Jaybird

by M. A. Foster

  My eyes burn as they well up with tears. I reach for the box and lift the lid. It’s a white gold necklace with a heart-shaped diamond pendant. “Oh, my God. It’s beautiful. Thank you.” I stand up from my stool as she makes her way around the counter to me, throw my arms around her and we burst into tears.

  “Jayla, I know you don’t want to talk about what happened last night and I’ll respect that. On one hand, I want to send Bass over to kick Zach’s ass for hurting my little girl, but on the other, I get it. I’ve been in his shoes. I’ve felt what he’s feeling. It’s overwhelming. You don’t have to take my advice, but before either of you does something you’ll later regret, you should give each other some space. Just for a few days.”

  I nod, wiping the tears from my face. “Thanks, Mom.”

  I PASS THROUGH the common area with my shoulders back and my chin held high. I won’t apologize for who I am. My peers are watching me, judging me. Some of them wave and congratulate me.

  “Hey, girl.”

  I slow and turn to see Cherry’s smiling face fast approaching. She throws her arm over my shoulders, falling in step beside me as we head inside to my locker.

  “First, let me say congratulations on your number one song,” she squeals. “I saw you on TV. Your friend Evangeline is a trip.” She laughs. “Are you okay though? That lady was an asshole.”

  “I’m fine.” I wave her off. “You guys aren’t mad at me?”

  “Not at all. Honestly, I had a feeling. I mean, come on, your birthday party was insane. LAW? People don’t hire rock bands to play at their parties much less grow up with them, unless they’re mega-rich or famous.” She pauses. “We respect you, Jay. You’ve been nothing but supportive in our class. You’re still you. Why does anything have to change?”

  I blow out a breath, relieved. “I’m glad to hear that. I don’t want you guys to change your opinion of me just because of who my dad was.”

  “It’s because of your dad that we’re even here.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze as she leans in and murmurs, “Brad told me about you and the QB.”

  “Yeah.” I laugh once in disbelief, remembering Zach with his arm around Reagan and my stomach turns. “He was humiliated. So, instead of being a mature boyfriend, he got drunk and cozy with Reagan and made a point to rub their past relationship in my face.” I roll my eyes and stop in front of my locker.

  “What?” Cherry gasps. “Brad didn’t tell me that.”

  “Hey, Jay,” Justin says, leaning against the locker next to mine. “You okay?”

  “Yeah,” I lie. “Thanks for asking.”

  Justin nods. “Are you coming to my party on Friday?”

  “Yeah, I’ll be there. But now that the cat’s out of bag, I’ll probably have to bring Levi with me.”

  “Better him than that Bass dude.” He laughs. “I’ll see you guys later.” He walks off.

  The locker beside me opens with a click and I freeze. I’m not ready to deal with Zach. Cherry catches my eye and says, “Hey, Harper.” I let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll see you at lunch, Jay.” Cherry gives me a quick hug before she walks off.

  “Hey,” I say. “Grace told me you had to leave early for a yearbook committee meeting this morning. How’d it go?”

  “Boring.” She rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I forget what a total nerd I am.”

  “A hot nerd.” I jerk my eyebrows up and down.

  “Yeah, right,” she frowns.

  “I heard you and Cole broke up yesterday. I tried to wait up for you so we could talk, but I think Grace spiked my tea and knocked me out. Yesterday was a pretty bad day.”

  “I saw bits and pieces of it on TV at work. You okay?”

  “No,” I huff. “I’ll fill you in on everything after school. Are you okay?”

  “Not really. Cole and I got into a fight yesterday because Josh showed up at Mac’s.”

  “Oh, shit.” My eyes bulge out before I lean in and whisper, “The married guy?”

  “Yeah,” she says. “I thought it was just a fight and after he calmed down we’d talk about it, but, apparently, he had other ideas.”

  “I’m sorry, Harper.”

  “For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the only person who ever tries to do the right thing. You’re a good friend, Jay.”

  “Cole is an asshole, but I know he loves you.”

  Her eyes fill with tears. “It took me months to finally trust him and one night to lose that trust. One bad fight and he runs straight to the one girl who’s made my senior year a fucking nightmare. Because of him.”

