Read Online The Truth Be Told (The Truth in Lies Saga #3) by Jeanne McDonald - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Jeanne McDonald
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The sound of children playing in the distance seeped into my thoughts, reminding me that we weren’t alone. I pulled back, breathless and wanton, to find passionate blue eyes staring back at me. His lips already showed signs of our kiss as they hung open in a question of why I’d stopped. “What if someone sees us?”
Anger flashed across his face. “Who cares? This stupid plan of Jared’s has been nothing but a nightmare.”
“Andy, baby, he was right. Olivia and your father would’ve ripped us to shreds, and that would’ve caused undue pressure on the wedding. It was exactly why I said no to coming here in the first place.”
He tensed up, hands loosening from around my body. His gaze dropped from mine, his eyelashes masking his disappointment. “Why did you come then?”
I cupped his face in my hands and forced him to look at me. The warm ocean that had been so alive during our kiss had turned into cold icebergs that chilled me to the bone. “I came because I couldn’t stand being away from you for one more day. I love you, Andrew Wise, and if it meant facing the firing squad, I was willing to do it.”
The sweet, charismatic smile that always charmed me into submission spread across his face. His body relaxed as he pulled me to where my head rested on his chest. I listened to the deep rumble of his voice and the constant beat of his heart as he spoke. “I needed to hear that, Beautiful. The thought of being apart kills me, too. I hate that we haven’t had more time together.”
“We’re spending time together now,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to the valley of his neck.
A soft moan rumbled in his throat. “Yes, we are.” His hands roamed up my back, coaxing me further into relaxation.
“And so far I’ve had a blast. You know, I really liked Niles. He was quite charming and witty. Much like you.”
“He’s a good man. I learned a lot from him growing up.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Niles was once a close friend to my parents.” And that was where he left it. There was a sort of sadness to his voice that ripped through my heart. I wanted to hold him tight to me and I wasn’t sure why. He seemed lost and alone.
“What ya thinkin’ ‘bout?”
Drew rubbed soft circles along the small of my back. “Nothing.” He paused, “Everything. Like why didn’t you run from me screaming when I told you what I’d done?”
And there it was. The elephant that had basically haunted us since the day I’d met Drew. I just didn’t know it then. My strong, confident man was just as broken on the inside as I was. Maybe even worse. My mother once told me that whatever you’re feeling, however low you might be, there’s always someone feeling worse and even lower than you are. Be grateful for the good things in life. Boy was she right. Never in a million years would I have imagined Drew’s secret. Not only was he nearly a father, but he was once someone’s husband. He’d faced atrocities far worse than my own. Nate might’ve emotionally left me, but at least he never cheated on me like Drew’s ex-wife did him. Of that I was certain.
“You act as if you did something on purpose. Like you intentionally caused the accident. The way I see it, you and your ex are both to blame. Does that make you monsters? No. It makes you human.” I lifted my face, honing my gaze on his. His eyes watered but no tears fell. “Andy, we both know what it’s like to lose a child. To be so close to our dream of a family only for it to slip away in the blink of an eye. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, and I know you’ve more than paid for your mistakes.”
“If only that were true.”
“It is true. If you could only see things from my perspective.” I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts. “I would never wish any of those things on you, but I’ve come to know the man who
Anger flashed across his face. “Who cares? This stupid plan of Jared’s has been nothing but a nightmare.”
“Andy, baby, he was right. Olivia and your father would’ve ripped us to shreds, and that would’ve caused undue pressure on the wedding. It was exactly why I said no to coming here in the first place.”
He tensed up, hands loosening from around my body. His gaze dropped from mine, his eyelashes masking his disappointment. “Why did you come then?”
I cupped his face in my hands and forced him to look at me. The warm ocean that had been so alive during our kiss had turned into cold icebergs that chilled me to the bone. “I came because I couldn’t stand being away from you for one more day. I love you, Andrew Wise, and if it meant facing the firing squad, I was willing to do it.”
The sweet, charismatic smile that always charmed me into submission spread across his face. His body relaxed as he pulled me to where my head rested on his chest. I listened to the deep rumble of his voice and the constant beat of his heart as he spoke. “I needed to hear that, Beautiful. The thought of being apart kills me, too. I hate that we haven’t had more time together.”
“We’re spending time together now,” I murmured, pressing a kiss to the valley of his neck.
A soft moan rumbled in his throat. “Yes, we are.” His hands roamed up my back, coaxing me further into relaxation.
“And so far I’ve had a blast. You know, I really liked Niles. He was quite charming and witty. Much like you.”
“He’s a good man. I learned a lot from him growing up.”
“Is that so?”
“Yeah. Niles was once a close friend to my parents.” And that was where he left it. There was a sort of sadness to his voice that ripped through my heart. I wanted to hold him tight to me and I wasn’t sure why. He seemed lost and alone.
“What ya thinkin’ ‘bout?”
Drew rubbed soft circles along the small of my back. “Nothing.” He paused, “Everything. Like why didn’t you run from me screaming when I told you what I’d done?”
And there it was. The elephant that had basically haunted us since the day I’d met Drew. I just didn’t know it then. My strong, confident man was just as broken on the inside as I was. Maybe even worse. My mother once told me that whatever you’re feeling, however low you might be, there’s always someone feeling worse and even lower than you are. Be grateful for the good things in life. Boy was she right. Never in a million years would I have imagined Drew’s secret. Not only was he nearly a father, but he was once someone’s husband. He’d faced atrocities far worse than my own. Nate might’ve emotionally left me, but at least he never cheated on me like Drew’s ex-wife did him. Of that I was certain.
“You act as if you did something on purpose. Like you intentionally caused the accident. The way I see it, you and your ex are both to blame. Does that make you monsters? No. It makes you human.” I lifted my face, honing my gaze on his. His eyes watered but no tears fell. “Andy, we both know what it’s like to lose a child. To be so close to our dream of a family only for it to slip away in the blink of an eye. You didn’t deserve what happened to you, and I know you’ve more than paid for your mistakes.”
“If only that were true.”
“It is true. If you could only see things from my perspective.” I shook my head, trying to gather my thoughts. “I would never wish any of those things on you, but I’ve come to know the man who
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