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FROM THE MOMENT HE saw Lexie, something lodged in Elliot’s throat, but nothing seemed to help push the obstruction back down. Swallowing, he glanced in the rearview mirror at her prone form, curled up in the backseat of his truck, her hair a spray of ink over the dark leather, framing her ghostly white pallor.
She had yet to open her eyes, and as Elliot waited in front of the Dodson home for Gail and Ed, he wondered if he should have taken her to a doctor. Yet even as he fretted over his decision, he knew taking her into town would’ve stirred rumors. A pregnant Lexie and Elliot together would have spread like wildfire. Wanting to spare them both the agony of illicit gossip, he took the safer course of action in returning her home.
Lexie curled up on her side. Every now and then, her lips twitched, and her eyes darted under her lids as if she were dreaming. If the tenor of the occasional whimper were any indication, whatever she dreamt about wasn’t good.
His eyes moved to her stomach, which lay distended on the seat. He gripped the steering wheel tighter, the sight of her—pregnant no less—harder for him than he had imagined it would be.
A million memories flashed through his head, with little hope of fighting them off—the first time he saw her, their prom, walks in the park, picnics on the lake, teaching her how to fish, and the day he asked her to marry him. So many happy memories surrounded her, but the day she left him stuck out in his mind the most vividly—the day she drove away from their future together, Elliot’s future, his dreams, what he thought were their dreams.
Shifting in his seat, he focused his gaze out the window before his eyes could search for her left hand. He didn’t want to check for a ring—didn’t want to see if she was married. What difference would it make, anyway? She left for a reason, to build a new life for herself, and that is obviously what she had done, married or not. Still, the thought of her belonging to another man, pledging forever to someone other than himself, turned his heart to stone and his stomach in knots.
She stirred for the first time since his drive back to her home. What would her reaction be if she opened her eyes? He wondered, once again, if driving her himself had been such a good idea. Maybe he should have called Gail or Ed at the store. But the image of Lexie moaning and lying crumpled on the concrete solidified his decision. He had been right to bring her home.
Silence surrounded him, and he wished, more than ever, he had someone to talk to, something to distract himself from the gut-wrenching knowledge something was very wrong. Nothing could explain her reaction in the parking lot of his store, nor why she still lay, semi-unconscious, in the backseat of his truck.
When he had rushed to her side in a panic, she fought him. He called her name, bittersweet on his tongue, but she hadn’t responded. With tender hands, he tugged gently on her arms, trying to get her to sit. The knees of her pants were scraped, and bits of gravel were embedded on the side of her face. A small amount of blood still oozed from the wounds of her fall. Her hands moved frantically, trying to uncurl his fingers from her arms and to loosen his grip. Her voice carried with it an odd lilt of both fear and disbelief: No. Not again. Get away. Get away from me.
When the familiar sight of the Dodson’s rusted Ford came to a grinding halt in front of the house, Elliot let out the pent-up breath he had been holding. Gail would know what to do. Competent hands would soon have her, and he could go home, where he would try to erase the image of Lexie from his mind.
Gail and Ed jumped down from their seats, slamming the doors of the old truck behind them.
“What happened? Where is she?” Gail asked. She rushed around the side of Elliot’s truck, her expression tight.
Elliot climbed out and opened the door to the backseat. “She’s back here.”
With one hand braced on the shiny black paint of his Chevy, Gail peered inside. She stepped up, leaning forward, grasping Lexie by the arms.
“Here, let me get her,” Ed said from behind them.
Gail hesitated, clearly not wanting to let go, but after a moment, she stepped aside. Grabbing hold of Lexie, Ed cradled her in his arms like an infant, coaxing her until her eyes slowly opened.
Gail turned to Elliot. “What happened?”
He shrugged, even more disconcerted from her parent’s reaction. “I just got back to the store when I saw her standing in the middle of the parking lot. I was too far away to hear if she said anything, but I didn’t see anyone else around. All of a sudden, she just collapsed. Right there on the concrete.”
“Mom, the milk. I forgot the milk,” Lexie murmured. She was awake, her eyes darting wildly from Gail to Ed.
“Hush. It’s okay. We didn’t need it anyway,” Ed said.
Gail blanched and rubbed a hand over her face. Her wild eyes flickered over her daughter before turning back to Elliot. “Ed, why don’t you take her inside. I wanna have a word with Elliot.”
Cradling a now crying Lexie like a rag doll, Ed made his way up the porch steps and into the house.
Frowning, Elliot watched Ed go.
Once Ed was out of sight, it took all his strength to stay where he was instead of rushing after them. Instinct pulled him to Lexie. Even after all this time, she was the puppet master, and she had him on a string.
He clenched his hands at his side in an effort not to storm up the walkway into the house and hold her. Old habits die hard, and he wanted nothing more than to take her into his arms and carry her away.
But he couldn’t do that. Not now. Not ever. She wasn’t his anymore, and she’d changed. One look and he knew. Something haunted her. Something that had nothing to do with him.
“We’d better sit down,” Gail said.
He narrowed his eyes on her face, noting the downturned mouth and grief clouding her expression. The same look she wore weeks after Lexie left town years ago.
With a wave to follow, she headed for the porch, and he followed. A stronger man would’ve left. But Elliot wasn’t strong. Never had been when it came to Lex. She had always been his week spot, the chink in his armor. And he’d never gotten over her.