  “That’s not true, Harper.”

  We both turn our heads at the same time to face Cole while Zach opens his locker and switches out his books. “I didn’t,” Cole pleads. “She sat in my lap for all of two minutes. That’s all. You can ask Jay.” He gestures to me. “She was standing right there.”

  Harper ignores him and smiles sadly at me. “We’ll talk later.” She squeezes my arm before disappearing into the sea of students crowding the hallway, leaving me to face off the two fucktards alone.

  I turn back to my locker, keeping my face hidden behind the open door. Cole pulls the door back and steps into my personal space. “I’m sorry for what I said last night. You’d been through hell and you didn’t deserve that. I was drunk and pissed off because of my own insecurities. I fucked up, but I didn’t do anything with Ashton. You know me, Jay. Help me out here.”

  If he didn’t look like a wounded animal, I’d tell him to kiss my ass and that he doesn’t deserve Harper. And maybe mess up his hair or something. I’m not ready to accept his apology for the things he said last night but if he wants my advice… I tilt my head back and take a deep calming breath before turning to him. “Listen closely, Cole…” I slam my locker shut and pull my backpack over my shoulder. “…because you are riding on my last nerve. Stay away from Ashton, and, most importantly, stop being an asshole. It’s Valentine’s Day, for fuck’s sake!”

  “Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.” Zach leans in to kiss me.

  I palm his face and push him away. “Save it for Reagan.” With that, I walk away and right out the door.

  I don’t feel like being here today.

  Fuck Cole.

  Fuck Zach.

  Fuck Valentine’s Day.

  I blow off school for the rest of the day for some time with me, myself, and I. And because Xavier—my stylist, angel from heaven, and half of my favorite gay duo—loves me, he worked me in for a pedicure and a much-needed massage. However, with the way he’s sanding down my feet, I’m not feeling the love. “What’s going on with you?”

  “Nothing,” he clips out without looking at me. “Why?”

  “You’re lying. I’m sensing a ’tude.”

  He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I do not have a ’tude.”

  Oh, he definitely has a ’tude. And if that’s not a dead giveaway, the snap of his head on the last word sure is.

  “Oh, okay. Mr.—” I push out my lips and jerk my head side to side, imitating him. “What did my feet ever do to you? If you scrub them any harder, I’m not gonna have any skin left. Now put down the scrubby thingy and tell me what’s got your thong in a twist.”

  Xavier’s mouth pulls to the side as he tries not to laugh. “Scrubby thingy?”

  I cross my arms and raise my brows. “Quit stalling and talk to me.”

  He lets out a dramatic huff and drops his shoulders. “Brice and I ran into his ex at the club last night.”

  “So?”

  “So? He’s freaking gorgeous.”

  “Of course, he is.”

  Xavier clicks his tongue and gives me the stank face. “Thanks a lot.”

  “Don’t look at me like that. Brice is hot and I doubt he’s ever dated an ugly guy. Have you seen you?” I wave my hand up and down. “I rest my case. How did Brice react to seeing his ex?”

  “Like they were old friends and it was no big deal.” He waves his hand around, dismissively.

 
“His ex probably took one look at you, went home, downed a bottle of wine, and cried in the bathtub for hours. Brice is very happy with you. Don’t push him away with your insecurities and bitchy attitude. It’s Valentine’s Day. Do something special to show him how happy he makes you.”

  Xavier’s lips pull to the side. “Girl, what am I gonna do with you?”

  “Well, you can start off by apologizing to my feet. I happen to know they like massages and if you massage them for like ten minutes, they’ll accept your apology. They’re very forgiving like that.”

  Xavier laughs. “I’m not the only one with a ’tude. What’s got your thong in a twist?”

  “Zach and I are taking a time out.” Zach just doesn’t know it yet.

  Xavier pauses mid-rub and gasps. “Shut up.” He blinks in shock. “You two are so perfect together. Tell me you’re kidding.”

  I tell him everything about California—leaving the part out about my mom and Cam—and coming home to find Zach drunk.

