UNBROKEN (Friends, Lovers, or Nothing Book 5)

by Jackie Chanel

  “We can meet, but it has to be tomorrow. I have something to do today.”

  “No, you don’t,” she replied. “I haven’t scheduled anything for you.”

  I sighed. “Roxx, I have an assistant to handle my schedule and this isn’t a paid gig or appearance. It’s something with my family. You don’t get paid for this. Do you want Sunny at the meeting? I might be able to convince her to come.”

  “Sunny has her own management,” Roxy snapped. “And we both know how Jade feels about you. Let’s not make this any more difficult than it needs to be.”

  “Fine. So, tomorrow, your office, around one?”

  “That works. Don’t get married before then.”

  I ignored Roxy’s snide remark. There isn’t a female in my life that will not stop reminding of me the worst decision I ever made. What goes on in Vegas is supposed to stay in Vegas. Unfortunately, marrying a supermodel in Vegas comes back with you.

  It took some doing but Ramey is completely out of the picture. I haven’t talked to Ramey in a long time. The last time I saw was over a year ago. Since we signed our divorce papers, she’s been married, had a kid, divorced, and, if you believe the gossip blogs, about to be married again. As long as she is not bothering me, Ramey is not an issue.

  I pulled up to the iron gates of my house high up in the hills, quickly ran my finger over the fingerprint scanner, and waited for the gate to open. I have to be extra cautious with my security; no one can get up my driveway unless they live here. I even have to let Mona in. I had security that used to sit at the gate but Sunny complained so much about them while she was living here that I got rid of them just to shut her up.

  We live on Doheny in an area referred to as the Bird Streets. As exclusive and secluded as my house is, they still managed to find it and put it on star maps. I want to sue my realtor but Paulie says I can’t. However, I can’t just let anyone in or near my house. My most valuable possessions are in here: my guitars and my family. Money is not an issue when it comes to their safety.

  Plus, the paparazzi in Los Angeles are out of control. I don’t want them to get close enough to snap pictures of my mom and sisters. They have no sense of privacy. So I had a long ass driveway poured and a gate installed at the bottom of the hill. I’m still paying on that fine from the city of Los Angeles for that.

  When the gates opened, I drove up the long driveway hoping that Delilah was at her own house and Sara was still asleep. I’m excited to tell them the news but I want to do it when they least expect it. I know they’re going to lose it. Sunny can forget about her ‘please just give me one day’ plea. I’m not waiting to tell my mom.

  I blew my horn at Tahir coming down the driveway on his way to the hospital then parked. I left the car outside of the garage because today is car wash day and it’s one less car I’ll have to move outside when the guys come to take care of the small fleet in my garage.

  As much as I wanted Sara to be asleep, that was just wishful thinking. My mother had already arrived too. She spends most of her time here. She should probably temporarily move in now that Sara is a brand new mom and has no idea what the hell she’s doing. They were sitting in their usual positions at the kitchen counter drinking coffee when I walked in through the back door.

  “You didn’t answer any of my texts last night,” Sara complained.

  “Good Morning, Ma,” I said, choosing to ignore my big sister until she remembered the manners we were taught as children.

  “Morning, honey,” my mother cheerily replied.

  “Did you beat me here?” I asked.

  “No. I stayed here last night. I figured that you and Sunny needed some privacy.”

  I opened the refrigerator and grabbed an ice-cold bottle of water. “Maybe you need to stay here,” I suggested. “Sara needs all the help she can get.”

  My mom has been living in Sunny’s mother-in-law suite since the suite that I originally had is now housing my guitar collection. After Sara had the baby, she’s been spending more nights here than at Sunny’s which works for me since I spend more nights at Sunny’s. When she isn’t working, Delilah acts like she and Paulie don’t have a house of their own. With my mom, my two sisters, Sara’s husband, and baby Tyler, even a seven-bedroom mansion is still not enough space. I feel like we’re back in Mt. Vernon. I often find myself waiting for my dad to come out of his study and yell for them to shut up.

