Tempest

Tempest

Copyright 2014 M.S Watson

Published by M.S Watson at Smashwords

Cover Image © Andrey Kiselev – Fotolia.com

Smashwords Edition License Notes

This eBook is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This eBook may not be re-sold or given away to other people. If you would like to share this book with another person, please

purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not purchased for your enjoyment only, then please return to Smashwords.com or your favourite retailer and purchase your own copy. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedications

This book is dedicated to my friends and family who supported me during the month of NaNoWriMo in particular, but also my entire writing career. Tempest would not have been completed had it not been for my love Liam for keeping me on track and not letting me deviate until I was done.

Chapter One

‘Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.’

Martin Luther King, Jr.

Lainie waited at the docks, hugging herself tight as she waited for him to arrive.

It had been difficult to slip out long enough, what with the new curfew and strict supervision she’d been forced under. Even more so to keep her quickly growing stomach from showing, digging into Iris’ closet to try and find her winter clothes. Lainie didn’t own anything baggy; her closet had always consisted of tight clothes and short skirts and dresses. She’d always focused on gaining Ryker’s attention by flaunting as much skin as she dared. Now, though, she wished she hadn’t. Anything to take away the things she had done not only to Ryker and Isabella, but also to her friends and family for the sake of her obsession.

There was one person who deserved her apology above all others, though.

She spotted him the moment he set foot against the docks, the wood clacking underfoot as he strode in her direction. Her heart gave its usual flip, leaving her baffled as to why she was so spellbound by Ryker. Starden’s athletic physique was enough to make any girl drivel, his hair always neatly combed and those eyes … She swallowed back the desire, forcing her gaze to focus on the choppy little waves under the dock. It was overcast, the cold seeping through her jacket as easily as though she wore none; she shivered furiously but refused to give into the warmth emanating from Macy’s. A warm hand came down on her shoulder, squeezing for a moment before the familiar jacket she’d worn hundreds of times before came down around her. She snuggled into the warmth, breathing in the scent that was purely her Starden.

He came to stand at her side, his eyes stormy as he stared out at the horizon. Birds sang out overhead, swooping in only to snatch fish from just below the surface of the water. The briny scent of the water wasn’t enough to calm her though.

‘You have me here, now,’ he murmured, the distaste clear in his tone. ‘How about you make this quick so I can get back to brooding?’

‘I’m sorry if this is wasting your time,’ she replied, her voice distant but her heart torn. She just wanted her Starden back. ‘I-I don’t really know why I called you here.’

‘Then this is a waste of time,’ Starden grumbled. He turned to leave. Lainie reached out with a hand, almost desperate in her attempt to stop him. She did know why she had called him there; she wanted to make things right. She did want him back, but the likelihood of those occurring was minimal. No, she had called him here to apologise. That much she could do.

Starden watched her expectantly, eyes narrowed in a challenge. She couldn’t speak for several moments, but as he started to turn away again she tightened her grip on his arm.

‘I’m truly sorry about the way things have gone,’ she apologised, the sincerity clear as a bell in her voice. Starden smirked then, shaking his head in disbelief.

‘You’re not sorry at all,’ he countered. ‘You’re only sorry because you got caught. You’re transparent to me Lainie. You always have been, ever since shortly after we announced our relationship to the world. You used me to get your precious Ryker, and when you couldn’t have him you dangled me about, teasing me with what I would never have.’ Lainie shook her head in disbelief, hating the pain she had caused Starden. She realised then that she should have listened to the others, should have let him go before he realised what she was hoping to achieve. But no, she had been so completely desperate to have one guy that she had caused emotional hurt to Starden.

She shook her head, more to herself than at the hurtful words Starden had said. ‘I didn’t mean to hurt you or use you. On a level, I did love you and still do. I was just so … obsessed that I couldn’t see anything else. I lost my mind and hurt everyone I loved and cared about because of someone I wanted. I am sorry, to everyone about everything I have done. And now I have to pay the price.’ Her bottom lip quivered as she fought for control over her emotions, to fight back against the nausea that came flooding into her every time she thought of the future she was facing. Starden cocked his head to the side, unwilling curiosity etched across his face.

‘What is that supposed to mean?’ he asked her. Lainie swallowed nervously, debating internally whether to tell him or not. It wouldn’t help the situation, but it would make herself feel better. He might hate her now, but she believed he had a right to know. A right to have his mind put at ease before the rumours started to fly. She glanced away, continuing to do so even when he grabbed her shoulders and demanded her to answer.

‘It means that I …’ She looked up at him, breathing in his scent and relishing the feeling of his hands strong against her shoulders. She would never feel it again, she knew as much. She committed the feeling to memory and shrugged his hands away. With a deep breath she managed to say, ‘I’m pregnant with Ryker’s baby.’

‘You’re what?’ Starden exclaimed, his face turning pale. ‘How is that even possible? He’s dead!’ Lainie shrugged, glancing out to sea once again. She didn’t bother trying to stop the tears from falling then. They fell down her face quickly, barely pausing before the next fell. Starden bent over then, head in his hands. Lainie struggled to remain in place, to stop herself from holding him. Her desperation almost made her give in to him, to apologise and tell him that she lied, that she was wrong. But she couldn’t. There was no other option; no way that she could soften the blow. All she could do was stand by and watch, the realisation creasing his face with agony.

Lainie wiped at her eyes, wishing that for once she could be strong. ‘I’m sorry.’

He shook his head in response, offering her a pitying smile. ‘No, don’t be sorry,’ he replied, returning to his full height. He strode forward then, pulling her into the warmth and tightness of his embrace.

