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“Sorry, buddy. Violet and Mason are in Ireland this week with Uncle Shane and Aunt Harper,” Layla told him, and Luca’s face fell. “They won’t be back for another week or so.”
“But she didn’t say she was going anywhere.” Luca pushed his plate of half-eaten pizza away. “I talked to her yesterday and she didn’t say anything.”
“Maybe she didn’t know,” Lucy offered as an explanation as she scooted into the booth with him. “I’m sure she would’ve told you if she’d known.”
“Yeah. Maybe.”
Marcus waited until we were all settled before taking the end of the large booth. Jesse and Layla always made sure he felt like he was part of the family when they ate out. I knew for Lucy he was like another uncle and he loved her like she was his own. His role in her life wasn’t going to change, I’d make sure of that. He was the only one I trusted with her safety when I wasn’t around and I knew Jesse felt the same.
After dinner, Jesse took the boys to play in the arcade at the back of the pizza place and Layla turned to Lucy. “How’s studying going, baby?”
“I think I’ll pass tomorrow.” She picked up an extra straw that was lying on the table and started to tear off the paper wrapper on one end.
“That’s great.” Layla glanced over her shoulder to make sure the twins were out of sight, then turned back around. “Emmie has two doctors’ appointments set up for Monday morning. Are you sure you don’t want me to go with you?”
Surprised by her question, I glanced at Lucy. “I thought we were all going together?” If she thought I wasn’t going to be with
her, she had lost her damn mind. I wasn’t going to let her do this on her own. I needed to be a part of it.
Lucy put the bare straw end into her mouth and turned her head to look at me. Blowing into the straw, the rest of the straw paper hit me on my cheek. With a grin she put the straw back on the table. “Don’t worry. You’re still coming. I just asked Mom and Dad to let me do this with just you.”
I instantly relaxed but saw that Layla was having trouble with this decision. “I know I reacted badly when you first told us, Lucy. I’m so sorry for that.”
“It’s okay, Mom. You reacted like any mother would.” Her smile was gone now and she gave Layla’s hand a gentle squeeze. “I just want to do this on my own.” Her eyes shot to mine and she gave me a smile. “Well, not completely alone. But Harris and I are a team. I just…” She grimaced. “I’m not explaining this right.”
Some of Layla’s tension started to fade and she turned her hand over to entwine her fingers with Lucy’s before reaching for my hand. “No. I get it.” Her fingers tightened around mine and for once I really got that Layla was happy Lucy and I were together.
She’d always been good to me, and had treated me like one of her own children, but I knew she hadn’t been happy about Lucy changing schools in the beginning. I knew she’d thought that it was my fault and she wasn’t far off the mark, but now she was relieved that Lucy was going to be closer to home.
“That’s how it is with me and your dad. I’ve always hoped you would find someone to share your life with like that, baby.” The smile she gave us right then was watery, but heartfelt. “I’m so glad you found him, Lucy, and that it’s Harris.”
She released Lucy’s hand and turned her full attention on me. “And if you hurt her, I’ll make you wish you’d never been born.”
I didn’t even hesitate. “Yes, ma’am.”
Layla Thornton didn’t have anything to worry about, but fuck, she scared me almost more than Jesse did.
Chapter 23
Lucy
The doorbell ringing pulled me out of an exhausted sleep. Jerking awake, I sat up in bed, disoriented for a minute because I wasn’t sure where I was until my eyes focused on the bedroom. I was home, in my own room, with all the things that normally brought me comfort.
They hadn’t helped me sleep the night before, nor the night before that. Not any night since we’d all gotten back. I hadn’t gotten a full night’s sleep since the last night I’d slept in my dorm room with Harris’s heat surrounding me. For the past week I’d sat up, playing with apps on my phone, writing a little, but mostly walking the floors until I fell into a restless sleep on the couch.
Each morning I’d woken up in my own bed, knowing my dad had put me there. He was worried about me; they all were. I was a little worried about me too. The urge to cut was growing stronger with each passing night. That need hadn’t stopped with telling everyone what was going on. If anything, it had only gotten worse. So far, I’d fought it.
I wasn’t sure how long I could continue fighting, though.
Harris was spending all his available time with me and I hated that I was taking him away from work. First Bass was his dream, one he’d made a reality, and I was keeping him away from that more often than not. I hated even more that he looked more exhausted than I did. He spent the daytime hours with me, then went in to work for a few hours and didn’t get to sleep until nearly three. That didn’t stop him from being in Malibu at nine to either pick me up for an appointment or just to spend the day with me.
After the appointment I’d had the day before—one with a doctor I actually liked and felt comfortable talking to—I’d asked him to sleep all day today. He needed the rest. Harris hadn’t liked it, but after I told him I would come in to the club to see him tonight, he’d relaxed and finally given in.
The doorbell rang again, and I wasn’t a hundred percent sure it wasn’t Harris. He wouldn’t use the doorbell, though. Mom had given him his own key when we’d gotten home last Friday, and he’d been using it to let himself in all week.
Even from my room I could hear the pounding on the front door followed by whoever laying on the bell. It echoed through the house and I groaned, realizing that my parents and the twins must have been out of the house. A glance at the clock on my nightstand said it was just after eleven. Shit.
Tossing the covers back, I grabbed my robe and pulled it on over my T-shirt and boy-shorts as I hurried downstairs.
