Missing Pieces, J.M. Hurley [top romance novels .TXT] 📗

sob, I’m so sorry I’ve been lying to you, she added silently as she hurried upstairs.

“I love you too honey,” Lenora called after her but she was already in her room, the door shut firmly behind her.


Chapter 4

“You came,” Isaiah said as Lacey stepped into his view.

“Yeah, so did you,” she replied and suddenly she couldn’t hold back the urge any longer. She rushed forward and flung her arms around him, pulling on the collar of his shirt until he bent his head to hers. “Kiss me,” she whispered their faces so close their noses brushed up against each other. Isaiah paused for a bit, and for a moment, she thought he was going to pull away, but then he leaned in closer and softly brushed his lips against hers. It was like nothing she’d every felt before, breathtaking, and yet all the while, she never wanted it to end. She tightened her grip around his neck and deepened their kiss. It was like something had set off a fuse inside of them, they were no longer two separate people, they’d already become one.

Neither of them wanted to pull away, to put an end to their raging passion for each other, but eventually Isaiah broke their kiss and pulled away to stare at her. “I feel foolish Lacey, I feel as if I’m a fool. How can I say I have fallen in love, when I’ve only met you tonight?” Lacey giggled and stood up on her toes so that she could peck him on the lips.

“Don’t you believe in love at first sight?” she whispered and he pulled her hands down from his neck and gave them a squeeze.

“Your mother...My father…They won’t approve of us seeing each other,” he said and Lacey shook head slowly.

“But that doesn’t matter, they don’t matter. I can’t not love you, Isaiah, it’s just how I feel,” she insisted as she tried to blink back the tears that were beginning to form. Isaiah saw, and pulled her into his warm, comfortable embrace.

“Don’t cry my darling, I haven’t said you must change your feelings, I’m only suggesting that perhaps we wait to tell our parents,” he said as he stroked his fingers through her bright red hair.

“Whatever your heart desires,” she whispered back as she wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer.

“I must go, my father will most likely call soon,” Isaiah said as he began to untangle himself from her. Lacey leaned closer to him and pecked him on the lips.

“I’ll miss you,” she whispered as he took her face in his hands.

“Lacey Arson, I vow that this is not the last time I’ll see you, whatever it takes, whenever you want, I’ll see you again.”

Lacey’s lips curled up in a smile, “Tomorrow, same time. Same place.” She whispered into his ear and he let out a chuckle.

“Of course my dear and I can’t wait till then,” he said as be bent down and gave her small hand a kiss. “I love you,” he whispered to her and she let out a small gasp.

“You do?” she asked and he gave her a happy nod.

A smile lit up her face and she whispered back, “I love you too.”

They both wore smiles of pure joy as Isaiah wrapped his arms around her once more and spun her around until they were both dizzy and laughing gleefully. “Until tomorrow,” he whispered into her earlobe then straitened his jacket and got into his car. Lacey waved bye to him and watched his car disappear until it was only a mere speck of color in her vision.

~***~

Miranda opened her door and flung herself onto her bed. What did I get myself into?

She thought glumly as she nervously played with the diamond bracelet on her wrist. “You got the money?” A voice asked from behind her.

She let out a small, “Eek!” of surprise and kicked her door shut. “Jason, what the hell are you doing in my room?” she asked and he let out a chuckle.

“Is that anyway to greet your boyfriend?” he said as he ran his fingers lightly down her arm, leaving a trail of goose bumps.

Miranda shivered, “Get the hell away from me, and you’re not my boyfriend!” she said as she shoved him backwards by punching him hard in the gut.

“What was that for, I was just having a little fun,” Jason muttered as got up off the floor and walked over by Miranda. “You got the money?” he asked again and Miranda nodded her head.

“It’s in my purse, I’ll deliver it in the morning,” she said and she took another step forward to put more distance between herself and Jason.

“No need, they sent me to retrieve it, they want it tonight.” Miranda let out a sigh and went over and picked up her purse. Searching through it, she eventually found her wallet, took out $500 and set it down in Jason’s grubby hand.

“Wow, you must’ve had a great night tonight,” Jason said as he shoved the cash into his jeans pocket.

“You have your money, now leave,” Miranda demanded and he held up his hands in surrender.

“I’m going, I’m going. Say, is that sister of your in the business?” he asked with a smile and Miranda’s face went pale.

“No, no she’s not,” Miranda replied with a slight tremble in her voice and Jason nodded his head slowly.

“Oh okay,” he said as he climbed over her windowsill and scampered down the tree by her bedroom window.

