by Megan Smith
“She’s here with you, babe.”
I sniffle. “I know. I just miss her.”
Elle sighs from across the room. “I miss her too.”
“We all do,” Andrew chimes in.
I take one deep breath and then let it out. I fold the letter back up and place it back in the envelope. “No more tears,” I say aloud but mostly to myself. “Mom said so.”
Cooper chuckles. “Still telling you what to do, huh?”
I smile. “Would she have it any other way?”
I reach down for the little wrapped box. “Nope.” I tear the wrapping paper away and take the lid off. Nestled inside is a silver necklace with a heart charm that has five little diamonds along the edges. I remember this. It was her mom’s.
“That’s pretty.” Cooper says picking it up from the box.
“The perfect gift from the perfect grandma for the perfect granddaughter.”
It’s been four months since mom passed away. Sometimes I have bad days, like today. Hailey, MacKenzie, Chloe, and Fallon are over for a movie day. It was nice that Eli dropped Fallon over to spend some time with me. They brought chocolate ice cream and pancakes. Fallon told me it’s what made her, Layla, and Eli feel better when they were sad.
I know I shouldn’t be sad with the little princess in my arms but I’m missing my mom. The holidays are looming and it’s going to be hard this year even with Brooklyn.
So the six of us are cuddled on the couches in my living room watching old episodes of Vampire Diaries. Hailey said Ian Somerhalder can make anyone happy. Smart girl.
After dinner Eli picks up Fallon and Chloe breaks out the wine. She hands me a glass, “Wine Wednesday.”
“Have you lost your mind?” I laugh. “I’m breastfeeding.”
She rolls her eyes. “I’m aware.”
I throw the pillow at her head.
“It’s grape juice, relax and drink it.”
MacKenzie sits down next to me after she got her own glass. “I miss her.”
She reaches around and hugs me. “I know you do.”
I hold Brooklyn a little tighter to me. “I can still smell her. I can still see her in the kitchen cooking.” I blow out a breath. “I swear when I walk into a store I have to take a double look sometimes because I swear it’s her.”
“Oh, sweetie,” Hailey takes the other side of the couch from me.
“I remember when Hunter and I were growing up and we used to fight she’d send us to one of our rooms until we worked through our problems.”
“Maybe I should do that now with those two,” MacKenzie laughs pointing to Chloe and indicating that Jackson and her need to get their shit together.
“What the hell is going on with you two anyway? You’ve been so distant with each other for months. Everyone’s noticed it.”
Chloe gulps down the rest of the wine, a simple sigh escaping her lips, a tear threatening to escape. “We’re falling apart, we’ve been falling apart, and there’s not a damn thing in the world that can fix us.”
How do you respond when all you want to do is gather everyone you can into the tightest hug and never let them go? If mom has taught me one thing in life it’s that you never take a day for granted because you’ll never know when your time will be up.
Chloe and Jackson cannot be too far gone that salvaging their marriage isn’t even a remote possibility. How bad could it possibly be?
Eli
I glance over at the clock on the wall. “Erin, I’ve got to go.” I hate that my sister’s heart is breaking again but there isn’t much I can do about it right now and I’m late. “I have an interview that should have started forty-five minutes ago.”
“Shit, Eli.” She sniffles. “How come you didn’t tell me earlier?”
I chuckle. “Someone called me crying about her breakup and I couldn’t just tell her ‘I’m too busy for you now’, could I?” Erin has the worst luck when it comes to the guys she dates. Their egos are either too big or they think with their dicks.
“Ugh,” Erin clears her throat. “Thank you for listening to me. I hope they’re still waiting for you when you get there.”
“I’ll always be here for you Erin and they will be if they want the job that bad.”
She chuckles although she’s still sad. “Be nice. Thanks for listening. Love you.”
“Love you, too.”
“Bye.”
“Hey, Erin?”
“Yeah.”
“Do me a favor? Wipe those tears away and go give that little girl of yours a hug.”
She’s quiet for a second but sighs. “What would I do without you?”
I chuckle. “You’ll never have to worry about that, lil’ sis.”
I imagine her smiling right about now. “Go do your interview.”
“Bye, Erin.”
I pull into the parking lot of Fierce, the club I own with my ready-to-go-pro baseball playing friend, Cooper Cahill, and spot his on-again-off-again girlfriend’s car in the parking lot. I wonder why she’s here? Last I knew they were off again. Pulling into the empty space next to her, I climb out of my car and set the alarm. I tap on Jaylinn’s window.
She rolls down the window looking sheepishly. “Hey, Eli.”
I eye her suspiciously. “Jaylinn.”
She sets her phone down in the cup holder and gestures towards Fierce. “My friend is in there interviewing.”
“Layla?”
She nods her head. “Yeah.”
Oh great, I wish I would have known that earlier. Cooper and I want to keep the positions we have open friends and family free. “You want to come in?” I ask, not wanting to leave her out here by herself. Cooper would have my ass if I left her out here, and she is a friend after all.
She shakes her head. “No, that’s okay.”
