Say You're Mine (The Gallaghers Book 1)

by Layla Hagen

  She smiled widely. “How is this happening to me? I feel like I’m in a dream. You’ve been spoiling me all day, and now you’re offering to spoil me even more.”

  “I want to see you happy.”

  “Oh, I definitely am. Also super tired. But I still have one thing to do. I have to check Mom’s to-do list for Sophie’s party. I hope I don’t forget.”

  “Sophie is your niece, right?” I asked.

  She nodded, biting into a bruschetta. She closed her eyes, shaking her head slightly in pleasure.

  “What kind of party is it?” I asked once she finished it.

  “Umm... a post-birth baby shower, I guess. Don’t judge.”

  “I’m not.”

  “I can see you’re trying to hold back a smile.”

  “Yes, but that’s not me judging. Just thinking your family is one of a kind.”

  “We really are.” She laughed and between mouthfuls of pasta told me about the party. She lit up while talking about the preparations. “So, there’s not much to do since they’re catering the party, but Mom wants to make sure all decorations are on point. I need to check on some balloons I ordered a while ago and confirm with Mom. She’ll be restless otherwise.”

  I was smitten with this woman. She was bone-tired after a long day but still wanted to check on random details to make sure her mom was happy.

  “You like parties at home?”

  “I do, especially when they’re catered from my favorite restaurants. But I also like it when we do actually go out to celebrate.”

  “Let me guess, you simply like celebrating?” I asked.

  “Exactly.” She grinned. “I have an idea. Want to join me at the party? It’s in two weeks, on Saturday. It will be totally crazy, but I think you’ll like it. And it will split Mom’s focus so she won’t be all over Josie.”

  “I see. So you want me there as a distraction?”

  “Not just a distraction.”

  I laughed, burying my head in her neck. Usually I asked Sasha to double-check security before agreeing to anything, but now I didn’t even hesitate to answer. Besides, I was making mental notes for what Isabelle liked in a party to use later on. I wanted all the information I could get to spoil my woman.

  “How can I turn down such a heartfelt invitation?”

  Chapter Fourteen

  Isabelle

  “This was a bad idea,” I muttered. We were surrounded by my whole family, plus the Winchesters, and Hunter, Josie’s husband, of course. The party was a success, and Sophie was the center of attention and loving it.

  As I’d predicted, Mom first got her fill of Sophie, but now she was all over Brayden. Dad was a little more reserved—but just a little. I hadn’t told my parents that Brayden and I were only a temporary thing. That the clock was ticking away, and it would stop once his concert tour began. It was something I didn’t want to think about because I was already having misgivings about it. In fact, I hadn’t told anybody, mostly because I didn’t want to say it out loud.

  To my astonishment, Brayden appeared to be pretty relaxed. Sasha had double-checked the perimeter, so fortunately there were no reporters around Josie and Hunter’s townhouse. Not that we were expecting any. They’d shown up three days in a row at his penthouse but dispersed after that. Not that I was thankful for the press, but it did give me a good reason to spend three days there locked up with Brayden.

  The past two weeks had been a little weird though. It was stressful to keep looking over my shoulder, and Brayden tensed up every time Sasha called. But so far, it seemed the reporters didn’t have any more pictures of us, especially not one where my face was visible. I hadn’t been back to the cottage though, since it was obvious they were stalking the place.

  We didn’t want to tempt them once they left Brayden’s penthouse, so we spent all our nights in my tiny apartment. The guys had started filming live videos separately, and they were doing a great job on their own. My assignment with them was officially over, since they’d only needed a roadmap from me.