  I thought that having my entire family living in LA was a great idea. I can’t say that it hasn’t been fun most of the time though. However, after almost a year, I had no idea they’d all be practically living under my roof. If Sara had her own house, they’d probably spend more time over there because she’s the one with the baby.

  Nevertheless, I’m the only one footing the bills in here. I’ll be damned if I’m the first to leave. I converted the pool house into one of the best recording studios I’ve ever used. No way am I moving in with Sunny and leaving this place to my sister and mother.

  “Where is the baby, by the way?” I asked.

  “Which one?” Sara chuckled. “Yours or mine?”

  I almost choked on my water. How did she know? Especially since Sunny had just sworn me to secrecy.

  “What? What are you talking about?”

  “I’m talking about your daughter that you just left here last night.”

  “You act like I left her here alone. You were here.”

  “You need to ask me if I’ll watch your child, Aiden. You can’t just leave her here.”

  “So, you’re staying here rent-free and bitching about your niece who lived in this house way before you? Are you shittin’ me, Sara?”

  “It’s a matter of respect, Aiden,” Sara argued. “Don’t leave your child here without asking me if I can watch her. I have a newborn.”

  “This is Summer’s house too,” I replied.

  “Yeah, until you and Sunny break up and she goes back to Atlanta with your child.”

  “Why are you being such a bitch?” I snapped. “Is this that post-partum depression bullshit? Me and Sunny are nowhere near breaking up.”

  “And nowhere near anything else either,” Sara replied snidely.

  “You don’t know what the hell you’re talking about so cool it with your shitty attitude. I didn’t do anything to you.”

  “You asked her to marry you and she said no! How are you closer to marriage than to breaking up? Explain that logic, Genius.”

  “You think you know everything, Nerd, but you have no idea what’s going on in my relationship. I only tell you what I want you to know.”

  “Stop it, you two!” my mother shouted. “I swear, you both bicker like you’re still teenagers. Aiden,” she said calmly, “how did it go with Sunny last night? Was she very upset about the interview?”

  I shook my head. “She was a little but a marriage proposal is just the cure for a pissed off girlfriend. And,” I paused to give Sara the finger. “She said yes. We’re getting married.”

  Suddenly, Sara wasn’t the Queen of Mean anymore. She hopped off her barstool and hugged me.

  “What? You’re such a jerk! I wouldn’t have said those things if you had started with that!” Sara yelped. “I’m so happy for you! This is awesome!”

  “Congratulations,” my mother said. “I know you’re thrilled.”

  “So, how long until Tahir and I have to give up the luxury of living in your mansion? Sunny is moving back in here, right?”

  “I don’t know,” I shrugged. “We haven’t talked about anything specific. I just asked her last night so I’m not too sure what Sunny wants to do. I’ll let you know.”

  “You know,” Sara drawled, “this house does have seven bedrooms and we’re only using four of them. We all could stay and live like one big happy family.”

  I burst out laughing. “Ha! I’ve worked too hard and made too much money for all of us to be shacking up in my house. I’m going to be a newlywed soon. I know you know what that means,” I winked.

  Sara
wrinkled her face in disgust. My mom just shook her head and hit the button on the security panel in the kitchen to let in whoever was annoyingly pressing the buzzer in a series of short bursts.

  “You are so gross,” Sara muttered as the kitchen door opened and Delilah and my housekeeper, Marisol, walked in together.

  Marisol was carrying a plastic storage container. The aroma of spicy pork and peppers hit me. I knew what was in it before she took the lid off. I hopped off my stood and gave her a big hug.

  “You made me tamales?”

  “These are fresh. I made them this morning.”

  I took the container out of her hands and sat down with a smorgasbord of homemade tamales in front of me. It was still breakfast time but I didn’t care as I bit down into the still warm tamale and the explosion of seasoned pork and chili sauce filled my mouth. Delilah reached for one but I smacked her hand away.

  “Did she say she made these for you?” I asked with my mouth full of food. “And what are you doing here?”

  “Eww, Aiden. Swallow first, please.”

  “Sunny’s already at work,” I told her. “She’s probably pissed that you aren’t there.”

