Rach? You won’t talk to me.”
Oh my God. I’m doing it—I’m not communicating with people I love. I’m keeping secrets and pushing them away. “Shannon, there’s something I need to tell you. Something you have to promise me you’ll never breathe a word about to another living soul.”
Her eyes grow wide. “You’re pregnant.”
“What? No!”
“Well, what the hell can be so terrible that you’re acting like it’s a life-or-death situation?”
“It’s what I’ve been keeping from you since Merrick and I met. It’s how we got together.”
She scowls in confusion. “I don’t understand what could be so bad about meeting a guy that you couldn’t tell me. What’s the big deal?”
I take a deep breath and just let the truth out. “The big deal is, he kidnapped me.”
Chapter Fourteen
Shannon’s mouth hangs open in shock. I jogged her memory to the night we went out to the club. I told her how you drugged me and brought me to Turtle Tear.
“When I woke up and found out it was him—Merrick Rocha, who I interviewed with and turned down—I couldn’t believe it. How could someone so smart and successful do something so stupid, you know? But, I’ve learned how impulsive he is and how he takes the hardest and longest road to any destination.”
The look on her face tells me she fears for my sanity… and my safety.
“Shan, he thought it was the only way. He was desperate. He could tell from our interview how much Turtle Tear meant to me and he was looking for more than a project manager. I didn’t realize it until much later—much, much later—after we’d already… um… become more than friends, that he needed someone he could trust to keep the hotel from his father.” I’m heading down a rabbit trail and losing her by the second. “Trust me. As my best friend, trust me. I know Merrick. He never meant me harm. It wasn’t easy to let myself trust him, but he earned it.” The memories of our first weeks together spread warmth through my chest. “It was all worth it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She blinks at me, at a loss. “I don’t know what to say,” she says, and for her, that’s a miracle. Shannon always has something to say.
“All I want you to say is that you’ll never tell anyone. Ever. I trusted you with this because I want you to know what I was keeping from you and why.”
She shakes her head. “I won’t. I don’t think anyone would believe me if I did tell them.”
I can’t help it—I laugh. “It’s insane. I know.”
“I kind of want to hate him,” she says, playing with her straw, “but he got you to do what I never could—take what you want and stand up for yourself.” She shrugs. “Plus you love him, so I can’t really hate him.” She smiles and reaches across the table for my hand. “I can see the difference in you. You’ve always been smart and beautiful, but you’ve never had the confidence you have now. He gave you that, didn’t he?”
A flood of emotions overwhelms me and my eyes tear. “He did.” I dab the corners of my eyes with my napkin, trying to keep the crying at bay. “He goes about everything all wrong to make it right, like
taking
me down there to prove that was where I should be.”
Like doing the wrong thing by sending me here to make everything right again at Turtle Tear. “He’s such an idiot sometimes.”
“But he’s your idiot,” she says, grinning, with her lips around her straw.
I laugh. “He is my idiot.”
“And you love him.”
“And I love him.” I’m grinning, too. Shannon can always lug me up onto my feet again when I’m down and curled in the fetal position. “I’ve missed you, Shan.”
“I missed you, too. Don’t hide things from me.” She nudges me with her foot under the table. “I’ll keep all your secrets.”
Telling her everything gives me so much relief. I hadn’t realized how heavy the secret that I’ve been carrying around was. I’ll always keep it from Mom and
Oh my God. I’m doing it—I’m not communicating with people I love. I’m keeping secrets and pushing them away. “Shannon, there’s something I need to tell you. Something you have to promise me you’ll never breathe a word about to another living soul.”
Her eyes grow wide. “You’re pregnant.”
“What? No!”
“Well, what the hell can be so terrible that you’re acting like it’s a life-or-death situation?”
“It’s what I’ve been keeping from you since Merrick and I met. It’s how we got together.”
She scowls in confusion. “I don’t understand what could be so bad about meeting a guy that you couldn’t tell me. What’s the big deal?”
I take a deep breath and just let the truth out. “The big deal is, he kidnapped me.”
Chapter Fourteen
Shannon’s mouth hangs open in shock. I jogged her memory to the night we went out to the club. I told her how you drugged me and brought me to Turtle Tear.
“When I woke up and found out it was him—Merrick Rocha, who I interviewed with and turned down—I couldn’t believe it. How could someone so smart and successful do something so stupid, you know? But, I’ve learned how impulsive he is and how he takes the hardest and longest road to any destination.”
The look on her face tells me she fears for my sanity… and my safety.
“Shan, he thought it was the only way. He was desperate. He could tell from our interview how much Turtle Tear meant to me and he was looking for more than a project manager. I didn’t realize it until much later—much, much later—after we’d already… um… become more than friends, that he needed someone he could trust to keep the hotel from his father.” I’m heading down a rabbit trail and losing her by the second. “Trust me. As my best friend, trust me. I know Merrick. He never meant me harm. It wasn’t easy to let myself trust him, but he earned it.” The memories of our first weeks together spread warmth through my chest. “It was all worth it. I wouldn’t have it any other way.”
She blinks at me, at a loss. “I don’t know what to say,” she says, and for her, that’s a miracle. Shannon always has something to say.
“All I want you to say is that you’ll never tell anyone. Ever. I trusted you with this because I want you to know what I was keeping from you and why.”
She shakes her head. “I won’t. I don’t think anyone would believe me if I did tell them.”
I can’t help it—I laugh. “It’s insane. I know.”
“I kind of want to hate him,” she says, playing with her straw, “but he got you to do what I never could—take what you want and stand up for yourself.” She shrugs. “Plus you love him, so I can’t really hate him.” She smiles and reaches across the table for my hand. “I can see the difference in you. You’ve always been smart and beautiful, but you’ve never had the confidence you have now. He gave you that, didn’t he?”
A flood of emotions overwhelms me and my eyes tear. “He did.” I dab the corners of my eyes with my napkin, trying to keep the crying at bay. “He goes about everything all wrong to make it right, like
taking
me down there to prove that was where I should be.”
Like doing the wrong thing by sending me here to make everything right again at Turtle Tear. “He’s such an idiot sometimes.”
“But he’s your idiot,” she says, grinning, with her lips around her straw.
I laugh. “He is my idiot.”
“And you love him.”
“And I love him.” I’m grinning, too. Shannon can always lug me up onto my feet again when I’m down and curled in the fetal position. “I’ve missed you, Shan.”
“I missed you, too. Don’t hide things from me.” She nudges me with her foot under the table. “I’ll keep all your secrets.”
Telling her everything gives me so much relief. I hadn’t realized how heavy the secret that I’ve been carrying around was. I’ll always keep it from Mom and
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