  It was all peaceful here at Josie and Hunter’s. The living room was decorated with pink balloons and glittery garlands. They’d brought in extra armchairs for the party, though many of us were standing and circulating around the room so we could catch up with everyone, though there were so many people that the task seemed impossible. Skye was here with her husband, Rob, and their son, who was trying to pop a balloon with his bare hands. Tess and her fiancé were chatting with Laney and Cole. I was pretty sure it was about their upcoming weddings. Ryker and his wife, Heather, had their hands full with their newborn and their older daughter, Avery. Having everyone in one place was making my heart happy, especially seeing my parents again. They’d flown in the evening before and were staying over a few extra days. I had immense respect for them, for the way they loved each other and for all the values they taught us.

  While Mom and Dad were still sitting with Brayden, I headed to Ian and Dylan, who were at the opposite side of the room.

  “Hey, guys, think you could help out Brayden?” I asked them.

  They both glanced at the couch next to the fireplace where the three of them were sitting.

  “Hell no. Mom’s got her tough face on. Better Brayden than us,” Ian said.

  Dylan chuckled. “Come on, bro. Let’s do our sister a solid. We’re better at evading Mom’s questions.”

  “Thank you, Dylan.” I emphasized his name, frowning at Ian. “Happy I can at least count on one brother.”

  Ian scoffed. “Hey, you can count on me too. I’m happy not to be on Mom’s radar for once.”

  Dylan glowered at him, and all three of us headed toward Brayden and my parents. Between all the adults and the kids around, the room was so loud that I couldn’t hear what they were saying until we were right in front of them.

  “Oh, did Isabelle ever tell you the story of the field trip—"

  I exchanged an alarmed glance with Ian and Dylan.

  “Mom, this isn’t the moment to break out the embarrassing-Isabelle tradition,” Dylan interrupted.

  “You scared away at least three boyfriends in high school with those stories,” I added.

  “That’s not true,” Mom countered.

  “Yes it is,” Ian insisted.

  Mom glanced at Dad. “Back me up here.”

  Dad flashed a grin identical to Ian’s. “They are right though.”

  “I don’t mind,” Brayden said. “The more I know, the better.”

  I glanced at my brothers. “Help! He doesn’t know what he’s getting into.”

  “We can’t help a man against his will,” Ian said with mock seriousness.

  Dylan grinned at me. “But you can’t say we haven’t tried.”

  I narrowed my eyes. “That’s the best you can do, really?”

  They were saved from replying by the sound of clinking glasses. Josie announced that we could all go grab snacks. They’d laid everything from mini sandwiches to sinful brownies all over the kitchen counter. To my relief, my parents were hungry. Brayden got up too, lacing an arm around my shoulders. We stayed put though, because everyone had rushed to the kitchen, and there was a substantial line.

  “Why are you so tense?” he asked.

  “Oh, you know. Trying to field weird moments with my parents and all that.”

  Smiling, he kissed my forehead. “Your mom was messing with you. She was asking me about my parents before, only switched topics when you came over.”

  My jaw dropped. “I can’t believe it. She’s getting better and better at trolling me.”

  “I can see where you get your sass from.” He chuckled, but I detected a slight crease on his forehead.

  “What’s on your mind?”

  “I keep thinking about Mom’s birthday.”

  “The dangerous idea I gave you is still percolating in your mind?”

  He nodded. “Being here with you and your family is making me rethink a few things. I know Mom would be happy if I showed up.”

&
nbsp; “I don’t even know her and I’m sure she would be. When is the party?”

  “Next weekend.” He feathered the tip of his nose over my temple. “Do you have plans?”

  My heart somersaulted in my chest. “No, why?”

  He pulled back a notch, looking straight at me. “Come with me.”

  “You’re serious?” As much as I wanted to go, I realized this was kind of a big step too, wasn’t it?

  Isabelle, quit making something out of nothing.

  “Yes. They’d be happy to meet you. And I want you there. I want to show you where I grew up.”

  Holy shit! I felt so giddy that I could barely tone down my smile. Somewhere at the back of my mind, I was a bit afraid of how much our lives were intertwining, but I was too freaking happy to think about it too much.

  “I’m all in,” I announced.

  His eyes crinkled at the corners, like they always did when he flashed his heartfelt smile.

