Jaybird

by M. A. Foster

  “What are you doing out here?” Jay asks.

  “My parents told me to wait out here. It’s bad in there.” She wraps her arms around her waist and looks down at the ground.

  The front door flies open and I can hear my mom shouting as Rebecca storms out with Chris right behind her. “Let’s go, Chelsea,” Chris says, calmly heading for the car.

  “I don’t know what’s going on with our parents, but I hope it doesn’t affect our friendship,” Chelsea says.

  “It already has,” Jay says, “but not because of us. Because of them. I say the three of us start over and build a friendship between us. Leave our parents’ baggage out of it.”

  “I agree,” I say.

  “Me, too,” Chelsea adds, looking over her shoulder at her parents and sighing. “I better go. I’ll call you later, Zach.” She hugs me, then turns and hugs Jay. “Give me a call sometime.”

  “I will,” Jay says as Chelsea turns and heads to the car.

  The screaming has stopped and the front door opens again. This time it’s Emerson who storms out and looks like she’s been crying. “Let’s go, Jayla,” she calls over her shoulder as she heads straight for the passenger side of Jay’s car.

  Cam comes out and calls after her. “Em, wait!”

  “Fuck you, Cam,” she yells over her shoulder. Jay and I watch with raised brows as Cam runs over to the Range Rover. He places his hands on the roof, and leans into the passenger side.

  “I’m not sure what to do here,” Jay says, watching her mom and Cam go at it. “I never saw my parents fight. The only time I’ve ever seen my mom this mad was the day Hannah stepped on my hand and when your mom pushed me.”

  Em shoves Cam out of the way before reaching for the door and slamming it shut.

  Jay turns to me with a sad smile. “You should go inside and check on your parents. I’m gonna take my mom home. Tell Logan to call if he needs me to watch Zoe.” She gives me a kiss goodbye and heads to her Range Rover where Emerson waits in the passenger seat.

  Cam stands off to the side with his hands on his hips and his head down. I stand on the porch as Jay backs out of the driveway and drives off. What the hell is going on?

  I FIND MY mom stretched out on one of the loungers beside the pool with a big glass of wine in her hand. Her eyes are red and swollen and her face is wet with tears.

  “Hey,” I say, dropping down on the edge of the lounger. “You okay?”

  “No,” she says with barely a whisper as another tear rolls down her cheek. She doesn’t even bother to wipe it away. She pauses as if she’s pondering something, then bursts out laughing.

  She’s losing it.

  “What’s so funny?” I ask.

  She waves me off. “Nothing and everything.”

  Yep. She’s lost her mind.

  “Are you sure you’re okay?”

  “No. But I will be.” She smiles sadly. “I’m so sorry, Zach. I’ve been a shitty mom and an even shittier person. God.” She sighs. “The way I treated Jayla…. I have a lot of mending to do with my family and the Mackenzies.”

  “It’s okay. I love you, Mom.” I lean over and hug her.

  “I love you, too, my baby boy. Is everything okay with you and Jayla?”

  “We’re working on it, but I think we’ll be fine. I’ll be in my room if you need me.”

  “Thank you, Zach.”

  Walking into the house, past my dad’s office, I catch the tail end of an argument between my dad and Cam.

  “You don’t think I tried to tell her?” my dad yells.

  “Obviously, you didn’t try hard enough. For twenty years, you let my sister believe that bitch was her best friend.”

  “She threatened to divorce me and take my kids if I ever brought it up. I tried to tell her, but she wouldn’t listen. I didn’t want to risk losing my family. What choice did I have? What about you? Have you told your parents about your dirty little secret?”

  “She’s not my dirty little secret!” Cam defends. I assume he’s talking about his relationship with Emerson.

  I leave my dad and Cam to their argument and continue to up to my room, remembering something Brad said once. “Secrets never stay secrets for long, my friend. Remember that.” True.

  YESTERDAY WAS THE one-year anniversary of my dad’s death. Mom and I spent the day in our pajamas bawling our eyes out while watching home movies and looking at old photos.

