Read Online What the Heart Takes by Kelli McCracken - Free Book Online

He hadn’t forgotten, nor had he witnessed anything like that day. Layne hadn’t mentioned any other incidents, which meant one thing. He had been keeping secrets.
    “I can’t believe you’re doing this.”
    Layne teetered on the top step as he raised his hands to his sides. “Doing what?”
    “All the damn secrets. You’re full of them. How can you expect me to believe anything you say?”
    “You want to criticize me about keeping secrets, but what about the ones I’ve kept for you? I guess those are okay, unless you finally got the balls to tell Heaven about the newspaper clipping?”
    Dylan stepped forward, pointing his finger at his friend. “I’m at my breaking point with you. So you better think long and hard about what you say to my wife. I wouldn’t advise hurting her, because she is the only thing stopping me from hurting you.”
    “It’s eating you alive that she cares about me, isn’t it? Having her isn’t enough for you, but it would be for someone else.”
    “Who? You?”
    Layne shook his head, but he couldn’t hide the smugness on his face. Distance formed between them as he lowered a foot to the next step. “I’m trying to prove a point is all. Paranoia is going to destroy you, Dylan.”
    Another flash of lightning spread across the sky, warning of the approaching storm. Dylan focused on that thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose and continued. “This is an argument for another time. Right now, I need to know what’s going on with you. Do you have control?”
    The question wiped the smile from Layne’s face, along with the chip on his shoulder. “No more than what you just saw. I feel it smoldering inside me, but I can’t get it out.”
    “I take it Heaven doesn’t know about any of this.”
    Layne shook his head as his eyes moved past Dylan toward the cottage. “No, she doesn’t, and I’d rather she didn’t ‘til I have more to tell. Tonight was close enough.”
    “You mean with the drumsticks?”
    The question hung in the air as Layne took another step lower. His widening eyes warned of an impending comeback. Yet the look on his face changed like the snap of a finger. His eyes returned to normal as he shook his head.
    “Just forget it.”
    Hell no. He needed to talk about this. Now. “I saw the drumsticks, Layne. Tell me what happened. Heaven and I deserve to know.”
    Dropping his shoulders, Layne made his way to the last step. He leaned against the rail, sweeping at the sand with his foot. “I had them out before I went to bed, tapping them against a rum bottle, and a glass, and even the bed. I miss playing.”
    “So what did you do, get pissed and set them on fire?”
    “No.” He tapped his finger against the rail, as though he heard a rhythm in his head. Then he stilled his hand. “I fell asleep with them in my hand.”
    “What did you do, replace your childhood blanket with a set of drumsticks?” Dylan all but snorted the question. It gained him a set of angry eyes.
    “No, smartass, I use them when I’m frustrated. It helps me clear my head when I can bang something.”
    “Or someone.”
    The words slipped out before Dylan could stop them. Hell, he didn’t want to stop them. Nothing he said could hurt Layne the way his friend wounded him. And nothing Layne said or did would make a difference. Not anytime soon. Not without a miracle.
    He waited for a comeback, but none ever came. The horizon held Layne’s attention as he stood at the edge of the sand.
    “So if you fell asleep with them in your hand, how did they catch fire?”
    “You tell me. All I know is that I woke from the dream, fighting to take a breath. Before I had time to realize what was happening, I noticed the sticks were on fire, as was my comforter and clothes.”
    A repeat performance of Layne’s earlier entrance tore through Dylan’s mind. He gritted his teeth from the same anger pumping through his fist. “Yeah, speaking of that.” He shifted his weight against the top step while