I arrive at my house ten minutes later. I head inside and up to my room. I don’t give a damn about presents or anything else downstairs. I care about Layla and how much I screwed up.
I pull out my phone to text her but then set it down. She needs to cool off. If Layla wouldn’t talk to me on the ride to her house, she won’t talk to me through text. I walk past her gifts resting on my desk. Shit. I’ll have to give those to her tomorrow. Maybe by then, she’ll want to talk to me. I hope she does.
I have every intention of driving over to Layla’s house today. The issue with this plan, my parents.
“Where do you think you are going?” my mom says as I snag a waffle from the serving tray and tear a huge bite off.
“Layla’s.”
She sneers. “Absolutely not! You are going to stay here, young man.”
“Why?” I ask.
My sister plows into the house carrying a bunch of bags. “I have presents. Oh, Ty, good you’re here. Go help Derrick.”
No. I don’t want to help Derrick. I don’t want to spend any more time here. I want to talk to my freaking girlfriend. My dad leaves his office and grumbles, “What’s all the fuss about?” He rubs the right side of his head and I can tell he’s nursing a hangover.
“I want to leave, and Mom says I can’t.”
“I think you should listen to your mother,” he says.
“Fine.” I march out the door to Derrick’s vehicle.
He pulls a cigarette out of his mouth and chokes as soon as I approach. I raise a brow and he says, “Shit! I thought you were Kera. Did she send you out here to check on me?”
“Not a babysitter, dude. She said you needed help with some packages.”
He rolls his brown eyes and takes another drag on his cigarette. He pops open the back and I laugh. “What the hell did she buy, the entire mall?”
“I love the hell out of your sister despite her major shopping problem.”
I snort as I look at the five more bags still in the trunk. “You think?”
“So, your sister tells me you have a girlfriend.”
“Maybe.” Because honestly if I can’t get the hell out of this house and see her I probably won’t have one much longer.
I grab some bags and head for the door. I glance over my shoulder and ask, “You comin’, man?”
“In a minute. Kera hates my smoking but it’s the only thing that calms my nerves.”
I need something to calm my nerves and it isn’t a cigarette more like a stiff drink.
I called her, all day and now it’s pushing the evening. The phone goes straight to voicemail. I text her. Hours go by, no answer. I would leave the house, but my mom made it very clear if I did she’d lock me out and shut down all my cards, my phone, and drop my car insurance. I was to stay here in this shitty house on Christmas.
I try calling again and get her voicemail. After the beep, I sigh. “Layla, I’m serious. We need to talk. Call me.”
I think this is the tenth message I’ve left her. I sound like a sappy chick. Dammit! I kick my door and stare at my phone.
I dial Juliet’s number and she answers after the second ring. “No. We cannot be friends, Richardson.”
“Juliet, is Layla around?”
“You do realize you called my phone, moron, and she does have her own phone?”
I grip my hair and grumble, “Yes. She’s not answering.”
“I can’t help you.”
I am so frustrated right now. “The hell you can’t.”
“No, really I’m over here at Adaline’s house.”
“Shit! Okay. When you see her can you tell her to call me?”
She snorts. “Yeah. Sure. I’ll just play telephone.”
“Thanks.”
“I’m joking. I’m not relaying any more messages for you. She was crying all last night and I think it’s your fault. I swear you football douches are all the same.”
I start to yell but the other end is silent. Son of a bitch.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Layla
I stare at the wad of tissues decorating my nightstand. I knew letting someone like Tyler Richardson in my life was a bad idea. His family hates me. He acts like that’s no big deal, but it is.
I’m so humiliated by how his mother sees me. She’ll probably spread rumors around town or to her uppity friends and somehow my mom will be involved. I just hope that my actions do not reflect on my mom’s business because I will never hear the end of it. How my temper is my worst trait and all that nonsense.
I peer beyond my tissues to my cell. I purposely left it off because hearing any shred of Ty’s voice would cause me to cry.
His gifts remain by my closet door. As soon as he left the other day, I brought them up to my room. I was going to call Tyler to see if he wanted to stop by. But then I remember how he just left without saying goodbye. He just took off.
I can’t really blame him all that much. I wasn’t exactly chatting with him on the drive home from that awful party. I pick up my cell and press the on button.
Once the phone is back to life I take a breath and listen to the voice messages.
After the sixth one, I decide to drive over to Tyler’s house.
I tap my knuckles against the door.
A short woman with dark hair pulled up in a thick bun answers. “May I help you?”
“Hi. I was looking for Tyler.”
“Tyler left just a little while ago. I can tell him you stopped by, miss?”
“Valentine. I’m sorry. I’m Layla Valentine.”
“Oh, Layla.” She beams at me as if she knows me though I’ve never met her before. “Tyler talks about you all the time.”
“Really?”
She nods. “Yes. In fact, I believe that is where he was heading. To see you.”
I frown. “Oh. I um … I wanted to give these to him.” I hold out the presents.
She takes them. “Would you like to place them under the tree, or should I?”
“You can do it. I don’t want to cause any more trouble.”
“I’ll tell him you stopped by. It was very nice to see you.”