“Cooper’s not coming ‘til later tonight if that’s what you’re worried about. He’s with the team, a meeting or something came up.” I explain trying to ease her reluctance, plus I’d like her to see what Cooper has done with the upstairs of the club.
Jaylinn looks down at her phone, grabs it and climbs out of the car. Once she’s out I shut her door and let her lead the way to the front door of Fierce.
“So, how have you been?” I ask, trying to keep things friendly.
She doesn’t answer me right away; her eyes are locked on the door to the club. She’s probably wondering what we’ve done to the place since she’s last seen it. It wasn’t the nicest looking building when we first bought it. Actually, it was a damn shithole. The only things we didn’t replace were the walls and roof of this place.
“Jay?”
She startles. “Yeah?”
I chuckle. “I asked how you’ve been.” I open the door and we both step inside.
Fierce is pretty much done and ready for the grand opening. I think we did a great job with it. The floor plan is wide open with a huge black bar sitting in the center. It’s modern with a touch of bold. Black leather chairs are set up around the bar with blue leather diamonds on the backs. Booths outline the walls that are black with electric blue accents. The ceiling to floor windows that we had installed gives it a bigger layout than it really is, and over by the stairs, we have the stage and DJ booth set up.
“Jay?”
She shakes her head. “Sorry, I’m doing fine, trying to keep busy.”
“That’s good.” I walk over to the bar and set my keys down. “You know, he’s not the same without you.”
Jaylinn closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. I don’t know what’s going on between them because Cooper is so closed off when it comes to her. They’re clearly miserable without each other.
“I’m the one who’s supposed to be interviewing Layla. I got tied up. Why don’t you have a look around and I’ll go do the interview with her real quick.”
“Sure.” Jaylinn walks towards the stairs and notices the sign that says ‘Rooftop Bar’. “Is it okay if I go up there?” She’s looking for a hiding place in case Coope
r shows up…can’t say I blame her.
I smile knowing she’ll see what he’s done to the upstairs though. “Of course.”
I turn and walk down the hallway towards my office with the smile on my face that is getting bigger and bigger with each step. I think by her seeing the upstairs that it will, maybe, hopefully, give her that little push she needs to work things out with Cooper.
I step into my office and shut the door, coming to a halt when I see this alluring blonde girl sitting in one of the two chairs in front my desk. What I notice first is her legs, crossed over one another.
She stands and holds her hand out to me. “Hi, I’m Layla Del Luca.”
I stare at her hand briefly. Her nails are painted a light pink color, her fingers long and slim, and her wrist dainty. I clear my throat. “Hi, I’m Eli Sabatino. Sorry I’m late. I had something come up that I couldn’t put off.”
“Not a problem.” She smiles with an eagerness that is alive with affection. The whiteness of her teeth and the golden blonde of her hair stand out against her tanned skin. Layla’s body is slender, her hips rounded slightly and from this angle her ass looks fucking phenomenal in her jeans, and I’m caught again by those legs. Immediately I’m thinking about them wrapped around my waist. Fuck, I’m like a teenager all over again. “I’m sorry I’m not dressed better,” I look up and she has a little gleam in her. She’s caught me checking her out. “I came here right from school and didn’t have a chance to run home and change.”
I keep my eyes locked on hers, trying not to look at her legs. “It’s not a problem. We have uniforms that you’ll have to wear and we’ll always have extra in case you need them.” Although I’d like to keep you in those jeans so I can stare at your fine ass.
“Okay, great.”
I walk around and take a seat behind my desk so that I can attempt to concentrate on this interview and not let my eyes wander.
“So, Layla, tell me a little about yourself. Do you have any experience working at a club? Being a bartender?”
She sits and crosses a leg over the other and folds her hands in her lap but not before running them down her jeans. She’s nervous but trying to play it cool. I like that she’s trying to show confidence.
“Well, I’ve been bartending since I was eighteen. I went to Mix’em Up Bartending School and was hired by my neighbor, who owns Jax’s, once I passed the classes. I’ve been working there off and on since then but I’m looking for something a little more stable as well as needing more hours.”
I nod and jot down that she has schooling and also make a note that she is in school so we’ll have to work around that, which shouldn’t be a problem.
“Do you have transportation?” This is important for us because we need employees who are reliable.
Layla glances down to her hands before she looks up at me again. “I don’t own a car but you don’t have to worry about me making it to work on time. I’m used to public transportation and I have friends who are more than willing to help me out when I get in a jam.”
I clench my jaw hard; I don’t like that. She’ll have to be taking it late at night and a girl like her shouldn’t be out late at night by herself. I make a note and put a star that we’ll have to figure something out for her.
“Things may be slow around here for a little while until we get our name out there. I can’t promise you many hours until business picks up.”
She nods and straightens her back. “I understand.”
“The opening is this weekend; will you be able to start Saturday night?”
“Yes.” She answers with no hesitation.
I scribble “HIRED” on the application and set my pen down. “One last question.” Her eyes light up. “How do you make a Sex on the Beach – Jersey Style?”
