Hearts at Play(41)

She held on to his arms. “I do trust you.”

“Then nothing else in the world should matter.” He brought his lips to hers and felt tension in the stiffness of her body. He deepened the kiss, and her lips parted; her body relaxed into him. When they drew apart, he took her hand in his and brought it to his lips. “I love you, Bree, and I love Layla. I’m not going to do anything that could hurt you. I promise you that.”

She dropped her gaze and nodded.

He lifted her chin and their eyes caught. “Brianna, if you don’t trust me, then we have no future.” Trust me. Please tell me you trust me. Hugh hadn’t given a thought to how he looked to the world when he’d been flaunting a different sexy woman on his arm every week. Why would he? It was all fun and games, and he had no attachments. Now he saw it all much differently. “I can’t change my past, Bree. But I am the man you see in front of you. The man who wants to have a family and wants nothing more than to settle down and love you and Layla.” Why wasn’t she telling him how much she loved him? Shit, shit, shit.

She looked at Layla for a long time without saying a word. Every second that passed twisted his gut a little tighter.

“My mom trusted my dad,” she whispered. “He left, and look how messed up it made me.”

He moved in front of her eyes. “You’re not messed up, Bree. Haven’t I shown you how much you mean to me?”

She nodded.

“I don’t understand any of this.” Hugh took a step backward. “I get why you worry, and I know you’re protecting Layla, but I haven’t given you any reason to believe I’d hurt you. Not one.”

She looked him in the eye. “No, you haven’t.”

“Then what the hell is going on?” His muscles corded. He felt them strain against his neck, felt the room go quiet, and knew all eyes were on them.

“No one plans to walk away,” Brianna said softly. “What if we do go with you and you suddenly realize that this time in Richmond has been fun, but it isn’t what you really want? What if you realize that you miss the faster lifestyle?”

His gut reaction—born of hurt and anger and not at all how he really felt—was, What if I do? Then fuck me. It’s my loss. He clenched his jaw long enough to ensure his voice would not take flight without consulting his brain.

“What if you go into work tomorrow and meet a normal guy who won’t spoil Layla and has never been photographed with another woman? What if you come with me and decide you can’t take it? What if you’re intimidated by the fan girls or hate the travel?” It could happen, he realized, and his stomach knotted tighter.

Their eyes locked. Brianna reached up and touched her locket. She tucked her hair behind her ear, and Hugh felt his heart cracking. He registered voices behind him but couldn’t comprehend the words. His mind was in a vacuum, focused solely on Brianna’s response.

“Maybe…maybe it’s safer…for us…you and me…if Layla and I don’t go.” Brianna’s voice was barely a whisper.

Hugh ran his hand through his hair and noticed the rest of their guests gathering their coats. He had no experience with this—with relationships. All he knew was that the idea of going to the race without her sucked and it pissed him off that she’d give up being with him because of her insecurities.

The muscles in his jaw twitched as the anger was pushed aside and disappointment filled his heart. “Let’s get Layla home and we can think this through.”





BRIANNA’S STOMACH LURCHED as she watched Hugh walk onto the stage and disappear behind the curtain. He’s getting Layla’s tiara. Even when she was turning their lives upside down, he was still thinking of Layla.

As soon as Hugh was out of sight, Kat joined her. “Hey, you guys okay?”

Brianna shook her head, blinking away tears that burned her eyes. “What have I done?” she whispered.

Kat dragged her into the ladies’ room. Brianna spun around, her face hot, her heart racing.

“What the fuck is wrong with me?” she cried. “Oh my God, Kat. I’m such a fuckup.” She caught a glimpse of her red face in the mirror and turned away.

“What happened? It was a perfect night, and then all of a sudden everyone’s looking at you guys and you both look like you’ve had your hearts ripped out.” Kat grabbed her by the shoulders and spun her around. “Look at me, Bree. Spit it out, and if he said something that hurt you, I’ll kill him.”

Tears streamed down her cheeks. “Do you really think he’d hurt me? Look around you, Kat. Where are we?”

The bathroom door burst open, and her mother walked in. “What’s going on?”