  “I saw Celebrity Gossip. Evangeline is my hero.” He laughs. “Sweetie, that boy loves you so much. I’m sure this is hard on him, too. You’re both so young and under so much pressure. You’re kind of a big deal these days.”

  “I know. But right now we just need to take a step back from each other and breathe.”

  My phone pings with a text notification from an unknown number. Jayla, this is Liz Easton. I would like to apologize to you in person. Would you be willing to meet me for coffee?

  “You’ve got to be kidding me.” I roll my eyes and hold up my phone for Xavier.

  His eyes bulge out of his face. “What are you gonna say?”

  LIZ IS ALREADY seated in a corner booth when I step through the doors. Her hands are wrapped around her coffee cup as she stares out the window. Turning, she notices me and lifts her hand. I wave back and make my way to the counter, to order my usual from my favorite barista, Jeffrey. He waves me off to let me know he’ll bring me my order.

  Liz Easton is a bitch, but she’s a beautiful bitch. I’d always imagined she was beautiful just by the looks of her sons and her brother, Cam. We’ve established that Zach takes after his father and Logan definitely looks like his mother. She and my mom have a lot of the same mannerisms. I can almost picture them as teenagers with their smart mouths, raising hell.

  “Nice shirt.” Liz nods toward my shirt that says, “Abracadabra… Nope, you’re still a bitch.”

  Seemed fitting for the occasion.

  “Have a seat.” She gestures to the empty seat across from her. “I don’t bite.”

  “I beg to differ,” I say, sliding into the booth. “I wasn’t sure if you were here yet since I didn’t see your broom parked out front.”

  Liz smiles over the rim of her coffee, keeping her eyes on me.

  I raise my brows in a challenge.

  “Here you go, Jayla girl,” Jeffrey says, setting my coffee on the table in front of me. He runs the show at Starbucks. I’m his favorite customer because one, he loves me and, two, I tip well.

  “Thank you, Jeffrey.” I reach in my purse and pull out a twenty.

  “Hm-mm.” Jeffery rests his hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. His expression is sympathetic. He’s either seen the news or talked to Lexi. “Not today, girl. It’s on me.” He winks. “Let me know if you need anything else.”

  I thank him again before he sashays back behind the counter.

  “Thank you for meeting me. I wasn’t sure you’d show after the way I treated you yesterday.” She gives me a sad smile. “I’m truly sorry for the things I said, and for the way I’ve treated you. I’ve hurt you and, by hurting you, I’ve hurt my son.” She turns her head to stare out the window for a moment before looking back to me. “Believe it or not, I’m a nice person when you get to know me.”

  “I believe it. You just never gave me the chance.” She winces. “I can tell just by being around Logan and Zach that they come from amazing parents. I think Logan takes after you. He’s outspoken and protective, but he’s also caring and considerate. Zach is more like his dad—laid-back, easygoing, but if you push him too hard, he’ll push back and things might get ugly.”

  She laughs. “You definitely know my boys.”

  “You should be proud. They’re good guys.”

  “Do you have a best friend, Jayla?”

  “I have several.”

  “But do you have one friend in particular who you sometimes swear you need to breathe?”

  “Yes. Lucas and Weenie.”

  “Who?”

  “Sorry.” I laugh. “Lucas and Evangeline. I call her Weenie.” I wave my hand. “Long story.”

  “Evangeline is the model, right?”

  I nod. “Yes. Lucas, Evangeline and I grew up together. I couldn’t imagine not ever having them in my life.”

  Liz gives me another sad smile. “That’s exactly how I felt about Emerson.” A tear slips down her cheek and she quickly wipes it away. “You already know that our mothers are best friends. Mimi is my godmother and I was named after her. The same goes with Emerson and my mother. We were inseparable from the time we were babies until a few weeks after we graduated from high school. Nothing and no one could ever come between us.”

  Another tear rolls down her cheek that she quickly wipes away.

  “I don’t hate Emerson.”

  “Yes, you do. It’s a little late to try to spare my feelings now. The question you need to ask yourself is if you can ever forgive her?”

  She laughs once. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”

  “You need to decide…” I wave my hand around “…because it’s affecting your families.”

