Love, Honor, and Betray, Roby, Lawson [i have read the book a hundred times .txt] 📗

way home,Elijah’s mom called and told me that there’s a rumor going around about him having done the same thing to his stepdaughter.”

“How sick.”

“Very sick, and that’s why I have no desire to be there.”

“All we can hope is that Matthew somehow changes his mind.”

Charlotte leaned against the wall. “I know Matt has a big heart, but it’s almost as if he’s forgotten the reason Mr. Rushwas arrested in the first place.”

“No, he hasn’t forgotten. Because yesterday, I heard him talking on the phone to Jonathan. He was saying how even though Mr.Rush was wrong for the crimes he committed and deserved to be in prison, he still didn’t think he had deserved to die. Plus,you know Matthew has never thought anyone should have to die because of wrongdoing. Remember when he wrote that lengthy paperback in junior high, explaining why the death penalty should be eliminated?”

“How could I forget? He took it so seriously, he drove both his English teacher and debate coach crazy.”

They both laughed at how persistent Matthew had been, but Charlotte couldn’t deny how many valid points he’d made back then.He’d only been maybe thirteen, but he had easily caused many adults to rethink their positions. Mr. Rush hadn’t been executed,but somehow this whole dilemma made her think about Matthew’s passion toward anything he fully believed in or his passiontoward anyone he thought needed help.

“So,” Curtis said, pressing his body against her. “Where were we before our wonderful son came down here and interrupted us?”

Charlotte smiled. “I think you know.”

“I do, and since Matt will be gone at least an hour, maybe we should take this party upstairs.”

“Maybe. Or we could also keep our little party going right down here.”

“Makes no difference to me. Here. There. Because either way you know what’s about to happen.”

“No. But I can’t wait for you to show me.”

Chapter 36

Saturday had arrived in record time, and Charlotte had tried her best to reschedule her meeting with Tom. She didn’t have hiscell number, what with him always blocking his number whenever he called her, but thankfully he had phoned her yesterday morning.She’d begged, groveled, and pleaded with him to change the date or cancel it altogether, but Tom had straight out refused.He’d even become a bit indignant in his tone and had told her he didn’t want to hear another word about it, and that she hadbetter be there at six p.m. sharp.

So now, Charlotte had just left the mall and was heading in the direction of the motel. She’d been gone most of the day, hangingout with her mom, shopping and then having lunch, so at least this part of her lie to Curtis had worked out perfectly. She’dcalled her mom as planned, and while she hadn’t told her about her blackmail situation, she had reminded her that if Curtisasked, her mother needed to say they’d had a girls’ spa day and had then gone to dinner. Charlotte could tell her mother hadn’tfelt comfortable with it, but as always, she’d agreed to do what she’d been asked. She did whatever she thought was necessaryto keep her daughter’s marriage intact. Then, as more luck would have it, her father was away on an NBA trip with some men’sorganization, so there wouldn’t be a problem with him either. She knew anything was possible and that Curtis might just upand call her dad out of the blue on his cell phone, but it wasn’t likely.

Charlotte drove onto the interstate and looked at her navigational screen. She was only about thirty minutes from her destination,but it was barely four-thirty. Maybe she could stop at another mall on the way and see what new makeup the M.A.C. store waspromoting. Either that, or she could park and call Alicia or Janine to see what they were up to. But as she debated whom tocall first, her phone rang. Charlotte cringed when no number showed up.

“What is it?” she said.

“There’s been a change of plans,” Tom told her.

“What kind of change?”

“The location. I’m up in Madison, Wisconsin, visiting some relatives so I want you to meet me at this motel outside of Fontanainstead.”

“But I’m already in Chicago. So, if it’s okay with you, I’d rather meet at the original spot.”

“No. Fontana is a lot more convenient for me, so Fontana it is.”

“What’s the name and the address?” Charlotte asked, not wanting to argue with him.

Tom rattled the information off. “And please don’t keep me waiting.”

“Whatever,” she said and hung up.

But Tom called her right back.

“One more thing,” he said. “I’ve already checked in, so just come to room number eight.”

Charlotte hung up again without saying a word. This was ridiculous, and she was tempted to call her cousin Dooney, who wouldjump at the chance to help her. But she couldn’t take the chance on him finding out she’d been silly enough to sleep witha stranger. She also didn’t want him knowing she’d messed around on Curtis, because it just wouldn’t sit right with Dooney.He was a thug, but he loathed women who slept around on their boyfriends or husbands.

Charlotte pulled to the side of the road, entered the new address into her nav system, and started back on her way. Rose,the nickname she and Curtis had given both their extremely polite guidance experts, recalculated the distance, and Charlottesaw that Fontana was sixty miles from where she was currently. Meaning there wouldn’t be any time to spare after all.

Charlotte turned her radio to XM 33, the Praise channel, and heard one of Shekinah Glory Ministry’s latest singles. Sometimesshe listened to XM 62, Heart & Soul, but today she needed to be uplifted. She needed to hear a song of hope as well as oneabout forgiveness, because after all the many sinful things she’d done, she needed God and Curtis to forgive her. She neededthem both to understand that she was only human and that humans didn’t always make the right decisions. Sometimes they tried,tried, and tried, and still failed at it miserably.

As the music played, Charlotte traveled closer