Back With Me: A With Me in Seattle Universe Novel (Lady Boss Press Presents: With Me in Seattle Universe)

by K. L. Humphreys

  “I’ll try,” I tell her. “Thank you for tomorrow.”

  She smiles at me, “I’m just happy that I was able to put a smile on your face. Maybe now, you’ll be happy here?”

  I don’t think that will happen. I have my heart set on being with Silas. I won’t be happy until that happens. “Maybe,” I tell her, unable to tell her the truth. I don’t want to break her heart.

  I see the hurt flash through her eyes and I realize that she didn’t believe my words. I don’t blame her, I wouldn’t either. “What would you like for dinner?” she asks, changing the subject as she pulls her hands away from mine.

  I grin, “Pizza?” It’s been a while since we’ve had one. Dahlia makes sure that we all eat healthy, home cooked meals each and every night. Even if she has to work all day, she’ll get her crock-pot out and have it ready for when we’re all home. We don’t eat alone. Ever. We eat at the table together. She’s making us a family and I appreciate it. She’s giving Mary, Tyler, and Sebastian a home again. I know that they all feel secure here and that’s all that I could have wanted.

  She rolls her eyes, “Why am I not surprised?” She laughs softly. She glances at the door when Sebastian lets out a loud screech, I watch as he runs after Tyler. “Pay, I was wondering about something,” Dahlia says and I tense at the sudden change in her tone.

  “What?” I’m on edge, waiting for her to say whatever’s on her mind.

  She bites her lip and I watch how nervous she is. “I want to get something for you all to have so that you can remember your parents.”

  I frown, remember our parents? That’s something that we’ll always do.

  She shakes her head, “I’m not saying this right. My parents are buried here, I’m able to go and visit them whenever I want. You can’t do that. I was thinking about planting a tree or something, maybe having a bench that you and the others could go to whenever you needed to talk to them, or just sit with them and reflect.”

  I nod, “That’s actually a really lovely idea. Can we do both the tree and bench?”

  I watch as she releases a breath, her entire body deflating. “How about two trees, either side of the bench?”

  “Perfect.” It’ll be like having mom and dad on each side of us. “We’ll all help plant them.”

  “We’ll do it when we come home from Seattle,” she says as she closes the laptop lid. “I’ll order the pizzas, why don’t you pack for tomorrow?”

  I grin, unable to contain my excitement. “Will do,” I say as I rush out of the kitchen and up the stairs.

  Once I’m in my room, I lie on my bed and grab my cell, I see that I have a missed call and a text from Silas. I open up the message and read it.

  Silas: Hey, baby, I just called because I wanted to hear your voice. I’m going in for a meeting now, I’ll talk to you later. Love you.

  Damn, I missed him. I quickly fire off a reply.

  Me: Sorry I missed you, I was talking with Dahlia. My cell was on my bed. I miss you. Love you.

  Once I’ve done that, I text Silas’ sister Eloise, I need his address so that I can surprise him tomorrow. Eloise and I were friends when I lived in Grand Folks, we still talk a few times a week, sometimes I feel as though I speak more to her than I do to Silas. I’m not left waiting long, she replies with his address and tells me to have fun.

  “Pay,” Sebastian yells as his feet pound up the stairs. I smile at hearing the happiness in his voice. “Pay, we’re having pizza,” he tells me as he climbs onto my bed and lies down beside me.

  “We are?” I say in a gasp as I widen my eyes, he giggles at me. “What kind of pizza are we having?”

  “I don’t know.” He pouts. “Bethan is staying with us tomorrow.”

  I nod, “Yep, are you excited?”

  He lays his head on my stomach and I run my hand through his hair and he sighs, “Yeah, I like Bethan. You’re not going to be here are you?”

  “No, I’m going to see Silas. I’ll only be gone for a few days.”

  “You promise?” I look down at him in confusion, my hand still running through his hair. “Promise you’ll come back.” He sounds so small, so uncertain and it makes my heart ache.

  “I promise. I’m not leaving you.” I hold him close to me. Today has me realizing just how far I’ve become unattached to my family. I’ve hurt them a lot by hiding. It needs to stop, we’ve all been through a lot and I can’t keep hurting them anymore.