  I was over the moon for the rest of the day. The party lasted until early afternoon, because with so many kids, it was impossible to stay up later. They got cranky and needed naps. But that worked fine for me, because a colleague at the tour guide agency had asked me to step in for him today. He got sick and didn’t want to cancel the tour.

  Brayden was not too thrilled about it, since he’d hoped to spend the whole weekend together, but I was only going to be away for a few hours. After the tour, I was heading to my office to pick up some diary-making supplies, because I was crafting a new one for a client.

  I went straight to Midtown Manhattan, where a bus awaited me. I mentally reviewed the highlights of the tour, already giddy.

  It was perhaps a little silly of me to get so excited about the tour, since I’d done it so many times before, but I loved it. The crowd was already on the bus when I got in.

  “I’m here. Sorry I’m late,” I exclaimed when I stepped inside. “I’m Isabelle, everyone. How about a short introduction round? Just your name and where you’re from. And let us know if the AC is turned too low. We’re in the third week of August now, but the humidity is still high outside. We New Yorkers tend to overcompensate by cranking up the AC.”

  I counted twenty people in the group, which would mean lots of tips. I had an international mix today, with tourists from Australia, Japan, Italy, France and Portugal. There were also two college students from Boston who were here for a weekend trip. One of them was looking at me with a strange expression, as if she was trying to figure something out.

  “Okay, everybody, let’s start right now. Who recognizes this apartment building?”

  “Friends,” the crowd said in a chorus.

  “That’s correct.” I smiled as the bus lurched forward. I pointed out several movie and series spots on both sides of the road. It was amazing how much was filmed in the city.

  Everyone was listening except the students, who had their heads together, looking at a phone. My own phone vibrated in my tote a few times. I ignored it at first, but by the third time it buzzed, I took it out, glancing at it quickly and noting I had a message from Brayden.

  Brayden: Call me as soon as you can!

  I had two missed calls from him as well, so it had to be urgent, but I couldn’t pause the tour, not after arriving late. I texted him quickly.

  Isabelle: I’m doing the tour, can’t call right now! What’s wrong?

  I slipped the phone back in my tote, focusing on the group. We’d reached my favorite part, the Plaza, which was featured in a lot of movies over the years.

  It was then the two students walked up to me when the bus stopped at a red light. “It’s you, isn’t it?”

  “What do you mean?” I asked.

  “You’re dating Brayden.”

  I froze, unsure how to react. The blonde turned the phone toward me. On the screen was a photo of me and Brayden from earlier that day. There was no denying that was me. My face was clearly visible. I realized this was what Brayden had wanted to talk to me about.

  “Yeah, that’s me,” I said with a smile. What else could I say?

  “Holy shit! Can you get us his autograph? Can we take a picture with him after the tour?”

  What?

  “No,” I replied, looking at them in confusion. The rest of the group was now also paying attention.

  “You’re dating Brayden Clarke? The rock star?” one of the French tourists asked.

  I nodded, looking around. I desperately tried to remember Sasha’s list of lines to tell the press if they ambushed me. They’d work well now too, but my mind was completely blank.

  “Okay, so as I was saying about the Plaza. It was featured in—"

  “Can we get his autograph?” the same French girl asked.

  Oh for fuck’s sake.

  “No, I’m so sorry, but I’m here to do the tour,” I said firmly. “That’s all. Please don’t ask me anything personal.”

  The college students rolled their eyes. I turned my back to them as I started telling them about Home Alone 2, which filmed scenes here. I had to stop when the group’s murmurs grew loud enough that it became obvious they weren’t paying attention to me. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw them passing around a phone, whispering Brayden’s name. The only ones who seemed disinterested in the gossip were the couple from Japan.

  I had no idea how to react. I typed a quick message to Brayden.

  Isabelle: One of the tourists showed me the picture. They’ve asked me a bunch of questions. I ignored them, but it’s not helping.

