What The Heart Remembers - The Heart #2 (Sample)

Chapter 5 - Part 1

Adonis

I slammed my hands down on the counter. Frustrated and angry I clenched my fists. The helplessness I was feeling reminded me of what I had felt like when Lacey had been sick and there had been little I could do but I refused to feel that way now. I wasn't going to let her continue the downward spiral I had witnessed for the first time the last night.

Taking a few deep breaths I tried to expel the negative emotions. I needed to keep my head clear. Getting angry or upset wasn't going to help the situation. I raked a hand through my hair. Tiredness made me run my hands across my face. I hadn't slept much. Lacey had consumed my thoughts and I'd been unable to clear my mind of the worrying thoughts long enough to sleep.

Talking to her last night hadn't helped and I'd helplessly watched her get so drunk she had eventually passed out. Thankfully I'd been close enough to catch her. Holding her unconscious in my arms I had made the decision to do everything I could to stop what she was doing to herself.

I had tried the nice way and it hadn't worked. It was time to try tough love. It wasn't going to be easy but I had no choice. There was the part of me that just wanted to take her into my arms and hold her close to protect her but it wouldn't help her. Her family had no idea how to handle her and even Reece didn't know how to approach this problem.

I pushed away from the kitchen counter and got a bottle of water out of the fridge. Taking a few gulps I was still trying to formulate my plan when I heard the soft tap of feet against the floor tiles. I set the bottle down on the counter before my eyes found her standing in my kitchen.

The sight of her slammed into my chest. She was dressed in one of my shirts. Even hungover, she'd never looked sexier. I had to pull my thoughts away from what she looked like under my shirt. In my mind I could trace every inch of her body from memory.

I watched her silently while her eyes scanned the kitchen from the doorway. The confusion in her features told me she was still trying to figure out what had happened and why she was in my house instead of at home in her room. I crossed my arms as I watched her. She bit down on her lip when her eyes met mine.

"Why am I here?" she asked. I had to stop myself from giving into the vulnerability in the depths of her eyes. To do what needed to be done I needed to be ruthless. Giving into her wasn't an option, not if I wanted to help her.

"You don't remember?" I asked, already knowing she didn't have an recollection of the night before. She'd been so out of it.

Her teeth sank into her lip as she contemplated her answer. After a few unsure moments she shook her head.

"How does it feel to get so drunk you can't remember what happened?" I asked, my voice laced with my anger I was trying to control. My thoughts turned back to the night her date had come tried to kiss her and she'd tried to push him away.

Anything could have happened while she'd been drunk. Didn't she realize the danger she was putting herself in? This wasn't just about the effect it could have on her health, or the medication she was taking.

She frowned and crossed her arms.

"What's your problem?" she asked. Her eyes glittered with anger.

It took all my control not to let my temper loose and let her know exactly how angry I was with her and her irresponsible actions. The truth was I had done the same. I had used alcohol for a while to numb the emotions I didn't want to feel but I had managed to step back and reevaluate my actions. Watching her last night I knew she needed help. She wouldn't be able to do this on her own.

"How much of last night do you remember?" I asked, experiencing a feeling of deja vu. Like when she'd first woken up after surgery.

"It's all a bit hazy," she started to say. She rubbed her temple before her hand dropped to her side. "I remembered what happened at Reece."

I kept my expression blank.

"And then I remember getting ready for the party."

Did she remember what I'd told her about what we had shared?

"I remember what you told me about...us," she added. The way she said the word 'us' sent a shiver through me. Her fingers touched her lips briefly and I was reminded of how I'd kissed her. I wanted to do that again but now wasn't the time. First I had to fight to get my Lacey back.

"What happened to the Harp I knew?" I asked suddenly and her eyes found mine. There was so much emotion in her beautiful eyes I felt a moment of guilt.

"I feel like I lost a part of myself after the surgery." She sounded so fragile it tore my heart into two.

I wanted to be able to understand but the truth was it was hard to know what she was feeling because I'd never walked in her shoes.

"I know you've had a lot going on since the surgery but all you had to do was tell someone and we would have done whatever we could to help."

I took a couple of steps closer before I stopped.

"I don't know how someone can help me find the piece of me that's missing." She shrugged her shoulders and I felt my earlier anger return.

"How do you know? You haven't even tried," I said, not hiding my growing frustration with her.

She remained silent. I got a glimpse of the vulnerability in her that could bring me to my knees but I fought against it.

"You're being irresponsible and you need to get yourself together," I said, with a steeliness in my voice, forcing myself to sound tougher than I felt.

Her forehead creased and she gave me a hurt look.

"Who do you think you are?" she asked stepping forward. "You don't get to lecture me."

"Someone has to," I murmured under my breath as I shook my head at her.

"I tried the easy way but that hasn't worked," I told her. Her frown deepened.

It was time to lay down the rules and let her know I wasn't going to allow her to keep drinking herself into oblivion.

"You've left me no choice-"

"What are you talking about?" she asked in a raised voice.

I wanted to shout back but I needed to keep calm. Two people screaming at each other wasn't going to get this sorted.

"I want you to see someone," I began to say but she was already shaking her head.

"No."

I'd expected nothing less. I was going to leave nothing to chance.

"You can't make me," she added when I kept silent.

"You see that's where you're wrong," I revealed as I stepped closer to her. Her arms wrapped around her waist.

"Your medical insurance wasn't enough to pay for the specialist and the surgery," I began to explain. "I paid for everything."

It had never been a question about money. I would have done anything to make sure she'd survived her diagnosis.

"I had no idea." She was stunned. "Thank you."

She swallowed.

"I want you to get help," I told her feeling like an asshole for what I was about to do.

She contemplated my words. "And if I won't get help."

"Then you leave me with no choice. I'll make your parents repay the money."

Her horrified expression hit me hard but I kept my cool. I was bluffing. There was no way I would ever do that but for her to get well she had to believe I would.

"You wouldn't?" she gasped taking a step closer, like I had physically struck her.

I kept my expression free of emotion.

"Do you want to take the chance that you might be wrong?" I asked calmly. "I want you to get better and I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that it happens."

"I can't believe you're going to blackmail me," she yelled but I kept my composure. She threw one last glare before she stormed out of the kitchen.