  Family and friends called throughout the day but knew we needed our space. Bass spent the day with Lisa and Grace stayed in her room. Dr. Ramos called on FaceTime to check up on both of us. We had a nice talk and I realized how much I miss talking to her.

  Zach called and we talked on the phone a little. He understood it was a bad day, deciding to stay home and spend some time with his mom.

  My mom wouldn’t talk about her fight with Cam, but after a long talk, I gave her the okay to move on. Not that she needed it, but I knew she needed to hear it.

  I pull into my usual parking space beside Zach’s Jeep and see Reagan sitting in the passenger seat with her back to the window. What in the ever-loving fuck!

  My emotions are too raw from yesterday to even bother putting up a fight. Grabbing my bag from the front seat, I climb out of my car and hurry through the common area heading straight for my locker.

  “Hey.” Cole leans against the locker beside mine. He looks terrible.

  “Hey,” I say. “Are you okay? I haven’t heard from you since you stormed out of my house Saturday.”

  “No,” he breathes. “This shit with Harper….” He shakes his head.

  “What happened?”

  “She lied. That’s what happened.”

  My stomach flips. “Lied about what?”

  “Everything.” He shakes his head again. “I don’t want to talk about it right now. It’s a long story, but I promise to tell you later.”

  “Okay. I’m sorry, Cole. Is there anything I can do?”

  He shakes his head. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you yesterday. How are you? How’s Em?”

  “We’re fine. We spent the day together, just the two of us, in our pjs, watching home videos, looking at old pictures and missing my dad.”

  An arm comes around my waist and pulls me against a solid chest. “Hey, babe. I missed you,” Zach says, kissing me on the neck.

  I pull away and shut my locker. “It didn’t look like you were missing me a few minutes ago,” I snap. “You just can’t stay away from her, can you?” I walk off and head to my first class.

  “What are you talking about?” Zach calls out to my retreating back. I lift my middle finger in the air and keep walking.

  “WHAT WAS THAT about?” Cole asks.

  “As always, your cousin has the worst goddamn timing. Reagan hopped into the passenger side of my Jeep this morning before I even had a chance to put it in Park. Jay must’ve seen her.”

  “What’d she want?”

  I shrug. “Don’t know. Don’t care. I told her to get out.”

  Cole shakes his head.

  “It’s my fault for dragging her into my shit in the first place. I never should’ve used her to hurt Jay.” I look over at Cole, taking in his appearance. “Dude, you look like shit.”

  “Fuck! I know.” He rakes his fingers through his hair and walks off as I step into my class.

  I head straight for Jay’s desk as she busies herself pulling her book from her backpack, pretending she doesn’t see me coming. Leaning over so that we’re eye to eye, with one hand pressed flat on her desk and the other gripping the back of her chair, I growl into her ear, “I don’t care what you think you saw. It wasn’t like that and you know it.”

  “I think you’re still confused,” she drawls.

  “What happened to not making assumptions?”

  “We’re way past that, Zach.”

  I let out a low growl under my breath. “We will talk about this after class.”

  “Talk? Don’t you mean you’ll explain? Again?” She rolls he
r eyes. “Oh, my God, Zach. I’m so sick of lies, excuses, explanations, misunderstandings, and all the other ‘he said, she said’ bullshit. I’m done. Let’s just call it quits and move on.”

  I’m going to let that comment slide because she’s obviously still emotional from yesterday. However, she’s so full of shit and I want so badly to call her on it, but Mr. Baxter walks in with his usual Starbucks in hand. “Break it up, lovebirds.”

  “Ease up on the crazy, Jay. You’re being ridiculous. We’re not calling it quits.” I press my lips to the spot under her ear. “I love you.” I stand, pinning her with a hard stare. She stares back, unfazed with a raised brow.

  Mr. Baxter continues, “Okay, class, open your books to page one fifty-eight. You have twenty minutes to review the material and then there will be a test. Get started.”

  Dropping down in my seat, I pull my backpack into my lap and dig out my book and a pencil before dropping it on the floor beside my desk.

  “Psst…Jay,” Dex whisper-yells. Jay glances at him over her shoulder. “Girl, that dress you was wearing Friday night was sexy as fuuuuck,” he sings. “I need to buy one for my girl. Where’d you get it? Victoria’s Secret? Frederick’s? Hoes R’ Us?” He laughs. “Come on, tell me.”

