Page 54 of Shattered Hearts

“Well, yeah,” Reid adds like I just said the dumbest thing in the world. I mean, I kind of did… Captain Obvious right here.

I sigh. “I mean she’s going to be a mum. A single mum working on her own business and living with her parents. The guy responsible just told her that he wants nothing to do with this whole situation, and she’s stressed about… everything. It wouldn’t be right for me to add more stress by sharing my feelings with her.”

Reid is silent for a moment, the music and chatter of the space the only thing filling my ears. He asks, “Do you think there will be a right time, though?”

My eyes find his again, cobalt blue and deep like the middle of the sea. I shrug. “I don’t know. She hasn’t indicated anything to me, and Laynie has too much on her mind right now. To add something else to her list of anxieties would be too much.”

“You don’t think she can handle you telling her about…”

I swallow, readjusting my position as Reid exhales loudly. “You’re worried she’ll turn you down.”

“Yeah,” I admit, my thumb picking at the label on the table.

Reid’s hand cups my shoulder. “Maybe it’s a risk you need to take.”

Macie and Laynie return with Sadie, Cole, and Holden. Mum and Dad walk through the room, going to their own table where Laynie’s parents are sitting. Everyone must have heard about the open mic night, which is great. Brings more people in to socialise in the middle of the week.

“Did you order anything? I’m starving,” Cole drawls, taking my drink and sipping. I meet Laynie’s eyes across the table. She’s in a thick grey jumper, her overalls over the top, boots on, and hair in a messy bun. She looks beautiful every time I see her, and I wish I could tell her that every morning as I make her coffee. Leave kisses on her neck and cheeks, smelling her strawberry shampoo as she giggles and kisses me back.

The clicking of fingers in front of my eyes snaps me out of my trance.

I glare at the culprit. “What?”

Cole snickers, possibly knowing what I was daydreaming about. If he does, he doesn’t say anything. “I was asking if you wanted a top up.”

“So, you did bring your wallet this time?”

His eyebrows flicker, and we all order a drink, knowing that this is a rarity. Cole conveniently always leaves his money at home, and we all need to pay up. Smart but irresponsible guy.

Paisley floats over as soon as Cole leaves, and I wonder if she was waiting to avoid interacting with him. Dropping our plates on the table, she gives Laynie a special mocktail with a little purple umbrella before returning behind the bar where Cole starts harassing her. I know Paisley can handle him on her own, but I still hate how Cole argues with her any chance he gets.

Standing, I push through the crowd that’s accumulated since Laynie and I walked through the door and stand beside my youngest brother, who is tapping his fingers on the wooden bench.

“You okay?” I direct my question at Paisley.

Cole huffs. “She told me my hair looks butchered.”

I blink and look to see he really did take the scissors to his hair. It looks awful.

“You actually listened to Macie?” I question, biting back a laugh.

His tongue runs along the front of his teeth as Paisley chews on her lip. “Well, I was being generous in cutting it so that Paisley wouldn’t fall for me.”

Paisley and I roll our eyes.

“I would never stoop that low,” Paisley snips.

“I wouldn’t either,” Cole seethes.

I push him towards the booth. “Go sit down. I’ve got this.”

He gives me a look like he might fight me on this, but I shake my head, silently warning him to leave.

He does.

Sighing, I turn to Paisley’s troubled face. I frown. “Don’t let him get to you.”

She shakes her head. “I’m not. I just have something else on my mind right now, and him bothering me isn’t helping.”