I figured Chelle would do just about anything for Creed and her kids but I kept my mouth shut.

He kept musing over my head. And Id get to see my kids more.

And theyll get to see you. An all-round winner.

He looked back at me and said softly, Youre gonna be a good Mom.

Jesus, I hoped so.

If were lucky, well find out thats true sooner rather than later.

His arm snaked out and wrapped around me, pulling me toward him, off my elbow and tucking me under him as he rolled into me. Doesnt have to do with luck. We gotta put the effort in, he told me.

We certainly were doing that.

As you know, Im all in on that plan, I shared.

He smiled down at me.

I lifted a hand and ran a finger down his jaw as I said quietly, Dont know where youre at with it. I told you Chelle told me all about it. Im just going to say for the record, shes right. She deliberately trapped you into marriage and knew through your time together she didnt have your love.

Cant trap a man who agrees.

I shook my head. Oh yeah, you can.

Sylvie

I cut him off to ask, Did you tell her you love her?

I watched his jaw get hard before he forced out his, No.

Not ever?

He drew in breath then admitted, Found other words that implied it but didnt say it.

Then you didnt lie.

She didnt hold me at gunpoint at the altar, Creed pointed out.

Babe, my hand slid down to the side of his neck and curled around, youre Creed. Youve always been Creed. She fell in love with you and did it hard, so even drifting after losing me, my guess is, you were Creed with her too. And the Tucker Creed I know would never knock up a woman and not do right by her. My guess again, she knew that and played on it. People do shit when they love someone. It wasnt cool but it was understandable. That said, you gotta let that go. You both played your part in that doomed marriage. If you let it go, maybe she can let it go too. Youd be doing her a favor and I think if you two worked that shit out, your kids would feel that ease between you and it would work out for them too.

Creed stared down at me and asked, Jesus, baby, whend you get so f**kin smart?

I grinned up at him. See, when I was six, I met this worldly eleven year old who was wise and took care of me and taught me everything he knew.

As I spoke, I watched Creeds eyes flash, his face harden with intensity and I felt his body tense against mine.

When I was done talking, he said softly, Fuckin love you, Sylvie.

I kept grinning. Fuckin love you too, Tucker Creed.

Then I lifted my head, touched my mouth to his and only moved back an inch before I said quietly, Thank you for giving me a great birthday.

I watched his face get soft and I fell back to the pillows just in time for his hand to come up, his finger touched my new (totally beautiful) pendant then it slid under it and twisted the chain gently before he replied, Youre welcome, beautiful.

My grin got bigger but it didnt last long.

This was because Creed dropped his head and kissed me.

Therefore, my birthday started great (notwithstanding the shitty dream) because of Creed.

And it ended great too.

Because of Creed.

Chapter Twenty-Four

Come Back to Me

A hot summer night in Kentucky, sixteen years earlier, Sylvie is eighteen

I sat on the pier in the moonlight, staring at the water.

I couldnt find Creed.

Id spent hours at the pier the day before, waiting, waiting forever. The Snickers were ruined. My skin was burned.

Creed didnt show.

I went to his house. He wasnt there. His truck wasnt there.

I went back to the lake, waited and waited and nothing.

I was worried.

Creed would never leave me.

Never, never, ever.

Something was wrong.

I called him but he didnt answer. I called him again and he didnt answer. And again. And again.

When it got late and he didnt show, I went back to his house. I broke in the window and lay in his bed, waiting. I hoped hed come home but I also couldnt go to my house.

I told Daddy I was leaving. I told him I wasnt coming back. He was really angry then he got all calm and tried to talk to me. I told him I wasnt going to change my mind and he let me go. He even said I could keep my car.

It was kind of strange how easily he let me go. I mean, it wasnt pleasant but it wasnt as hard as I imagined it would be.

So when he let me go, I went but I told him I wasnt coming back and I couldnt. I couldnt go back. I had a life to begin with Creed and I had a life I hated that had to end.

But Creed didnt show.

The next day I went back to the pier and waited again.

I didnt know what to do.

No one knew about us and Creed wanted to keep it that way just in case Daddy sent someone out looking for us, so I couldnt ask his friends. I told Daddy I was leaving but, as Creed told me to do, I didnt tell him I was leaving with Creed.

Creed had worked out his notice the week before to get ready to leave but he would also be angry if I went by to the factory, so I couldnt go there either.

So I got in my car and drove around, drove everywhere, went into the stores and diners and swung by gas stations to check and see if he was around, even if his truck wasnt outside.

He wasnt in the stores or diners.

He wasnt anywhere.

Worried, scared, feeling truly alone for the first time since I was six, I did the only thing I could do.

When it got late, I went to the bar. I stood outside until someone showed and asked if theyd go in, find Winona Creed and send her out to talk to me. I found someone, they went in and she teetered out and proved what I knew. She paid absolutely no attention at all to her son and she cared about him even less.

When I asked her if she knew where he was, she threw out an unsteady hand which made her list to the side before she righted herself and she stated, He lef. Goin somewheres. Doan know wheres. Just know he sold the house an he gone. Then she squinted her eyes to focus on me and she asked, Whas a Bissenette doin askin after a Creed?