“But they all let us down,” I whispered, allowing that deep embedded truth to slip from between my lips.
“That’s not true,” Mima said. “Do men mess up from time to time? Of course, but so do women. We are humans—perfectly imperfect. We make mistakes. We go right when we should’ve gone left. We fall into bad habits. We sometimes hurt the ones we love the most. We try and we fail, but we also learn from our mistakes and try to do the right thing moving forward. I know Landon and I know you. I know how you both love one another with a love that is bigger than this world. Don’t run from that love out of fear, mi amor. Don’t let fear drive you forever. If you do, you’ll end up living in a story that you weren’t meant to be a part of. Don’t throw away your story before you reach your happily ever after.”
“Maybe I don’t get the happy ending,” I said, lowering my head. “Maybe Mom was the one meant to break the family curse, not me.”
“No. It’s both of us,” Mom said, still holding my hand. “We get the happy ending. Just because you’re sitting in the middle of your story with Landon, doesn’t mean the rest of your pages are doomed. The ending is going to be worth it, Shay. No happily ever after was ever made from a perfectly knit story. See this one through. Don’t give up on him just yet.”
I heard their words, I listened to their encouragement, too, but the fear of it all was too loud in my head to drown out.
They were right. I was afraid of love. I was terrified of being hurt time and time again, and I didn’t know how to get past my greatest fear.
37
Landon
“Frankly, I’m worried about you,” Karla said as she sat across from me during our dinner date. She had a very stern look of worry in her stare as she cut into her steak.
Months passed since Shay pushed me away. She turned her heart cold once more, and I wasn’t certain that she was ever going to let me try to defrost it again.
“I’m doing good, kiddo,” I said, trying my best to hide my sadness with a grin. Truthfully, my heart was shattered into a million pieces. Each day was hard, but I kept moving forward the best I could. I was living on autopilot, taking it day by day. Trying my hardest to not fall apart and spiral into a place that I couldn’t come back from.
“You’re not doing good,” Karla disagreed. “You are miserable, and I can’t keep seeing you like this. Which is why I brought in reinforcements.”
I arched an eyebrow. “What? What are you talking about?”
She pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number. “Hey, yes. We’re ready. Come on in.” When she hung up the phone, she gave me a sloppy grin. “Don’t worry, Uncle Landon. This is for the best.”
Before she could explain herself anymore, the door to the restaurant opened, and a group of people walked inside.
Greyson, Eleanor, Camila, Maria, Raine, and Hank all gathered around the table. They each pulled up a chair and sat down.
“What’s going on right now?” I asked, confused as ever.
“We’re having a love intervention,” Camila said, clasping her hands together. “Because we think it’s about time you get off your butt and do something about winning my daughter’s heart back.”
“What? No. There’s no way I can get back into her good graces. Not after what I’ve done.”
“You mean trying to get her script into the right hands because you cared that much about her succeeding at her dreams? You mean that mistake?” Maria asked.
“Well, yeah. That’s the one. That piled with all the other stuff of our past is just too much.”
“Bullshit,” Greyson said.
“Yeah, bullshit!” Karla repeated.
“Language, Karla,” Greyson scolded.
“Sorry, Dad,” she replied.
“Regardless, they are right. Your excuses are weak, just like hers are. You two are just too afraid of getting the happily ever after you both worked your butts off to receive,” Maria explained. “And frankly, we are all sick and tired of waiting around for you both to get off your bums and to do something about it. So, now we’re getting involved.”
“How? I don’t know how I can fix this. I can’t come up with the right words to make this all okay.”
“You’re right. You can’t come up with new words to give Shay. They might seem too empty, but what you can do is give her your old words,” Raine offered. “You never stopped writing her in those notebooks, Landon. You have years of your feelings written down for her to receive. Now’s the time to pull those out and give them to her. She needs to see those words more than ever.”
I still wasn’t certain. I’d spent the past months pushing myself into Shay’s life. The least I could do was give her the space she wanted.
“For the love of all good things, can you stop overthinking everything for five minutes and just take a leap?” Camila barked out, tossing her hands in the air. “I know I wasn’t your biggest fan when you were younger, Landon, but I was wrong for holding so much against you. I overlooked your love for my daughter because of my past hurts, and I fear I’ve made her heart hard based on how I spoke about love around her. She’s afraid of love, Landon. She doesn’t know how to let it back in after being hurt so many times, but if there is one person who can find a way to break through to her, it’s you. Your love and your words can heal my daughter’s broken heart. It might take some time, but I already know that you’re willing to put in the work. So, do it.”
I sighed, feeling a small wave of hope rush into me as the people who loved both Shay and I sat around the table, pushing for our love story to finally get our happily ever after.
“Do you know what Shay told me once?” Karla asked. “She said, if you’re ever given the chance to choose between being afraid or being brave, be brave. So, this is your chance, Uncle Landon. This is your chance to be brave. It’s what Shay would’ve wanted you to do.”
Be brave.
“Yes,” Maria agreed. “Sé valiente. Sé fuerte. Sé amable. Y quédate.”
I raised an eyebrow at her. “You’ll have to dumb that one down for me, Maria.”