  I cleared my throat. “Everyone, can we please focus on the tour? We still have a few landmarks to see.”

  The Japanese couple nodded, as did a few others. The students reluctantly put their phone away, and I finally recounted the scene that had been filmed here.

  The next interruption came a few minutes later.

  “How long have you been dating him?” the blonde student asked. “Is he as hot in real life?”

  The Japanese and Italian couples were getting increasingly more frustrated. I wanted to shut down the personal questions, but I didn’t want to be rude.

  Licking my lower lip, I shrugged. “I don’t feel comfortable talking about my personal life. Can we please keep the questions related to the tour?”

  The next two hours were very uncomfortable, because every few minutes, someone asked me about Brayden. Did they think that if they kept nagging, I’d give in?

  I knew it would result in very few tips. I was disappointing the tourists who

  were actually interested, and I wasn’t pleasing those who wanted to know about Brayden either. This was very frustrating. I loved the job, but right then I wanted to end the tour.

  By the time we arrived at the last point, Washington Square Park, which everyone recognized from Glee and When Harry Met Sally, I was truly exhausted.

  “Well, this is a wrap. Thank you for joining me today.” I tried to sound professional and happy, but I wasn’t feeling it at all.

  The tips were nothing to brag about, but at least it was over. Once I stepped down from the bus and was away from the group, I took out my bottle of water, taking a much-needed swig. I only drank a little on the tour, to keep my mouth and throat from drying up. I didn’t want to stop for any bathroom breaks in a two-hour tour.

  Taking out my phone, I intended to call Brayden, but I had no battery left.

  Wow. This is not my lucky day.

  Sighing, I bought some curly fries from a stand selling hot dogs and burgers before heading to the subway station. Oh, they were absolutely delicious. I loved all the to-go options in New York. Some of the food trucks were horrible, but some were true gems. I was so hungry that I ate the fries before I even reached the subway station. On the ride to my office, I kept wondering what would happen next.

  ***

  To my astonishment, I noticed a group in front of the building as I approached. What is going on? A second later, I noticed that most of them were holding cameras.

  Swallowing hard, I stopped walking.
My heart was pounding fast. Were they reporters? Was I becoming paranoid? The photos of me had popped up that afternoon; could they really have dug up my address so quickly?

  My stomach bottomed out. Of course they could have. If you googled my name, the website of my business came up. The address was written on the home page. I chewed the inside of my cheek while trying to come up with an idea.

  That was when a familiar black BMW pulled up on my street, stopping next to me. Paul was behind the wheel, and Brayden was in the back seat. My heart somersaulted. Once the car slowed down in front of me and the back door opened, I immediately hopped inside, closing the door after me.

  “Babe, are you okay?” Brayden asked. He was turned toward me, hand on my thigh, eyes trained on me. Paul had already sped forward, leaving my office and everything else behind.

  I nodded, biting my lower lip. “How are you even here?”

  “You told me you were going to the office after the tour, remember?”

  “Oh, that’s right. My phone died. That’s why I didn’t call you.”

  “I figured it was something like that. We’ve been circling your block for half an hour. I’m surprised none of the reporters noticed.”

  I couldn’t believe it. He’d been looking for me for half an hour?

  “So what’s the plan?” I asked. “Where are we going?”

  “We have two options. A hotel or your place. There are a few reporters outside mine and at the cottage.”

  “Then let’s go to my apartment.”

  Biting my lip, I looked over my shoulder, even though the building was no longer in view.

  “Do you think I’ll be able to see clients there on Monday?” I asked after a while.

  “I’m not sure,” Brayden said. His tone was dangerously calm.

  Frowning, I took stock of his body language. His hair was ravished, as if he’d repeatedly run his fingers through it. His shoulders looked stiff. I‘d been so out of sorts from seeing the press in front of the building that I hadn’t focused on him.

  “What’s wrong?” I asked.

  He shook his head, lacing his fingers with mine. He probably didn’t want to talk in front of Paul.