  Chapter 2

  Payton

  “Pay, calm down,” Dahlia says with a laugh. “It’s good to see you so happy.”

  I’m so nervous as I look out the window. I’m trying to take everything in, but at the same time, not really seeing anything. “I am so happy. After our talk yesterday I finally began to see things clearly,” I say as we grow closer to Silas’ house. Thanks to Eloise, I’ve been able to get his address as well as keep it quiet from him.

  I apologized to my siblings last night, they needed me and I wasn’t there for them. Mary shrugged me off, acting as though it didn’t affect her but the way her eyes flashed with anger told me otherwise. Tyler, much like Sebastian hugged me, making sure that I’d return home tomorrow. How did I not see that they were still worried that we’d leave? I wouldn’t do that to them, I love them and I would do anything to ensure they’re okay.

  Dahlia reaches for my hand and gives it a squeeze before putting her hand back on the steering wheel. “When things get tough, you have to remember that you’re not alone. You have me.” Her words finally reach me, she tried for so long to get to my heart but it was closed off. After our talk yesterday, I’ve been able to get past the fogginess that’s been clouding my brain. I’m grateful that she never gave up.

  She pulls up to the curb in front of a two story, house. As I look at it, I see it’s a hell of a lot bigger than what I thought it would be. He told me before that he shares it with the guys on the team. It’s a lot fancier than what I imagined football housing would look like. It’s painted a dark purple on the outside, with gold trim. The colors of the University of Washington team. It looks amazing and I can only imagine what the inside looks like. The more I stare at the house, the more my stomach flips as my nerves get worse.

  One thing is for certain, I can’t wait to see him again; it’s been way too long. I’ve never been as happy as I am right now, of course that will change when I’m in his arms.

  “Text me when you’re inside and I’ll leave. Then you call me when you want me to pick you up,” she says. I want to roll my eyes at her tone, she sounds like a mom dropping her kid off on a date. “Seriously, Pay, please?”

  I lean over the center console and give her a hug, I hear the sharp intake of breath before she pulls me in closer. “Thank you,” I whisper as I pull away.

  “You’re welcome, Pay.” She gives me a small smile and throws me a quick wink.

  I push the car door open and wave goodbye to her. My breathing quickens as I move toward the front door. I lift my hand to knock, but see that the doors slightly open. “Silas? Hello?” I call out but there’s no reply.

  I walk into the house, something in my gut is screaming at me to not go any further, to turn around and run but I don't. This is Silas. The man that I love. There’s nothing to fear, he’ll never do anything to hurt me.

  I hear his deep voice and follow the sound. The air around me is static. That feeling in my gut intensifies, I stumble a step as my heart races once again.

  I round the corner to the kitchen and come to a halt. My knees threaten to buckle beneath me as the scene plays out in front of me. My eyes widen as I try to comprehend what the hell is happening. My throat closes and traps in the scream that I want to let out. With my hands balled into fists, I stand here unmoving, not quite sure what to do.

  Silas is standing in the kitchen, his beautiful green eyes on the woman that’s in his arms, his hands on her hips as her fingers tangle in his messy brown hair, her lips at his neck. Pain rips through my heart as I watch the man I promised my
future to hold this other woman. So this is why he’s been pulling away. Why would he want me? He’s obviously getting it from somewhere else.

  I shake my head, needing to get the hell out of here. I spin on my heels just as the first tear spills from my eyes. My feet move before my brain can catch up, I’m moving quickly toward the front door.

  Happy freaking birthday to me! Of all the people in the world, I never thought he’d be the one to break my heart. He’s the one person I believed in fully. His words the day I left still ring in my ears. “We’re never going to be over. We may be thousands of miles apart, but Pay, you’ll always be mine, just as I’ll always be yours.”

  Those words mean nothing now. I know the truth, they were just lies, words that he said to ensure he had me wherever he wanted me.

  I run through the front door and towards Dahlia’s car. She’s out of it within seconds, her eyes on me, wide and full of worry. I duck my head, not wanting her to see the full extent of my pain. God, it hurts so bad.