  Delilah frowned severely at me. “Just because you’re screwing my boss doesn’t give you the right to question how I’m doing my job. But if you must know, I’m only here because Sunny sent me. She said that you have a photo shoot and I needed to pull some outfits for you since you won’t let Kirk into the house. Might as well start in your closet since you don’t wear half of the stuff that’s in there.”

  I stared my blonde-haired, green-eyed little sister. Delilah looks almost exactly like me. We should have been twins. I love Sara to death but I’ve always been closer to Delilah despite our age difference. I know when something is wrong and nothing, not my engagement, not my new baby, not even Marisol’s tamales, was more important than finding out what was bugging my little sister.

  I followed her out of the kitchen and up to the second floor. I let her go into the closet that Sunny designed when I first bought this place while I checked on my baby girl.

  Unlike her mother, Sumer sleeps like I do. There’s no waking up at the crack of dawn. Summer is not a morning person. I’m so glad because it would not be good for either of us to be awake at five in the morning like Sunny.

  Carefully, I kissed Summer’s forehead and moved her black and white stuffed guitar within arm’s reach. I don’t remember where she got that guitar but she sleeps with it every night. Baby girl is going to be a guitar player like her daddy. I feel it in my heart. Maybe she and her brother can start a band. I can’t wait until I can really teach her how to play. I’m teaching her to read music now. She’s almost got it. Another few months and she’ll be ready to learn some chords.

  Delilah was sitting on the seldom-used bench in my closet when I walked into my bedroom. She was holding an empty garment bag and staring off into space. Her glistening eyes worried me. I sat on the floor in front of her and touched her knee.

  “Dee-Lee, what’s wrong? And don’t say nothing or that you’re fine. Spill it.”

  “I had an argument with Paulie last night and it’s still bugging me.”

  “An argument? About what?”

  Over the years, I’ve gotten used to my best friend and my baby sister being together. It’s still kind of weird but Paulie makes my sister very happy. If anyone I know has any semblance of a perfect marriage or is a perfect match, it’s Delilah and Paulie. They never fight. Something must be seriously fucked up in the universe for them to be fighting.

  “Paulie says I’m turning into a workaholic like my boss and he doesn’t like it.” Delilah took a deep breath and burst into tears.

  I hopped up and sat next to her with my arm around her shoulders. Every tear that fell onto her jean shorts made my soul ache. I’m going to punch Paulie in the face when I see him.

  “He said,” Delilah sobbed, “that I don’t even have career of my own. He says that I just piggyback off of other people’s careers. What makes it so bad is that he’s right! Like, I don’t even have my own goals and aspirations. I mean, seriously, Aiden, up until I started working for you, all I ever wanted to be was a Dallas Cowboys cheerleader. That’s it. That was my big dream. Am I a bad person because I’m not ambitious like you and Sara?”

  It was so hard not to laugh at the grief and pitiful expression on Delilah’s face. If these are the types of arguments that she and Paulie have, I’m glad they keep them to themselves.

  “Why does that even matter?” I asked. “Don’t you realize how essential you’ve been to our careers? Do you think Sunny or I would have made it without you? I know that I wouldn’t have. And Paulie’s one to talk. He’s my damn lawyer! I paid for him to go to law school! His first clients to put him on retainer were me and my band. If that’s not piggybacking then I don’t know what is. Don’t worry, sis. Forget about that bullshit your husband is talking about. Listen to your big brother. You’re fine. You want me to kick his ass?”

  “Please don’t,” Delilah smiled and giggled. “I guess I’m just like Mom in a way, like when she was the theater teacher. When I worked for you and now Sunny, I found something that I like to do until it’s time for me to be a mom. And I know you and Sara think it’s never going to happen, but I’m going to have kids soon. I want to be a mom, but I don’t think I’m ready to quit this lifestyle yet.”

  I squeezed her shoulders and stood up. “And you don’t have to. You don’t have to quit working just because you have a kid. Sara’s going back to work in a couple of weeks and I don’t think Sunny took any time off after she had Summer. If you want to stop working and be a mom, that’s okay too. Don’t let anyone tell you what to do. Live your life, baby sis.”

