my way to her room with her in my arms when the doorbell rings. “Who the fuck is that?” I ask.