It was a cruelty and a mercy, the feel and texture of his body under her fingertips. She didn’t want to ever let him go, in that moment. The past didn’t matter in that moment; only him. Her one true love, not the obsession she held. While Ryker was exotic and commanded her eyes wherever he went, Starden was sweet and offered her kindness, even now when he should be heartbroken and horrified. She didn’t deserve his kindness; she knew that. If she could turn back time, she couldn’t promise that she wouldn’t do those things again, but she would try harder. She would have spared his heart, somehow. She would have chosen someone that was less sweet, less genuine and caring. Someone that wouldn’t throw away his entire life just to keep her safe and happy at his side.

It would have been easier had she chosen someone who wouldn’t respect her, someone that she could leave without another breath. She was in love with him, so much so that she simply couldn’t leave him. She hated that she had hurt him, that she had used him. He was intoxicating though, his scent so potent and strong that she grew strength from simply breathing it in. Starden had always been her pillar of strength. Now she needed him more than ever.

‘I need help,’ she whispered, burying her face deeper into the crook of his neck. He breathed in deep, held his breath then released it after several moments. She felt him nod, his stubble-covered chin brushing gently over the crown of her head. He moved back then, gathering both of her hands in his own. He brought them to his face, gently kissing the knuckles on both hands. His eyes pierced hers, the intelligence and hopefulness plain to see. But beyond all else, the forgiveness she saw in his gaze was by far the most astonishing emotion that he revealed to her. She bit her lip and glanced at the ground.

‘I will help you,’ he whispered, lifting her chin with the tip of a finger. ‘No matter what has happened in the past, your punishment has been served. You have experienced the pain, you have apologised and now it is time to move on. Ryker is gone. You have a future now that you didn’t plan for but that doesn’t matter. What matters is how you react to it.’ He pulled her close once again, tucking her gently under an arm as the sky began to rain down on them. He led her along the docks toward Macy’s, the closest shelter they had to remain out of the storm. The tension eased gradually, leaving Lainie giddy as she and Starden stumbled in the direction of one of the empty tables, both of them laughing by the time they were seated.

The diner was quiet, uncharacteristically so, but Lainie preferred it like that in that moment. Starden’s smile vanished too-quick, but a memory in Lainie’s mind as he reached for her hand across the table. He squeezed gently, rubbing a thumb against her hand. The familiarity of the gesture was too much, bringing tears to her eyes. When she didn’t seem likely to stop crying, Starden strode around the table and pulled her close. They drew the gazes of everyone around them, but she didn’t care. She stood, hiding her face from the others in his shoulder. He rubbed her back gently, their closeness reminding her of the way things used to be.

‘I’ll take you home,’ he whispered in her ear, reaching for the umbrella that Macy passed wordlessly over the counter. They strode out the door, the expanse of onyx material creating a barrier against the rain. Lainie struggled to remain warm, but where her body touched Starden’s, she felt complete. She missed this more than she cared to admit, more than she wanted to. The connectedness she had with Starden couldn’t ever be duplicated, not with her family or friends. Not even Ryker could replace this feeling, even with their masochistic relationship.

It was over too quickly. They mounted the porch steps together, arms linked as the house was pummelled by rain. Starden shook the umbrella dry as they reached the door, his expression a cross between confusion, hope and disappointment. Lainie couldn’t tell which was more prominent; she didn’t care. All she saw was the man she loved close by her and as warm as the day a few winters back when she hugged him for the first time. Starden lowered his arm and Lainie released it reluctantly, wishing all the while that he would sweep her into his arms as he always had and take her upstairs. They hadn’t loved like that in a long time, that genuine passion she had felt shortly after she realised she was in love with him.

The newness returned, leaving her in agony at the thought of returning to her room alone, without him. She wanted him back, the need more sincere and furiously demanding than the first moment she had laid eyes on Ryker. She took a silent step toward Starden, her inner self tugging her toward him. That instinct, that complete need to be near him was overpowering her. She tried to remain in place but the effort was futile. She wasn’t strong enough. Just as she could control the will of others with her power of manipulation, her emotions were amplified and as a result, overpowered her own will. Her emotions were controlling her too much, leading her to hurting her family when she was angry and making horrible mistakes when she felt the obsession to sleep with Ryker when Cronus made it a possibility.

‘There are things that you do not know about me,’ she whispered, hoping that her explanation would be enough. ‘Things that changed me before you left me and after. Things that don’t make sense and things that shouldn’t make sense. Things that shouldn’t even exist. I hate it. I hate this and I hate what I’ve become. I hate the things I’ve done, and while I have done wrong things to those I’ve loved, I never meant for this to happen. I can’t tell you all of it, but I didn’t cheat on you, not even once.’ She looked up at him then, eyes watering as he watched with an unreadable expression. ‘I love you, Starden. I have ever since shortly after we started dating. And while I did intend on using you, I got so caught up in my emotions — partly my own fault, but partly due to something out of my control — that I never considered anyone else. And now I’m having his child. If nothing else then please, please believe me.’

Silence remained for a few moments, dancing like tiny ballerinas that played with harps of tension and unease. Finally, though, Starden nodded slowly and framed Lainie’s face gently with the palms of his hands. He smoothed her hair back, his eyes watery as he fought to stop himself from crying. She reached out and caught each of them, one by one as they trickled down his face and mixed with the rain droplets that had fallen onto the toes of his shoes. He nodded, the gesture slow and careful, but it was confirmation nonetheless. Lainie’s chest swelled with happiness, her elation leaving her sincerely giddy as she threw herself into his arms. He swung her around, breathing in the scent of her hair and holding her as tight as he dared.

‘I forgive you,’ Starden replied quietly, offering her a small smile. ‘I’ve known you long enough now to know when you are