  I was so tempted to tell her about Aiden Jr. but I promised Sunny that I wouldn’t spill the beans yet. Instead, to cheer her up, I told Delilah every detail about last night’s proposal while she inspected my closet for barely or never worn clothes.

  “Ohmigod! Can I plan your wedding? Please, Aiden, please?” Delilah begged. “We can have a traditional southern wedding, like a Gone With the Wind theme. It will be so beautiful! We can have it in Atlanta by the Tara. Oh my God! I’m so excited!”

  It was as if she was talking to herself because I’m sure she didn’t expect me to answer any of those questions. I started to walk out of the room. I’m sure she didn’t even notice. By that time, Delilah had already pulled out her phone. I laughed to myself as I heard Sara giggling and running up the stairs. She passed me in the hallway and went straight to my room. My sisters are going to plan this wedding whether they get permission or not. Sunny has no idea what she just got into.

  ***

  With my mother beside me, Summer enjoying a free ride on my back, and Mona trailing behind me, we strolled down Larchmont Boulevard towards Roxy’s office. I just want to get this call to the principal’s office over with so I can spend some time with my mom and daughter. I’m taking my mom to look at cars but since I cancelled with Roxy yesterday, I had to make this happen today.

  It’s about time for Dina to get a new ride. She’s been such a huge help to me and Sunny. While I was on tour, my mother looked after Summer when she wasn’t on the road with us. Plus, she’s been a little down lately. Maybe a new Bentley will lift her spirits.

  I know that my mom is still grieving. My father’s death took us all by surprise and has been difficult for all of us. It’s been especially hard for Mom because she’d spent thirty-five years with Doug Tyler. They met their freshmen year at college and had been together until he died. He was the love of her life. She may never get over losing him.

  It’s my job as the only son to take care of my mother. I’m trying to make sure that she has just as good a life without my dad as she had when he was alive. That’s why Sara and Tahir are here. Mom needs all of her children close to her, not spread out all over the country like we used to be. Truthfully, I need my sisters and my mother as close to me as possible too. When
I lived in Atlanta, I missed my family so much. I wasn’t on speaking terms with my parents over the decision I made to quit college therefore communicating with Sara and Delilah was next to impossible. We got it together eventually though.

  My relationship with my father had always been rocky but I loved the guy. In a way, I became a musician because I wanted him to see that I was good at something and be proud of his only son. We were making huge strides in our relationship when cancer took my dad’s life. As it turns out, he was proud of me. I owe it to him to make sure his girls are okay. I can’t do that if we’re all spread out.

  “Don’t let her do that,” my mom scolded me in the elevator after I let Summer push all seven buttons. “That’s so rude.”

  “Chill, Mom. It’s just an elevator. No one’s gonna die because they had to wait an extra twenty seconds.” I tapped Summer’s shoulder. “Tell your grandma to chill.”

  “No, Daddy,” was Summer’s bell-like giggle. “You’re gonna get me in trouble.”

  “That’s right,” Mom nodded. “Getting in trouble is Daddy’s thing, not yours. You’re my little sweetheart, right Summertime?”

  Summer gave me a wide grin and a “don’t you dare get me in trouble” look before the elevator doors opened on the fourth floor. Mona and I headed towards Roxy’s office. Like a seasoned vet, my daughter led her grandmother to the restrooms.

  I’m so glad that Roxy and Tracy decided to lease office space together here in Los Angeles. They’re both so old-fashioned. They always want to meet face-to-face and I just don’t have the time to be flying to Atlanta every single time my manager and publicist need me. They both have an impressive roster of clients; however, I am their biggest so being here is essential since LA is home base for now.

  Tracy and Roxy were waiting for me in the fourth floor conference room. I always feel like I’m about to be grounded or suspended when I walk into a room and these two women are staring at me.

  On their own, each woman is opinionated, outspoken, bossy, and on top of her shit. No nonsense, gorgeous, and successful. Together, they are an indestructible force that has helped me soar to the top of the music industry and stay there. I give them a hard time occasionally but I know better to than completely cross them. Even though I’m a little intimidated by my manager and publicist, I know they love me as more than just a client. We’ve been together too long and unless they drop me, I’m a hundred percent loyal to them.