“Pig,” she muttered under her breath as she began to close her window up once again, and then paused. “Is that Lacey and…Isaiah?” she asked out of shock then snatched her phone up from her desk and snapped a picture of them kissing. “Well. Well. Well, looks like I’m not the only one who’s been lying,” Miranda said to herself as she snapped another photo them pulled her shade down, “But I know I’m not the one who’s going to get caught.” She added deviously as she plopped down onto her bed and clutched her phone tight.


Chapter 5

Lacey let out a spout of happy giggles as she snuck
back inside the house and tiptoed up the stairs. In her happiness she almost forgot about her sisters drunk dial, almost, but not quite. I can check that out tomorrow, when she’s volleyball practice.

She thought to herself, not wanting her sister’s phone call to ruin her good mood. First Harvard, then Isaiah, can life get any better?

She sighed as she threw herself onto her bed. Yes, if I didn’t have to lie about my happiness, then life would be perfect.

Lacey gripped her pillow tighter as she remembered what it felt like to have Isaiah’s soft lips press against hers. “Love at first sight must really, truly exist.” She whispered to herself as she got up and pulled her long, fiery red hair into a mess bun.

“Lacey, dear, are you in here?” Lenora called from behind her wooden door. Lacey walked over and opened the door, motioning for her mother to enter.

“What’s wrong mom?” Lacey asked as she held her breath, did she see Isaiah leave?

“I’d like to talk to you about what happened tonight.” Lacey’s heart gave a shudder, she knows.

“Look mom, I’m really-”

“Oh no Honey, there’s no more apologizing,” she said her voice still calm and controlled. “It’s time for me to step up and take responsibility for my actions. I haven’t been a good mother tonight, and though I wasn’t as bad as in the past, I still want you to hear this. I’m not going back to that…We’re not going back to that; I won’t do that to you again.” Lacey let out a sigh of relief.

“I know mom, and I know that tonight was rough, but we’re going to get through this, just like we’ll get through anything life throws at us,” she said as she gave her mother’s arm a reassuring squeeze.

“Oh honey, I love you,” she said and she pulled her daughter into a hug.

“I miss daddy,” she whispered and Lenora pulled out of the embrace, staring long and hard at her daughter’s innocent face.

“I miss him too honey, I miss him too,” she replied and as she got up and brushed herself off, she longed for the man who’d fathered her children, who’d stolen her heart at such a young age and held on to it until that cold December night, a night she would never forget. “You get some rest darling,” she said as she laid her hand on the cold doorknob.

“Okay…And mom?” Lacey asked tentatively and Lenora’s head turned back toward her daughter. “What is it honey?”

“Would you love me, even if I didn’t get into Harvard?” she asked and Lenora’s smile dropped.

“Of course I would dear, there’s nothing in this World that would make me not love you,” she replied and Lacey smile.

“Thanks and…I got accepted,” Lacey said and Lenora smile and patted her daughter proudly on the back.

“I knew you would,” she replied and then quietly shut the door behind herself. Lacey sighed guiltily and laid back down onto her bed. Well at least she’ll still love me

, she thought hopefully as she pulled her blanket up to her chin and began picturing how her date with Isaiah would go.

~***~

Miranda’s legs protested in agony as she quickly got up from her crouched position and silently ran back to her room, looks like sis might crack on her own anyways.

She smiled as she replayed Lacey’s words through her mind, ‘Would you still love me if I didn’t get into Harvard?’

To the blind eye, she seemed innocent, but really, she was just trying to figure out if mommy is going to hate her once she hears the news.

Miranda’s devilish smile widened and she plopped down in front of her computer and brought up Facebook. Now what would Lacey’s password be…Oh I know!

‘Cookie’ she typed in and the invalid sing popped up, Okay so she didn’t care about that dog as much as I thought…Oh!

The corners of her lips curled up as she typed in their father’s name, ‘Jackson Arson’. It cleared out fine and brought up Lacey’s homepage, making Miranda giggle, it’s almost too easy.

Once on, she searched Isaiah’s name and let out a sigh of pleasure when she saw his smiling face and clicked on SEND MESSAGE.

Dear Isaiah,

Our little meeting today won’t be happening again. I told my mother about us, and I’m sure she’ll inform your father. I’d like it if you didn’t continue to contact me after this; in fact, I’d rather you didn’t talk to me, ever again. It’s not me, it’s you, and if it consoles you, there wasn’t a real attraction there anyways.

-Lacey

She pushed the guilty thoughts out of her head as she clicked send then exited out of the browser. “Looks like sissy is in a bit of trouble,” she whispered silently to herself then she jumped into her bed and fell asleep with a look a fulfillment on her face.

~***~

Ring! Lacey’s alarm clocked danced on her bedside table as it vibrated.