  Inside I’m breaking into a million pieces, why would he do this to me?

  “Payton?” she questions as I reach the car, her voice hesitant, almost as if she has no idea what to say.

  I don’t answer her, I slide into the passenger's seat and as soon as the door closes behind me, heart wrenching sobs wrack through my body. I can't breathe. I’m trying to suck in some air, but my sobs take it from me.

  “Oh, Pay, what happened?” Dahlia asks and I look over at her through my tear filled eyes to see that she too is crying.

  I shake my head, I can’t say it, it’s too much. My entire body shaking, why would he do this to me? How could he?

  “Was he there?” she asks and I nod and her eyes fill with anger. She doesn’t need me to say anything else, my tears alone say it for me. “Pay, what can I do?” she asks, sounding helpless.

  “Drive,” I gasp. I need to get away from here.

  She doesn’t even hesitate, she drives to the hotel she booked for the two nights. The entire drive, I’ve not been able to do anything but cry. I’m not sure how I get to our suite, but Dahlia lays me onto the bed and then pulls me into her arms and holds me tightly.

  At this moment, I want my mom. I need her. I cry even harder, knowing that I’ll never be able to talk to her about this. Dahlia’s arms tighten around me and I push further into her body, needing the comfort. I can’t have my mom, but I have the next best thing. My auntie.

  What did I do to deserve him betraying me like this?

  I wake with the urge to pee. As soon as I open my eyes, everything that happened yesterday comes flooding back. Silas with another girl. My throat clogs with emotion once again as tears fill my eyes. The betrayal burns deep, I know that I’m never going to recover from this. I’ll never forgive him for it either. Silas and I are done.

  I’m shocked to find Dahlia and I in the same position we were in last night when we came back to the hotel. Her arm is tucked under my head and the other thrown around my stomach, holding me tightly. Even in our sleep she’s comforting me. I’ve not felt this much love since my parents died. I haven’t been hard on Dahlia per se, but I’ve definitely kept her at arm’s length. The only excuse is that I was grieving, but I know deep in my heart she’s tried her hardest to show me just how much she cares.

  “Are you ready to talk?” she asks and I nod, unsure if I’ll actually be able to get the words out. “What happened, Pay?”

  “The door was open when I got there. I should have known something wasn’t right.” My voice is low and haunting, it sounds hoarse and painful even to my own ears. “When I found the kitchen, he wasn’t alone.”

  Her arm over my stomach convulses, pulling me closer to her, “Oh, Pay.”

  “I didn’t say a word, I just stared at them. His hands were on her ass and she was kissing his neck.” A sob bursts through, and my body shakes once again. “I turned around and ran before he saw me. Why did he do this?” I ask, needing to make sense of it.

  “I don’t know, honey. Men do stupid shit for a lot of different reasons. I’m sorry this happened to you and on your birthday no less. You deserve better than this,” she says softly almost as if she’s talking to a child.

  “What do I do now?” I ask, every dream I ever had was shattered at watching him with another woman.

  “You’re going to get up, take a shower and then we’re going shopping. I’m giving you a makeover. You need new clothes anyway and you deserve to be spoiled.”

  My heart melts at her words. She’s amazing and I’m truly blessed to have her in my life. I’m just sorry that it’s taken this long to realize it.

  Six hours later, I’ve had my haircut, Dahlia has bought me an entire new wardrobe, and a brand new cell phone. After being on the go all day, both Dahlia and I are tired, it’s time to go back to the hotel.

  “Hi, excuse me,” a male voice says and both Dahlia and I stop and look to our right. A nicely dressed man steps forward with an easy smile on his face and holds his hand out to Dahlia, “I’m Jerald McAndrews, I’m with Global Model Management. May I have a word, please?”

  Dahlia glances at me and I shrug and take a step backward. Dahlia and the man talk so softly that I’m unable to hear what they are saying. But whatever it is has shocked Dahlia; her eyes wide but she’s not angry. In fact, she’s smiling. I wait patiently as they talk, the more they do, the bigger her smile gets.

  Twenty minutes later Dahlia walks back to me with a business card in her hands. She doesn’t say anything as we walk back to the car.

