Southern Heat (Southern 6)

“I’m the one that isn’t worthy of you,” he says. “I’m the one who left you instead of fighting for you. But when I saw that bag. I had this dread that washed over me that you would leave me, and the thought was too much to bear. I just couldn’t.” His hands go back to my face. “I can’t picture life without you.”

The tears roll down my cheeks and over his hands. “That is why I came looking for you,” I say. “To tell you that I don’t want to leave and that I was going to throw the bag out.” I put my hands on his wrists. “But then.”

“You don’t have to relive it,” he says, kissing me softly.

“If I’m going to stay here,” I say. “I have to come clean with Chelsea. I don’t want to keep this from her.” I look into his beautiful blue eyes. “Will you come with me to tell her?”

“I’ll go to the end of the earth for you,” he says. “Do you want to go now?”

“I do,” I say. “I want to go and speak with your dad also.”

He looks at me. “You don’t have to do all of this today.”

“You’re wrong. I do. For me and for them,” I say, and he nods his head. He holds my hand walking out of the house, as we make our way over to their house. I look out the window as I try to think about what I’m going to tell Chelsea. I know I told Quinn I couldn’t live without him, but I know that I can’t come between his family. I won’t.

We pull up to the house, and he kisses my lips. “No matter what happens, we will get through this,” he says, and I know that I have no right to feel sorry for myself. I have no right to feel anything.

He holds my hand, and when Chelsea answers the door, her smile quickly fades when she sees me, and my heart sinks. She knows is the only thing that goes through my mind. “Come in,” she says and quickly puts her arms around my shoulders. “Is everything okay? What happened?”

“Um,” I start to say, but I stop when Mayson comes into the room. He looks at me and then at Quinn.

“I was wondering if I can have a couple of minutes of your time?” I look at Chelsea and then turn back to look at Mayson. “There are things I need to tell you.”

“Of course,” Chelsea says as we walk into the house. I sit on the couch with Quinn beside me. Both of my hands are holding one of his. Mayson sits next to Chelsea. “What is going on?” She looks at everyone and then back at me. “I’m getting scared.”

“I have a confession to make,” I say. “And I want you to know that I never ever wanted anything to happen to you.” I look down at my hands and then up at her. “It was me,” I say. “I’m the reason he was able to kidnap you.”

“It was not you,” Mayson says. “It was not you.”

“Oh, Willow,” Chelsea says, getting up and coming over to my side. “Mayson told me the story, and you have to know I would never blame you. You were a victim, just like everyone else. The only one responsible for this is Benjamin and Benjamin alone.”

“But.” I shake my head. “But I didn’t stop him.”

“He would have found a way to get to me regardless if you didn’t help him. He was a sick man and he is rotting in hell,” Chelsea tells me. “Now this man has had enough of my tears. He’s had enough of your tears and we know that he’s had enough of Mayson’s tears.”

“I don’t know what to say,” I answer honestly. “I’ve never had this kind of support before.”

“Well,” Chelsea says, laughing while wiping away her tears. “I’d get used to it. You’re one of us now.” She puts her arm around me again and pulls me to her.

We leave here with me promising that I won’t blame myself. I get into the truck, knowing I have another big stop to make. My hands shake the whole time we walk back into the barn. “It’s going to be okay.”

“I really hope so,” I say, not sure at this moment. He pulls open the door, and I see Casey sitting behind a big wooden desk with five computer screens in front of him. He looks up and sees Quinn and then me. He gets up, and I’m expecting him to kick me out of his office. I’m expecting him to tell me not to step foot in here again.

“Well, I can see you took your head out of your ass,” he tells Quinn, coming around the desk and smiling at me. “Willow, it’s good to see you again.”