“Thank you …”
“Mary Ella.”
I smile. “Right. You’re the one who teaches him how to cook. Well, thanks again.”
She nods. “You’re welcome.”
I step off his porch and make my way to my car when I hear a car door slam. “Layla! Layla! Don’t leave.”
I look up and see Tyler’s sister running toward me. “Oh goodness. I didn’t think I’d catch you. I’m so sorry for how I behaved when I met you. Tyler really cares about you a whole lot and I don’t want to see my brother with a person completely wrong for him. I’m glad you’re one of the good ones.”
“Um. Thank you.” I really want to tell her I’m pretty sure her brother wants nothing to do with me since I’ve ignored him all of yesterday.
“Are you leaving?” she asks as a tall man stalks toward us.
“Yes. I should get home.”
“Don’t be silly. Oh, Derrick, this is Layla. Tyler’s girlfriend.”
The tall blond guy smiles. “Hi. Are you ready to go in?”
Kera wrinkles her nose. “Ugh. If we must. You sure you don’t want to come in?” she asks me. “I got you something. It should be under the tree.”
“You didn’t have to do that.”
She smiles. “I know. I wanted to.”
I pretend to check the time on my cell. I don’t want to hang out with Tyler’s family. That party was enough to last a lifetime even if Kera got me something. “Thank you. I’m sure I’ll love it whatever it is, but I really should get back.”
Kera wraps her arms around me. “Okay. Well, even though it’s late and I didn’t see you all day yesterday. Merry Christmas and I hope to see more of you.”
I back out of her grip and smile. “You too.”
She walks off and I open my car door.
“Layla Faye Valentine, I swear to Jesus i
f you leave now I will chase you down.”
I turn, and Tyler is hauling ass toward me. He picks me up by my waist and plants me on the hood of my car. “I went to your house to talk to you and deliver your gifts,” he says. “But you were gone and not answering your phone.”
“I came here.”
“I know.” He taps his head. “Great minds.”
He smirks. “Are you leaving? I really want to talk to you.”
“I was about to go to my house.”
“Not yet.” He picks me back up and throws me over his shoulder. I squeak.
“Tyler. Put me down.”
He laughs. “Nope.”
Next thing I know I’m inside his house and he plops me down upon the couch. His sister is across from me giggling. I probably look like a mess. His mother and father enter the room.
His mother rolls her eyes while his father says, “Who’s this?”
“This is that girl I was telling you about. The one that our son is dating,” Tyler’s mother says.
“Oh. You don’t look like a walking train wreck,” his dad says to me.
Tyler squeezes my hand. “Mom, cut it out. Apologize or we’re leaving, and I won’t come back until curfew.”
“You’ll do no such thing,” his mom says.
His sister and her husband stare at us like this is a big show and they’re afraid to miss something. Tyler pulls me up from the couch. “Giving you five seconds.”
“Fine. I’m sorry for offending you.”
She doesn’t seem sorry at all. Her sneer and the way she slightly shakes her head is a clear indication she doesn’t. I think Tyler feels the same because he says, “Great.” He turns to me. “Where did you put my gifts?”
“Um. Mary Ella took them.”
He tugs me out of the room and his mother shouts, “Where do you think you are going?”
“Don’t worry about it,” he gripes.
We enter the kitchen where Mary Ella is stirring something on a stove. “Mary Ella, where are the gifts Layla brought over?”
“Under the main tree.”
Tyler says, “Thank you.” Pecks my temple and leaves me in the kitchen.
I can’t help but lift my nose to the wonderful smells coming from this room. “Is that homemade hot chocolate?” I ask.
The housekeeper nods. “I melt the chocolate slowly.”
“Oh, that’s the best kind.”
“It’s almost finished, would you like some? Tyler won’t have his hot chocolate any other way. And he must always have a cup while he’s on winter break.”
I smile. “Really?”
“Yes.” She pours the mixture into a few mugs and places two in front of me. She then pops marshmallows into the cup and toasts the tops with a handy torch device.
“Oh my gosh, I don’t know anyone else who does this besides my sister and me.” I like Mary Ella a lot and can see why Tyler likes her too.
While she’s telling me funny stories about Tyler he pops into the kitchen.
“What’s with the giggles?” he asks.
“You tried to take a bath in your Halloween superhero costume?”
His cheeks turn bright pink and then blossom to a cherry red. “I was five.”
“Seven,” Mary corrects him.
I laugh harder to the point I’m snorting.
“All right that’s enough trips down embarrassing lane. Oh, is this my hot chocolate?” He sets his gifts down and picks up the mug. He starts to take a sip and curses. “Ah, shit! That’s hot.”
“It is called hot chocolate,” I say.
“Don’t be a smartass. We’ve got to go unless you’d like hanging out with my mom?”
I shake my head.
“Great. Let’s bounce. Hey, Mary, thanks for everything. You rock.” He winks at her as he grabs my hand and his gifts. We walk out the door. He gets into his Cherokee and I get into my car.
I follow him back to my house where we drop off my car and as I get into his Jeep he says, “What are you doing?”