Camila laughed, and took my hand into hers. “Be brave. Be strong. Be kind. And stay. Now’s the time to fight for your love, Landon. So, go ahead. Be brave.”
“Okay.” I nodded. “So, where do we begin?”
Raine smiled wide and clasped her hands together. “Okay. So, the plan starts with you kind of, sort of being an asshole to Shay on Christmas. Like you were in the good ol’ days. Before you two ever made a silly bet.”
Well, then.
I didn’t see that coming.
“We need you to shake her up a little. Push her in a way she doesn’t see coming,” Raine explained. “Shay is working hard to keep you at a distance, and if you came to her with nice words, she’d push them away without thought. So, you have to get under her skin. If you treat her as if you’re a jerk, she’ll be so confused that she’ll have to react. Her blood will begin to boil, and she’ll be forced to interact with you. There’s no way she won’t stand up for herself if you treat her like a monster, and then that’s when you sweep in with part two of this plan.”
“She’s right,” Camila agreed. “Be rude to her.”
I cocked an eyebrow. “Wait. So, you want me to be a jerk to your daughter?”
“Not only do I want you to do it, I need you to do it. Go ahead, Landon—use those acting skills. Treat my daughter like shit.”
“Can I say shit, too, Dad?” Karla asked Greyson.
“No, you cannot say shit,” Greyson replied.
I smiled a little and clasped my hands together. “Okay, so what’s part two of this plan?”
“Ohh.” Raine swooned, clapping her hands together. “You’re going to love this part, guaranteed.”
38
Shay
I’d spent the past few months focusing on the teaching job I’d landed. Each day that passed, I tried my best not to think about Landon. I’d tried not to recall how much I’d missed him, but I couldn’t stop h
im from crossing my mind.
He showed up each day unwelcomed in my thoughts, and like the foolish woman I was, I let the thoughts linger.
I missed him so much that I still cried every-so-often over him being gone.
I thought I’d be able to turn off my feelings for him like I had when I was younger, but it wasn’t that easy this time around.
I was having the hardest time truly letting him go. Maybe because falling for him as an adult felt different. It felt easier in a way. Right up until the point I saw a flash of concern and pushed him away.
I was doing just fine until I began receiving the oddest text messages from Landon before the holiday.
Landon: I’m daydreaming about you sitting on my face. Thinking of me, too?
What?
What in the hell was that?
Did he accidentally text the wrong girl?
That made my stomach flip in the worst possible way.
I ignored it.
The next day, another message came through from Landon.
Landon: DTF?
Landon: I’ve been dreaming about swimming between your thighs.
A few more days passed.
Landon: Shay, if we can’t be in love, we might as well be fuck acquaintances again. No strings attached—unless you want me to tie you up.
Clearly, Landon had lost his freaking mind.
I did my best to ignore his messages, but every time one came through, I wanted to throw my phone across the room.
When Christmas morning came around, I tried my best to put my best foot forward. I knew I’d be crossing paths with Landon, and I definitely wasn’t looking forward to it after his crazy messages.
I pulled myself up that morning and headed over to Eleanor’s and Greyson’s for brunch.
It was so odd to say that—Eleanor’s and Greyson’s, as if they were one unit. Eleanor moved in with him and his two girls not that long ago.
Within the past few months, Greyson and Eleanor had finally made their love story official, and I was invited to their place Christmas morning to celebrate the holiday with them. I showed up early to help Eleanor cook and clean for the brunch she was preparing.
Everything was fine and dandy up until I heard the front door open, and Greyson’s youngest daughter, Lorelai, who was about seven years old, squealed in delight. “Uncle Landon!”
I glanced over my shoulder toward the living room where Landon had just entered the space with gifts galore in his hands. Every single part of me froze as I looked on to him standing only a room distance apart from me.
Part of me wanted to crash into him and fall back together.
I wanted to wrap him into my embrace, and pretend our breakup never even happened.
Instead, I stood still.
“Happy Holidays!” He juggled the gifts in one hand, and hugged Lorelai with the other. She was an adorable little girl, bubbly and full of life. If you ever wanted to hear the most epic stories ever, you had Lorelai tell them to you—she’d never skip a detail. I swore a story about a simple trip to the supermarket could last for over an hour, and the way Lorelai told it, there were probably aliens and unicorns dancing down aisle nine next to the peanut butter and jams. Greyson had a household of creative minds on his hands.
I scrubbed a dish as I studied Landon’s interaction with his niece-by-love-not-genetics.
Lorelai quickly began digging at the pockets of Landon’s slacks, looking for something quite intently.
Landon laughed, and the sound sent chills up and down my spine. He looked so good, and healthy, too. Almost as if he wasn’t as heartbroken as I’d been. Maybe he wasn’t. Perhaps I felt more for him than he’d felt for me. I wanted to be petty and hate on his happiness, but truthfully, all I ever wanted was for that man to find himself a happily ever after.
“Okay, okay, okay, let me put these down,” he insisted, moving toward the Christmas tree as he set down the stack of gifts in his hands. He stood back up straight, reached into his pocket and pulled out a piece of candy to hand to his niece.