  Rolling her eyes, she flips him off and turns back around in her seat.

  “She did look sexy in that dress,” I add in a whisper, “but you know what looks even better on her?”

  “Huh?”

  “Me.” I wink.

  A few people in the surrounding desks snicker.

  Her leg stops mid-bounce as she whips her head around and pins me with a glare. After a pause, she gives me that sarcastic smile she smears on right before she tells someone to eat shit or to fuck off.

  “You can’t just play with me when it suits you, Zach. I’m not wired that way.”

  I chuckle. “You like when I play with you.”

  “Yeah, well maybe it’s time for someone else to play with me.” She smirks and high-fives Kali, before she turns back around in her seat. A chorus of “oh, shits” and “day-ums” circulates around the classroom.

  Derek the douche raises his hand and snickers. “I volunteer.”

  I shoot Derek a murderous glare before turning to Jay. “Don’t start, Jay,” I hiss. “I was joking.”

  “Someone is pissy today.” Dex chuckles. “We just messin’ witchu, Jay. You know Dex ain’t got nothin’ but love for ya, baby girl.”

  She smiles. “Thanks, Dex.”

  Just as we turn in our tests, the bell rings and the little sneak slips out the door before I can even get to my feet.

  “Damn, Easton.” Dex laughs, gripping my shoulder. “What’d you do this time?”

  I don’t have time to explain Jay’s impeccable timing to Dex, so I just shake my head and hurry after her. I see her weaving through the busy hallway, moving as fast as her long legs can carry her, heading to our next class. Too bad for her that my legs are longer and I’m faster. Dodging and weaving is what I’m good at.

  Hooking an arm around her waist, I pull her to my chest and turn my back to the nosey fuckers walking by. To them we look like the typical affectionate couple they see every day.

  “Stop fighting me,” I growl in her ear, tightening my hold on her. “Reagan jumped in my car before I’d even parked. If I had to guess, that psycho bitch saw you pull into the parking lot and timed her little move perfectly just to piss you off. She said she wanted to talk. I told her to get the fuck out. She got out. I got out. That’s it. End of story. No more fighting, Jay. Not in front of our friends, classmates, at school, or in public—period. After everything that’s happened in the last week, people are more curious than ever. I was an idiot for doubting us and it won’t happen again. I love you and you love me. Let’s stick with that. No more drama. Okay?”

  She nods and her body relaxes against mine. “Fine. Okay.”

  “Now give me those delicious lips.” She tilts her head back with her lips puckered for a kiss. That’s my girl. I press my lips to hers and slide my tongue across the seam, teasingly. She moans affectionately. I pull away with a smirk. “I haven’t forgotten about that smartass comment in class, but you’re gonna make it up to me after school.”

  “Oh, yeah?” She arches an eyebrow. “I thought you loved my smart ass. And what about your douchey comment?”

  “I do love your smart ass. And your smart mouth.” I smack another kiss on her lips. “I’m sorry for what I said. It was douchey, but I’ll make it up to you after school.” I grin.

  She huffs out a laugh. “You’re such a horndog.”

  “I love you.”

  “I love you, too.”

  “Good.” Unhooking my arm from her waist, I step back and hold out my hand. “Now hold my hand like a loving girlfriend and let’s get to class. We’re late.” Taking her hand in mine, our fingers entwined, we make our way to our next class.

  THE LAST FEW weeks have been rough between the fights, the secrets, and the revelations. Cole broke up with Harper. Believe it or not, Ashton doesn’t seem to care; she’s moved on to the varsity baseball team’s superstar. Kali broke things off with Lucas. My mom still isn’t speaking to Cam.

  But on a high note, Zach and I are good.

  Chelsea has texted me a few times. She and Justin are going strong. Reagan has kept her distance, which means she’s probably off somewhere trying to ruin someone else’s relationship.