Brianna turned her back to her mother and crossed her arms over her chest.

“Brianna?” She touched her shoulder, and Brianna shrugged her off. “Kat?”

Brianna imagined Kat holding her palms up toward the ceiling.

“Brianna Marie Heart, turn around,” her mother said in a motherly voice that commanded attention.

She rotated slowly, her eyes trained on the floor.

“Bree, talk to me. Please. What the hell happened?” She opened her arms, and Brianna collapsed into them, sobbing into her mother’s shoulder.

“It’s me. I can’t do this. This is why I had a twelve-year plan, because relationships are too complicated.”

“My ass,” Kat said under her breath.

Brianna pushed away from her mother, grabbed a tissue from the counter and wiped her eyes. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“You’re the most organized and efficient woman I know. For years you’ve juggled two jobs and a daughter.” Kat stepped closer with a challenge in her hooded eyes. “There’s nothing too complicated for you.”

“Great friend you are,” Brianna snapped.

“I am a great friend and you know it. Whatever you did, you did because you’re afraid or something.” Kat leaned against the sink and looked at her nails.

“You don’t care.” Why am I being such a bitch?

Kat rolled her eyes.

“Oh, that’s real nice,” Brianna spat.

Her mother shook her head. “Okay, girls, hold on.” She stood between them. “Bree, what happened out there? He just invited you to see his race. How did that lead to this?”

Because I’m afraid. Because maybe I won’t fit into his lifestyle. Because maybe a child is too much for him and he just doesn’t know it. “How the fuck should I know?”

“Because whatever happened, you just said you did it.” Kat glared at Brianna. “I love you. You know I do, but I’m not going to sit here and mollycoddle your ass when you’re freaking Pretty Woman and Richard Gere is right outside that door waiting to sweep you off your feet.”

Fresh tears filled Brianna’s eyes.

“Sorry, Bree. No pity here.” Kat held her gaze. “Either give it up and tell us what he did that led you to do whatever you did, or I’m walking out that door and I’ll see you at work tomorrow. Did he hurt you? Demand you do something you don’t want to? Is he a control freak? Does he have inappropriate thoughts about Layla?”

“Kat!” Jean snapped.

Brianna leaned against the cold tile wall. Hugh’s sad eyes were seared into her memory. She slid down the wall, wishing she could disappear. She closed her eyes against the fluorescent lights that echoed off the yellow walls—and against her mother and Kat’s disbelieving eyes.

“There are too many what-ifs,” she finally said.

Her mother crouched beside her. “What-ifs?”

Kat paced. “What-ifs. What if he leaves me?” she said in a mocking voice. “What if he doesn’t like me in a year? What if my daughter’s too much for him?”

“They’re real concerns, Kat,” Brianna snapped.

Kat sat on the floor beside her and gently took her hand. “Yes, they are,” she said in a soothing voice. “They are one hundred fucking percent valid concerns.” Kat pressed her lips into a line and brushed Brianna’s hair from where it had stuck to the tears on her cheek. “There are no guarantees, Bree. None. You could decide tomorrow that you don’t want to be a mom anymore.”

Brianna gasped. “I’d never do that.”

“See what you felt right then?” Kat poked Brianna above her heart. “That pain that speared you when I said it?” She paused. “That’s what you did to him.”

“This is my fault.” Her mother let out a loud sigh. “You worry because your dad left and because Layla’s father left. You’ve never trusted men, and I never did anything to teach you otherwise.” Her mother held her other hand.

“That’s not true.” It was one hundred percent true about most men, but she wasn’t going to admit to that weakness. “I do trust Hugh.” I really, truly do. With my life and with Layla’s.

“Then what is this all about?” her mother asked.

“It’s me, Mom.”

Her mother shook her head. “I don’t understand. Are you worried that you’ll change your mind about him?”

“She’s weird, but she’s not crazy,” Kat said.

“No. I love him. I know I do, but how do I make myself not worry? I have all this shit in my head.” Brianna fidgeted with the hem of her dress. “I think about what could go wrong…”