  “I know.” She sighs, running her finger across the edge the table. “Mike isn’t too happy with Zach, or me, at the moment. And Zach isn’t speaking to me.”

  I lift my eyebrows. “Is that why you called me here? You’re apologizing so Zach won’t be mad at you.”

  She shakes her head. “No, I’m apologizing for the way I treated you because it’s the right thing to do. You didn’t deserve it. I won’t make excuses for Zach’s behavior last night, but he loves you and he’s terrified of losing you.”

  “I don’t want to lose him either, but this is my life. I didn’t ask for this, nor do I want the attention, but this is who I am and I won’t apologize for it. I can’t control what the media says about me. I don’t want to constantly worry about Zach’s reaction to every photo that gets posted online. I’m going on tour in less than five months. This is only the beginning.”

  “Jayla,” she says in a low voice, reaching across the table to rest her hand on my arm. “I know I have no right to ask you for anything, but, please, give Zach a chance to make things right. He knows he messed up and, just in case he forgets, Logan has been doing a fabulous job of reminding him.” She laughs. “I hope maybe one day you’ll forgive me too.”

  “I already have and I hope one day you can forgive Emerson.”

  “I’m working on it.”

  I FIND GRACE in the kitchen when I walk in from the garage. “Miss Jayla, Mr. Z was here looking for you,” she tells me. I laugh to myself. I love when she calls him “Mr. Z.” It makes him sound like a superhero.

  “What did he want?”

  She points to another flower arrangement—ranunculus—on the island countertop. “There’s a card too.”

  I move over to the island and pick up the card, carefully opening the envelope and pulling out a folded piece of paper. It’s a handwritten note.

  Jay,

  I love you. I love you with my whole heart and I always will. I’m sorry for hurting you and I promise I will never let anyone or anything come between me and my girl, ever again.

  Happy Valentine’s Day.

  Love,

  Z

  “HEY, YOU MADE it,” Justin greets us in the foyer with another guy who looks like an older version of himself. Tonight is the Phillips’ annual “CEOs and High-class Hoes” party. Justin lets out an appreciati
ve whistle. “You two are killin’ it tonight. This is my brother, Owen.” He gestures to me and Harper. “Owen, this is Jay and this is Harper.”

  “You’re Zach’s girl, right?”

  “Just Jay.” I smirk.

  It’s been a rough few days, putting space between Zach and me, but right now, it’s what we both need.

  Absence makes the heart grow fonder, right?

  Owen’s eyebrows shoot upward. “Really?” His eyes rake over my dress and back up to meet mine. “I thought he was the smart one.”

  “I heard that, dickhead,” a familiar voice says behind me. I look over my shoulder and smile at Logan.

  “I didn’t know you’d be here,” I tell him.

  “I couldn’t miss my best friend’s party.” Logan gestures to Owen. “Your cousin Dylan is around here too, you know.”

  “Shit, I forgot she’s a Mackenzie,” Owen says.

  “Yep.” Logan hooks an arm around Harper’s neck. “This one here has Cole wrapped around her finger.”

  Harper snorts and shakes her head unconvinced. She’s hasn’t quite forgiven Cole just yet. Not for Cole’s lack of begging.

  “Oh, yeah?” Owen laughs. “That’s impressive. Well, I gotta get back to the party. It was nice meeting you both.” He turns to Logan. “I’ll catch up with you later. Come on, Justin.”

  “I’ll see you two later,” Justin says before he disappears into the crowd.

  “My brother would shit if he saw this outfit,” Logan says. “It figures you’d be the one to make slutty look classy.” He laughs.

  “The invitation said High-class Hoes.” While I was in LA, Evangeline and I stopped at this boutique that specialized in nightlife lingerie. I bought several pieces, but the one I chose to wear tonight is a short light blue shimmery lace dress made of silk that fits snug to my body. The top has a scoop neck, long sleeves, and an open back with a tight knitted, perfectly placed pattern, designed to conceal the private areas but to also leave enough to the imagination. I bought one for Lexi in a deep blue color and one for Harper in an emerald green. I love that color on her. I also bought myself one in black and red. I switched out the thong that came with the dress for a pair of cheeky panties.