Layla smiles assuredly and I love that. Tapping a finger on her lips she plays like she’s thinking. If she can’t pass this then she hasn’t been working as a bartender in New Jersey.
Finally, she winks. “Peach Schnapps, Melon Liqueur, Rum, Raspberry Liqueur, pineapple juice, cranberry juice, served on ice.”
I stand and hold my hand out to her. “Welcome aboard.”
She takes my hand, “Thanks!”
I walk Layla out of my office and give her a tour of the downstairs where I’ll have her working. She brushes up against me a few times and I can’t help but feel like she’s doing it on purpose. This might make working together a little harder. After showing her around I ask her to have a seat at the bar and write down her class schedule so I know what days and times not to schedule her.
“I’ll be right back. I’m going to grab Jaylinn for you.”
She gives me a confused look.
“I asked her to come in and wait while I did your interview.”
Layla smiles, accepting that answer.
I take the stairs two at a time and open the door leading to the rooftop. Jaylinn is staring out over toward the Atlantic Ocean. It’s one of the main reasons that I wanted this building. The view is gorgeous.
Jaylinn looks so lost standing there. She’s beautiful and one of the sweetest girls I’ve ever met with a touch of sass to her. I’ve always had a little thing for her. I think she knows that but nothing would ever come of it and she knows that too. Cooper is a stupid man for not claiming her already, but I also know that they’ve been through a lot as well.
I stand beside her. “Pretty sweet view, huh?”
Jaylinn startles then quickly reaches up and wipes a few tears away. “Yeah.” I hate seeing her so upset.
I lean against the railing. “Your friend is downstairs waiting for you. I hired her.”
She smiles. “Thank you.”
I smile back. “So, since Layla is starting this weekend does that mean I get to see your pretty face too at the grand opening?”
Jaylinn crosses her arms over her chest jutting her tits out. She doesn’t realize that she’s done that but my eyes are trained to go right to them, I can’t help it. “I don’t think that’s such a good idea.”
When my eyes return to hers, she has caught me staring at her tits and I laugh causing her to laugh too. It’s a nice sound, one I don’t hear enough from her lately. “You should come, pretty girl.” I say as I tuck a piece of hair behind her ear.
“Do you call all the girls that?” She asks.
I shake my head. “No, only you.” Then I wink at her.
Her cheeks flush and she sighs. “You’re a flirt, Eli Sabatino.”
I shrug. “You’re hot and I like to flirt with you, but at the end of the day you’re one of my friends’ girls so it’s all in good fun.”
And I hit the nail on the head by bringing Cooper up. Jaylinn drops her arms and starts walking back towards the stairs but stops and stares at the words that are painted on the wall. Inhale your future, Exhale your past. There is a meaning behind those words, I know there is, but I just don’t know what yet. As Jaylinn stands there, she wraps her arms around herself as if she were holding herself together and protecting her heart.
Coming up behind her I wrap my arms around her. She needs this more than she knows and it’s the least that I can do for her. I lean my head towards her ear and whisper. “Throw him a curveball, Jay.” She turns her head to the side. “Throw something at him that he’s not expecting.” It’s the only advice that I have for her. The possibilities are endless.
She stands there for a second letting my words sink in before nodding and stepping away from me. “Thanks again for hiring Layla.”
I wink. “I did it for you, pretty girl.” It’s sort of the truth. The other reason she doesn’t need to know. Jaylinn shakes her head and walks away.
Layla and Jaylinn both leave with smiles on their faces that I put there. I’m glad that I was able to make at least two girls smile tonight while my sister is sitting home with another broken heart.
USA TODAY bestselling author Megan Smith is a New Jersey native who creates the memorable characters her fans have grown to adore.
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Trying Not To Love You (Book 1, The Love Series)
Easy To Love You (Book 2, The Love Series)
Hard To Love You (Book 3, The Love Series)
Let Me Love You (Book 4, The Love Series)
A Christmas To Love You, (Book 4.5, The Love Series)
Stay For Me, A Love Series Spin-Off
Finding Us (Book 1, Finding Series)
Finding Ours (Book 2, Finding Series)
Coming Soon
Need To Love You, (Book 5.5, The Love Series)
Finding Happiness, (Book 3, Finding Series)
First of all, I have to thank my husband. He puts up with a lot from me. I’ll be locked away in my office writing for days. He’s gone a few times without any clean clothes, sorry, boo! As I was putting the finishing touches on this book there was a night when time got away from me and I never cooked dinner. I felt bad, I really did. But the one thing I can always count on is him being by my side.
Second of all, my son is owed a huge thank you. Every day I wake up and you do something that amazes me. I love you unconditionally. Oh, and I washed some socks for you!
My readers: I am still blown away years later by you all. I know everyone has been patiently waiting for this book and I hope I did it justice. All your support means the world to me and I couldn’t be here without you.
Stephanie Phillips: Thank you for helping me with the blurb for this book! I can write an entire novel but can’t write a blurb to save my life.