“Um. Did you want to talk at my house?”
He smiles. “Nope. But you need to grab your gifts first. Then we’re going for a drive.”
Tyler walks me into the house. My sister yells, “There’s nothing wrong with what I’m wearing.”
“Really? A shirt that says, ‘Here’s my two cents on love. It’s a disease.’ is appropriate since when?” my mom asks.
“Would you rather it say, ‘I don’t give a damn today.’ because that’s how I feel?”
I glance over at Tyler. “This is turning out to be one fun mess,” I say.
Chapter Thirty
Tyler
I’m starting to realize neither one of us really want to spend time with our families. Once Layla grabs her gifts she tells her mom, “I’m heading out for a bit.”
“But you just went out,” Ms. Valentine says.
“Yeah. And I’m leaving again.”
“Uh … Okay,” Ms. Valentine sounds defeated. “Be back by five. No later.”
Juliet looks over at Layla. Layla walks over and hugs her sister and whispers something. Then she returns to me and we head out the door.
“Where are we going?” Layla asks as I take her gifts from her and set them on the back seat while she straps in.
“Somewhere awesome.”
She sighs. “Thanks for the vague reply.”
“You’re welcome.”
She scowls at me. I can’t help but laugh as we take off down the road.
“Where are we?” she asks.
I give her my hand and help her climb down from my vehicle. “This is the park Mary Ella used to take me to when I was little.”
“You mean when you played in superhero costumes and pretended you could fly?” She giggles.
I feel heat bubbling beneath my skin. “I can’t believe she told you that, but yes.”
I walk to the back of my Jeep and pop it open. I pull out three blankets and return to Layla. “Take this, please.” She takes the blankets. The crisp air bites into my skin. This was probably a bad idea, but we won’t be out here long.
I grab the presents from the back and guide her to the spot I want to show her.
I set down the packages on the cold, leaf-covered ground and snatch a blanket from Layla. After I unfold it, I tell her to sit. Her tiny frame drops to the blanket, and I take another blanket from her. I shake it out and cover her back and shoulders with it then plop down next to her.
“You know I’m pretty warm without the blanket,” Layla says. “But thank you.”
I hand her over a gift. “Open, it please.”
I grab a gift that’s from her and rip into it like a madman. Layla laughs. “Excited over there?”
My eyes widen. It’s a box full of cookies. Like loads of cookies. “Oh, hell yeah! I mean I knew you made cookies, but I didn’t realize you’d made so many.”
She smiles. “Well, I hope you enjoy them. If they suck, Juliet did all the baking.”
I laugh, and bite into a cookie. Holy shit! These are the best white chocolate chip cookies I’ve ever had in my entire life. Each bite is heaven. To think, Layla remembered my most favorite kind just makes me love her more.
I watch her fingers glide through the taped edges of the package I gave her. She tears away the red paper and opens the box. Layla pulls out a picture frame snow globe in the shape of a snowflake with a photo of Layla and me kissing inside it. She smiles.
With a mouthful of cookies, I say, “Floob id ober.”
“Um, what was that?” she asks with a giggle.
I swallow as my cheeks turn bright red. “Flip it over.”
I watch her concentrate on the words on the back. Then she reads aloud, “To the first of many holidays with you.”
“Do you like it?” I ask.
She looks and me and nods while tears well up in her eyes. I graze my thumb over her lips and smile. “Babe, we’re going to have off days. Hell, we might have days where shit just goes complet
ely wrong. But I’m sure we can get through it.”
She wraps her arms around me and squeezes. “I’m sorry.”
“No, babe. I’m sorry. I should have stayed and talked with you.” I unwrap myself from her and hand her another gift. She pulls a necklace out of the next box. “It’s an infinity necklace,” I say.
She smiles. “It’s perfect. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
She stretches over me and snatches the last box. “Open yours.”
I take the large box from her and tear through the wrapping paper to reveal a cookbook and an apron. The apron says, “Hot chef.”
“Wow.”
She frowns. “You hate it.”
“Nope. I love it! Thanks so much, babe.”
She shivers. “Getting cold?” I ask.
She nods.
“Well, there is one last thing, and then we can leave.”
I help her stand and wrap the second blanket around her then I cover her eyes. “Your hands are cold,” she complains.
“Tough. I can’t have you peeking.”
She snorts.
I guide her to the tree and lift my hands.
On the tree was a heart with LV+TR carved into the bark. She turns to me and says, “This is the best gift ever. Thank you.”
I smile and kiss her mouth.
“I love you, Layla.”
“I love you too, Tyler.”
Acknowledgments
Each day, I am grateful and blessed to have such support from all of you wonderful readers. Thank you for being a part of this amazing journey with me. Every one of you holds a special place in my heart, for I know without any of you, none of this would ever be possible. Thank you!
To my awesome family and my two incredibly awesome children, you inspire me to be the very best version of myself I can be. You push me to do better, make me laugh, and are always there encouraging me each and every day. I love you so much.
To my kick-ass agent Brittany Booker, you are fantastic! Your advice makes my writing better. Thank you so much for your insight!
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