A banana Laffy Taffy.
I tried to ignore the storm of butterflies that attacked my stomach as I witnessed the exchange.
He was carrying candy around in his pockets. He carried Laffy Taffys in his pockets—banana Laffy Taffys. Still a complete and utter favorite of mine. Memories came rushing back at me as I thought about when we were in high school, and he filled my locker with all the banana flavored candy along with peonies. The memory sent a wave of warmth through me. It was one of my favorite memories of us. I considered that the beginning stage of the Landon and Shay story. Back then, I had no clue where it was going to take us. I never imagined we’d end up the way that we had.
“If you stare any harder, you might lose your eyesight,” a voice said from over my shoulder, making me almost drop the plate in my hands.
“What? I wasn’t staring,” I lied as I turned toward Eleanor. “I was seeing who was here, that’s all.”
She gave me a knowing smile but didn’t dig deeper into the subject.
I placed the plate down and went back to the rest of the dishes in front of me, trying to shake the butterflies provoked by seeing Landon working as the candy man.
After I finished up the last of the dishes, I walked through the house to get to the bathroom. On my way, I passed Karla’s room.
I noticed Landon standing in her bedroom, holding her in a tight embrace. He was whispering things into her ear, and whatever he was saying seemed to be exactly what Karla needed to hear. Tears were rolling down her cheeks, but a smile sat against her lips as she kept nodding to his words.
“Okay,” she whispered, “I know, Uncle Landon.”
When he finished speaking to her, he pulled back and gave her the most genuine, heartwarming smile in the universe. I wished I hadn’t seen it—the way he gave such a broken girl so much comfort. It made me want to find comfort in his embrace, too, for my broken pieces.
Landon took his thumbs to her face and wiped away her falling tears. “I love you, Karla, and I’m so glad you’re here.”
I didn’t know if they meant here at Christmas, or here as in alive, but either way, that heart of mine? Pitter-patter, patter pit.
“I love you too, Uncle Landon, and I’m so glad you’re here.”
Every time the girls called him Uncle Landon, I thought my heart was going to explode from warmth. The way he loved those girls and the way they smiled when he came into a room?
It was enough to heat the iciest parts of my heart.
Landon’s eyes looked up toward the door, catching me eavesdropping on his sweet moment with Karla.
At first, he looked surprised, then his lips curved up into the sexiest smile and he nodded once, parted his lips, and mouthed, “Hi, Chick.”
I shot away toward the bathroom, feeling embarrassed for intruding on their intimate moment.
The second I reached the bathroom, I shut the door, hurried over to the sink, and splashed water against my face. My whole body felt off, and I wasn’t sure how to handle the flurry of emotions rushing through me. Landon looked so good, healthy, and happy. I couldn’t stop thinking about walking over to him and taking him into my arms for a small embrace. What was wrong with me?
Maybe the holiday blues.
More likely the heartbreak blues.
I gently slapped my hands against my cheeks and proceeded to give myself a pep talk. “Okay, pull yourself together, Shay. It is only Landon after all. There’s nothing to overthink here. You’re a strong, independent woman who can be in the same room as your ex. You’re both adults and you have been living a life of your own for a few months now. You can be cordial and kind without allowing any romantic thoughts to pop in your head. You. Got. This,” I said.
“Yes,” a voice commented on the other side of the door. “You. Got. This.”
I flung the door open to see Landon standing there with such a smug smirk on his face. “What are you doing?!” I asked. “Don’t you know it’s
rude to eavesdrop on someone?”
He raised an eyebrow. “Are you really giving me a scolding about eavesdropping as if you weren’t doing the same to Karla and me mere seconds ago? Or as if you weren’t eye-fucking me when I first walked in and was saying hi to Lorelai?”
He noticed me noticing him?
How humiliating.
Also, wait, what? Did he just say I was eye-fucking him?
“I wasn’t eye-fucking you,” I whisper-shouted, feeling my cheeks heating up from embarrassment.
“Trust me, Chick, I know when I’m being eye-fucked. But don’t worry.” He took a step closer to me, sending a wave of electricity through my body. “I was eye-fucking you, too.”
He was acting cocky as ever, as if we hadn’t just broken up a few months back. As if we hadn’t loved each other. He was acting like a complete…cocky asshole.
“Can we stop saying eye-fuck? Also, you should really try to stop calling me Chick. We’re in our thirties now, Landon. It’s a bit childish.”
“Would you rather me call you honey or darling?”
“You tried both of those in high school. Neither of them worked.”
“Then what should I call you?”
“How about we go with Shay?”
“Okay, Chick. I’ll see what I can do.”
What the hell?
He smiled a wicked grin, as if he knew something I’d yet to discover.
“You can call me Shannon, if you want to keep it professional,” I offered, trying to ignore the hiccup that was sitting in my throat.
He took a step closer to me. I watched his eyes dance across my body, moving up and down every inch, following to my lips, which he fixated on for what felt like hours, even if it was only mere seconds.
“What in the world makes you think I want to be anywhere near professional with you, Shay Gable?”
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