  “You’re not going to tell me what that was about?” I ask once we’re inside of the car.

  “I’m still trying to wrap my head around it myself. He is part of a modeling agency and he wants you to be one of their models. He wanted to talk to me as your guardian to have my consent. ”

  I stare at her in shock, “What?”

  She laughs, “Yeah, that was my first reaction too. He seemed pretty serious. When we get back to the hotel, I’m going to check the company out, but he sounded legitimate.”

  I lean my head back against the chair, “Wow. This isn’t something that I’ve ever thought of before.”

  “You’re beautiful, Pay, if you want this, we’ll make this happen. I’ll back you one hundred percent.”

  I sigh, “I don’t know, hell I don’t know what I want to do anymore. All my dreams are gone. Every dream I had was with Silas. I was supposed to marry him and live happily ever after. That’s all dashed now.”

  Her face gets tight and anger flashes in her eyes. “Listen to me, Payton, a woman can have dreams too. You are worth more than being someone who gives up everything to follow a man’s dream. Yes, we can stand by him as he reaches it, but we’ve also got to have something for us to reach for.”

  “I don’t know what I want,” I tell her honestly.

  “Then, baby, it’s time to start thinking. You need to put yourself first. Think about the offer today.”

  “We’ll see if they’re legit first and then I’ll decide,” I say and close my eyes. Dahlia’s right, it’s time to think about myself and what I want. Maybe modeling is the way to go?

  Chapter 3

  Silas

  “Yo, Miller.” I turn at Caston’s voice, he’s one of the linebackers for the University of Washington team. “Are you partying tonight?”

  I sigh as I lean against the kitchen counter, a cup of coffee in my hand. I had hoped that I would get to talk to Payton today, but she’s not answered any of my text messages which is really unusual. “Not sure yet.”

  Today is the first time I have not spent her birthday with her. Usually we would spend the day hanging out, going to the movies and chilling before she spends the evening with her family. This is the first birthday without her parents, without me. The messages I have sent to her today haven't been answered. I'm not sure what's going on; it’s unlike her.

  I know that things haven’t been right between us the last couple of months. With college and football,
I’ve been busy which means my time is limited. Yet when I’m finally free, Pay’s either busy or she’s in bed. I feel as though we’re drifting apart. As soon as this semester is over, I’m heading to Portland, I need to spend some time with my girl.

  He gives me a nod, “Good, you talk to your girl today?”

  Everyone knows about Payton, I’ve been non-stop talking about her since I’ve arrived here. The groupies have made it quite clear that they want me, but I’m not that type of guy. I fucking love Payton and would never do anything to jeopardize what I have with her.

  “Messaged her this morning,” I reply, leaving out that she hasn’t responded.

  He grins, “Good, hopefully now you can relax some.”

  I bring the mug to my lips to stop me from replying. Caston is my friend, he’s the only one who knows me inside out. He too has a girlfriend, Saya. She, like Payton, isn’t here, and it’s fucking hard not having them around.

  A door closes upstairs and it’s soon followed by giggling. Caston’s eyes widen, “Oh shit, she’s still here?”

  I frown, “Who?”

  He shakes his head. “Fucking Julia.”

  Damn, that girl is a viper. She’s made it clear that her dream is to snag a football player. She doesn’t care who, all she wants is to become a wife of a player. Most of the guys are steering clear of her whenever she’s around, but there’s a few that don’t care, they’ll just fuck her and be done.

  “Who’s she with this time?” This is the fifth time in two weeks she’s been here and each time she’s here she’s with a different guy.

  “Tate.” He shakes his head, “He and Kayley had a fight.”

  “A fight?” Fuck, when Kayley finds out about this, it’s going to be more than a fight. “Damn, the sooner she works her way through the other guys the better.”

  He chuckles, “Yeah, then she can get the fuck out of here.”

  Tate and Julia appear in the doorway. Tate glances between Caston and I, the guilt in his eyes tells me everything I need to know, he fucked up and he knows it. “I’ve got to go,” he tells us and no doubt he’s going to find Kayley before Julia opens her mouth.