Laces and Lace
Page 128

Getting into his car, he was surprised when Rachel got in with Nate and Sabrina. Looking back at her, he said, “You’re not gonna ride with Grady?”
She set him with a look. “The trunk was small and couldn’t hold all our bags, so I said I would ride with you.”
“Oh, I can put it in the back of my car if ya want,” he offered, but instead of taking that as a good thing, Rachel glared.
“Don’t want me to ride with you?”
“Oh, I don’t care one way or another. I just assumed you’d want to be with your husband,” he said, putting the car in drive and pulling out.
Halfway down the road, he checked the mirror to make sure Grady was behind him, and thankfully, he was. Hitting the highway, Karson settled in for the ride. It was probably going to be a long one.
“How long will it be before we are there?” Nate asked.
“About forty minutes. Do you need to stop?”
“No, just wondering how long I’ll be trapped in the car with you,” he snapped back and Karson let out a breath.
“Can we let this go, please? For Lacey?”
“No,” Nate answered without even thinking. “I don’t like you, and soon you’ll be gone.”
“Eh, doubt that,” Karson said with a nod, not letting Nate’s hatred get to him.
“We’ll see,” he said almost as a promise, and Karson didn’t like that one bit.
Before he could voice that, Rachel said, “Do you even want to be with her?”
“The hell? Yeah, if I didn’t, I wouldn’t be dealing with you people,” he said with a little more acid than needed in his voice. “She’s the only reason I tolerate the crap you guys throw my way.”
“We haven’t even started yet,” Nate said, glaring. “You have brainwashed her or something, but she’ll come to her senses and come home.”
“She is home,” he reiterated before shaking his head. “I’m not going to fight with you, so just let it go.”
“Never, not till I get my baby back,” Nate promised and it churned Karson’s stomach.
Before he could say something though, Rachel said, “I just don’t get it though. If you love her and want to be with her, why was I the one at the doctor with her?”
His brows came in. “I don’t know; why did you go with her?”
“Well, when they say your best friend could have cancer, you tend to want to be there for support. So really, who loves whom?” she snapped, and when what she said registered in Karson’s head, he whipped to the side of the road, putting the car in park and turning to look at Rachel.
“What?” he demanded. “What did you say?”
“Whoa, asshole,” Nate yelled, but Karson shook his head.
“No, what did you say?” he asked, looking deep into Rachel’s eyes. The cockiness and bitchiness were gone, and he could see the fear in her eyes.
Good.
“I said who loves—”
“No, not that bullshit because I love her more than you ever will, but about the cancer. Lacey has cancer?” he asked, his heart pounding in his ears.
She shook her head as her eyes bored into his. “Wait, are you really going to act like you don’t know?”
His body trembled with anger as he shook his head. “I have no clue what you are talking about, but I have no problem in the world letting you walk.”
Nate barked with laughter before shaking his head. “You really are worthless.”
“Shut up,” Karson snapped, setting Rachel with a look.
But before she could speak, Sabrina said, “They thought she had cancer, and you weren’t there for her. You were off playing hockey, leaving your wife to fend for herself. Thankfully, she had family to be there for her since you couldn’t.”
Rage filled him from the tip of his head to the bottom of his feet as he slowly turned, gripping the steering wheel. They thought she had cancer and she never told him? She lied to him? What the fuck? Clearing his throat, he put the car in drive and drove off as the betrayal ate him alive.
“You can let go of the act, Karson. It’s obvious who really loves her.”
“Fuck you, Martin,” he muttered, slamming his foot onto the gas.
“Don’t talk to me like that,” he demanded, but Karson wasn’t listening.
He wanted to think that they were just playing him. Working him up so he would lose his shit and ruin his relationship with Lacey, but that wasn’t going to happen. He’d keep his cool.
Until he got Lacey alone.
And then he would find out the truth.
Ignoring them the rest of the way home, Karson’s heart didn’t slow down in speed. His hands were clammy, his chest ached, and he hoped to God what they said wasn’t true. Surely, she wouldn’t lie to him. Surely, she wouldn’t keep something so serious a secret from him. Why? He didn’t understand.
Turning onto their street, Karson’s heart was about to come out of his chest. The knocking was killing him, but he couldn’t make it stop. Pulling up behind his truck, he put Lacey’s new car in park and threw the door open.
“Wow, nice house,” Grady said as he got out of the other car.
“Thanks, man. Can you help them with their shit? I gotta get inside real quick.”
“Sure? You okay?” he asked and it was so weird.
Karson shook his head. “Why are you being nice to me?”