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“Marriages shouldn’t be forced,” Layla sighs. “I hope when things settle that I can talk to him. A marriage in captivity isn’t something I want for him.”
“I’m sure he’s giving them hell, Little Flower,” I snort. “He has to have his reasons for going along with things. Jordan seemed very in tune with the little mafia queen.”
“I didn’t want to like her,” Layla grumbles. “It made me think of how time is short. Do you think I should visit my dad?”
Looking down at my girl, I bite back a sigh. Layla’s so different than she was five years ago. She’s not who her father expects her to be anymore. I don’t even think she wants to be that person.
“Are you going as yourself or the person he wants you to be?” I ask honestly. I don’t want her to set herself up to get hurt.
Layla sighs as she looks out at the ocean. She mentioned wanting to go to the beach when the tour was going to play in Florida, so I booked us a little house for a few days with the guys. My girl deserves a break.
“I don’t know,” Layla mutters. “Lennon has a good excuse for not going to see him after he snapped on her, but I still feel like I should go.”
“We’ll make it quick.” I shrug. “I’ll go with you, and we can choose not to discuss your three other boyfriends.”
A giggle bubbles up from Layla, making me smile. I guess taking a bullet for her made her soften toward Atlas a lot, and even Roark and Turner only insisted on sparring with Mav because of Atlas’ injury.
“It’s surreal to be in love with four people,” she sighs. This is the first time she’s admitted it to me, but I saw her have a revelation on the bus after Atlas was shot. It rocked her after everything to realize that she loves them.
“Have you told them yet?” I ask, kissing her forehead. “I’m alright leaving them on tenterhooks for as long as you want, and I’m not rushing you.”
Layla grins up at me as we naturally stop. Moving her in front of me so I can tuck her into my arms to protect her from the cool morning breeze, I wait for her response.
“I haven’t yet,” she confesses. “I’ve almost told Draven a couple of times. I don’t know why I’m hesitating. We haven’t known each other long, but there’s something about him…”
“Draven doesn’t blink at your crazy,” I tease her. “He fell for you the second you insisted on going to bat for him.”
“Yeah,” she breathes. “I keep waiting for him to get bored of me, but he just wants to know more. I don’t think he likes my dad very much.”
Snorting, I turn her around to look out at the water as the sun starts to rise. “You deserved so much more, Baby Girl. Sitting a kid at an office and leaving them for the staff to parent isn’t really what I call ‘being a father’.”
“It’s more than Lennon got, so I never feel like I should complain,” Layla says softly.
“You don’t have to complain to know what not to do as a mom,” I tell her. Watching her with Lennon’s kids makes me excited to have that with her someday. Layla is incredibly gentle and loving with her niece and nephews. “We plan to love the fuckout of you. Get ready for it. You never have to be anything except yourself with us. We’ll adapt with you.”
It always amazes me how people expect you to never change or grow as you get older. It’s the reason so many relationships fall apart: they refuse to love the person you are five, ten, or twenty years down the road, because it doesn’t fit the construct they’ve created for you.
No one deserves to live in a box, no matter how pretty it may seem.
The soft smile on her face settles my heart. Layla is in her mid-twenties. I can’t wait to see who she continues to grow into, and I know the guys are along for the ride too.
Watching the sun rise with my girl gives us the time to just be together before we go back to the bustle of our little vacation house.
MAV
“Do we have plans today?” Layla asks as she finishes breakfast. This break was what we needed. The slower pace is good for her. We can get up when we feel like it, and do whatever we want. Honestly, it feels a little odd.
“Do we need to make you a schedule, Dove?” I chuckle. Layla blushes as she shrugs. “I’ve lived by one for a long time. Vacations are weird for me, though nice,” she explains.
The weather is beautiful on the beach for late September, which decides my next words. “Let’s be beach bums today,” I suggest. “We can put together a picnic, with some drinks and hang out.”
I have a thing about feeding Layla, and I believe Tyler thinks it’s funny. He easily split making meals with me, thoughthe internet is my best friend for finding recipes. I can follow directions just fine.
“Lazy feels nice, though don’t be surprised if I feel twitchy after an hour or so,” Layla giggles. “It always takes me a while to not feel as if I need to be doing something.”
“We’ll keep you busy,” Atlas chuckles though I roll my eyes.
“You’re not supposed to be doing anything either,” I sigh.
