Love Calmed the Storm

Chapter 13

Seth's P.O.V (Present Day)

I lay here looking at Lacey as her slumbering breath makes her naked chest lightly lift up and down. She looks even more beautiful when she sleeps, if that's even possible. If she were to wake now watching me staring at her while she was sleeping, she would probably think I'm some creeper. Maybe not. She knows how much I adore her. I never thought I would be with her again, my mind can't grasp a hold of this reality.

Two years ago I thought I had lost my chance with her. After my father's death I finally took control back, it was my life to live. I was a grown man but I didn't understand how much of his verbal and physical abuse that I carried with me, even though I was no longer under his roof. Years of abuse lead me to feel how my father felt about me. I felt I deserved nothing.

As I looked at my father in the casket, I understood what people mean when they say life is too short. A dark cloud lifted from me at that moment and I jumped straight into the car from the viewing and started driving to see Lace. I would miss the funeral, but she was worth more than saying goodbye to a man that didn't deserve one more ounce of my energy.

It took me over a day to get back to the town that I remembered so fondly. I had to know if I had a chance with her after all these years. I didn't want to be on my deathbed with regrets like my father, although I'm not sure if my father felt he had any. I was a different man than him. He may have affected my past but no longer was he going to ruin my future. I would be a good man. Lace showed me that I am good man.

I stopped at the diner first hoping she still would frequent it as much as she did when we were kids. Noah was one of the first people I saw as I entered the diner. I thought at first that he would be happy to see me after all these years. He hadn't changed a bit in his looks. I recognized him right away. I had changed a lot from the skinny kid with a black eye. Now standing in front of him, a grown man hoping that if I changed everything about myself on the outside, I could become the person I wanted to be. I would find out later that I just needed to keep working on the inside.

Needless to say after I told him who I was he was not in the least bit happy to see me. He told me how he picked up the pieces after I left and how could I do that to Lacey. Noah said to leave and never return, Lacey deserved more than me. They were together and it ripped me into a million pieces. I knew he was right which pissed me off even more. His words were ringing in my ear even now. She deserves the world.

I hadn't found out what happened until the next day, as I sat in a scrubby motel a town over. I was in the lobby trying to figure out if I was going to stay another night. I kept going back and forth all night, trying to decide if I should let Noah stand in my way or not. He was a friend to me all those years ago, when I needed it the most. I didn't know if I could do that to him or Lace. I didn't want to ruin either of their lives, just showing up after all these years.

In the motel lobby I glanced down at the check in counter, a pile of today's newspapers all neatly stacked. I saw his name in the headlines. Noah was dead. He had been drinking and got into a car accident on the way home from a bar last night. He was speeding and rolled off an embankment near the creek.

I felt like I couldn't breath as I snatched up a paper and sat down on the metal chair in the lobby to read the article. I couldn't believe it. It wasn't but an hour or so after we had "words" at the diner.... well and outside the diner too. There may have been a couple swings thrown at each other. If I hadn't come back into town and got into it with Noah would he still be alive? He had never been a big drinker, or at least not back in the day. Had our altercation made him down one to many drinks that night to blow off some steam?

I never intended for me and Noah to get into a confrontation. It had escalated so quickly. The guilt I feel for keeping this from Lace is eating away at me. Would she also blame me for Noah's death?

A tried to pull myself out of my thoughts about that fateful day 2 years ago. I was here with Lace now right beside her. I was never leaving her again, that was what was important right? The right here and the right now. But I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I rolled over on my side and propped up my pillow. I gently ran my hands through her hair to pull it out of her face while she continued to sleep.

"I love you, please forgive me." I said barely audible as I kissed her forehead.

I slid out of bed and searched for my jeans that I had thrown on the floor last night. I spotted them next to her robe. The steamy events of last night played through my mind. I picked my jeans up and slid them on and then my shirt. I heard her sigh as the sun peeked in through the blinds.

How was I going to tell her about Noah?

"What time is it?" She yawned as her face light up and I knew she was replaying last night in her head too. God I wanted to do that again.

"It's almost 9:00." I smiled back at her trying to get Noah's voice out of my head.

"Oh God, Claudia is going to be furious! I'm supposed to open up at 9:00!" Lacey said as she fumbled for her phone that was on her nightstand.

"It's okay. Don't worry." I said to her but I think I was saying it just as much to myself.

A sigh of relief came across her face as she read a text message from Claudia saying that she would cover her shift for the next two days. Lacey smiled a mischievous grin and crawled across the bed naked to me wanting a replay of last night. I wanted nothing more than to give her what she desired, hell... I desired that too.

I couldn't be with her again like that until I talked to her about what happened. I needed to come clean about the day Noah died even if it meant losing her all over again. We couldn't start our relationship on a lie. I had come to far trying to change into the man I wished my father would have been. I pulled myself away from the life I was brought up in and I didn't want to turn back. No more lies.

She looked at me with wanting eyes as I turned away from her feeling like I would lose it any minute if I looked at those puppy dog eyes. A single tear slid down my face and I felt the strength to hold the rest of the tears back, like a dam ready to burst. My heart pounded as I turned around and looked at Lace, afraid that I would shatter her heart all over again.

***What do you think of what Seth has been keeping from Lacey? Do you think he should feel responsible for his death? Or is there more to the story? Please let me know what ya think! Thanks again for being patient for this chapter and voting!!***