  Today, Zach is out on the boat with his dad and Logan. Things have been tense at Zach’s house after the big blowout, and the truth came out that Mike cheated on Liz with Chelsea’s mom, Rebecca. It happened over twenty years ago, they were kids, but the whole time, Liz thought it was my mom who’d betrayed her. This time Mimi and Zach’s grandma Kate, have stepped in to help mend our families, as well as my mom and Liz’s friendship.

  Zach has lost a lot of respect for his dad. Unfortunately, he can’t disassociate himself from his own father. Mike made a mistake and Liz made the choice to forgive him. Zach needs to accept it. Mike has been a good husband to Liz and a good father to his sons. That’s what Zach needs to focus on.

  So, with all that drama behind us, the girls and I hit the mall for a little retail therapy. I even brought my two favorite girls along for a trip to Build-A-Bear.

  After a little shopping, lunch, and two hours in Build-A-Bear with Willow and Zoe, who are clearly overdue for a nap, I’m ready for a nap myself, and some alone time with my guy.

  “Let me call my mom and tell her to meet us at the car.” Lexi and Kali rode with her, since I had two car seats in my backseat. Mom and Mimi left us at Build-A-Bear while they went to pick up some shoes Mom had on hold at Nordstrom. The plan was for us to meet up at the exit leading to the second level of the parking garage so we could all leave together, since my mom gave our bodyguards the day off. No signal. “The call won’t go through.”

  “You guys go ahead. I’ll go down to the shoe department and let her know we’re ready,” Lexi offers.

  “Okay. Thanks,” I say, then turn to Harper. “You stay here with the girls and Kali and I will go get the car.” In my excitement of picking up the babies for a trip to the mall, I forgot to bring a stroller, so I had to rent one.

  Kali and I leave Harper in the vestibule with Zoe and Willow and head to the car with our bags. I pass my bags over to Kali so I can dig out my keys.

  Parking garages have always given me the creeps. Like someone is gonna jump out and grab me. So, when the overwhelming feeling of unease settles in the pit of my stomach and my instincts are telling me to turn around and go back inside the mall, I should do just that.

  But—

  “Kalista!” an unfamiliar male voice calls out and Kali jerks to a stop.

  “Oh fuck!” she whispers, her voice laced with panic.

  Pulling my keys from my purse, I look over at Kali to see her pale and frightened face. Turning my head, I follow her line of sight and see two guys leaning against the trunk of my mom’s
Maserati.

  “Is he talking to you?” I ask.

  One is tall with dark brown hair and the other is blond, a few inches shorter but stockier. They’re both clean-cut, preppy, and look like they’re in their early twenties.

  “I can’t believe he found me.” She looks over at me with sad eyes. “I’m so sorry, Jay.”

  “What are you talking about, Kali?” I whisper. “Who are they?”

  Before Kali can say another word, the dark-haired guy is standing in front of her, hands in his pockets and a triumphant gleam in his eyes. “I’ve missed you, Kalista,” he says sweetly, contradicting the anger pouring off him.

  “Why?” Kali snips. “Couldn’t find another punching bag?”

  In a flash, he moves, grabbing a fistful of Kali’s short hair, yanking her head back so she’s looking up at him. “Watch your mouth, Kalista,” he says through gritted teeth before he slams his mouth down on hers. Kali struggles and, when he pulls away, she turns her face to suck in a breath. “I’ve missed this mouth.” He grabs her face in a vice-like grip and jerks her head to face his. “This little hide-n-seek game is over. It’s time to come home. We have a wedding to plan and you need to do something about this fucking hair. You look like a boy.”

  I gasp, prompting him to turn his leering eyes on me. “Who’s your pretty friend?”

  “I’m Jay. Who are you?” I shoot back.

  “I’m Austin. Kalista’s fiancé.” He nods toward his blond friend. “This is Tripp.”

  Tripp winks and crosses his arms over his chest. “You look familiar,” Tripp says, tilting his head and narrowing his eyes, scanning my face for recognition. “I know you from somewhere. You a model or something?”

  I scoff nervously. Fuck. “No.” The key fob digs into the palm of my clenched fist, and then I remember. The panic button. Unclenching my fist, I slide my thumb over the key fob until I feel the oddly shaped panic button, press down and hold. Three seconds.