Right Gift Wrong Day: A Right Text Wrong Number Novella (Offsides)
Page 1
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Swoon Romance Books You Might Like
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places, and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, business establishments, events, or locales is entirely coincidental. The author makes no claims to, but instead acknowledges the trademarked status and trademark owners of the word marks mentioned in this work of fiction.
Copyright © 2017 by Natalie Decker
RIGHT GIFT WRONG GUY by Natalie Decker
All rights reserved. Published in the United States of America by Swoon Romance. Swoon Romance and its related logo are registered trademarks of Georgia McBride Media Group, LLC.
No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Mobipocket ISBN: 978-1-946700-73-5
Published by Swoon Romance, Raleigh, NC 27609
Cover design by Danielle Doolittle
Ethan and Leeah, you are the best parts of me.
Table of Contents
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Chapter Twenty-One
Chapter Twenty-Two
Chapter Twenty-Three
Chapter Twenty-Four
Chapter Twenty-Five
Chapter Twenty-Six
Chapter Twenty-Seven
Chapter Twenty-Eight
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Chapter Thirty
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Other Swoon Romance Books You Might Like
Chapter One
Tyler
The sizzling sound of grease meeting the raw side of bacon fills the kitchen as I cook breakfast for myself. I don’t hear my mom enter the room until she says, “What are you doing?”
“Making breakfast. Want some?”
“Where is Mary Ella?”
“She went to the store to get all the things she needs for the rest of the week for the party.” Something I give no shits about. I’ll just plaster on a fake smile and stick around for about fifteen minutes before disappearing to my room.
I glance up at her. “I have a fundraiser this weekend and then we’re hosting a Christmas party the following weekend. I think it would be a great idea to bring your girlfriend to the Christmas party. Layla is her name, correct?”
“Yes, but I’m not bringing her here.” Not yet. They’re not going to judge her or belittle her as soon as her back is turned. I won’t allow it.
“Why not? Don’t you think we have a right to meet the person who is taking up so much of your time lately?”
That must be the joke of the hour. They never gave a crap before, so long as my butt wasn’t in jail, or doing anything to embarrass the family name. They didn’t care where I was. So why the change now?
“We’re not that serious yet.” I try to make it sound like nothing.
“I met your father’s family an hour after our first date.”
I want to say, “and look how well that turned out.” Mom’s miserable. Dad’s a douche. But congrats on upgrading your social status in life, ‘cause that’s what really matters. Pretty sure if I said any of this, my mom would slap the hell out of me.
“I don’t care. I’ll invite her but if she says no then that’s it. I’m not going to push her to meet you and Dad,” I say.
“Oh, she won’t just be meeting us. Your sister and her husband are coming as well as your aunts and uncles and everyone at your father’s firm.”
I narrow my eyes. “The whole family and Dad’s firm? Absolutely not.”
Me: Hey u.
Layla: Hey.
Me: I was wnderin what movie u wanted me 2 buy tickets 4 that we prolly won’t b w@chin cuz I’ll b 2 busy kissing u?
Layla: Um …
Me: JK. Not really. Promise no more chick flix. U can’t do that shit 2 me & not give me a warning. Don’t try 2 turn me into a pansy.
Layla: :) But ur face is so fun to watch.
Me: Is it? No kisses 4 u then.
Layla: :( don’t play dirty.
Me: Oh I am. Anyway. While ur clearly deciding 2 pick another movie what r ur plans 4 the next 2 weeks?
Layla: Why? Plan on using me & leaving me so soon?
Me: No.
Layla: Xmas shopping. Trying 2 pry Juliet from the house. She’s turned into a hermit. It’s so bad.
This is going to need a little more hands-on approach. I tap the call button as I slide into my Grand Cherokee. She sighs. “I still haven’t decided yet.”
“That can wait. You mentioned trying to get your sister out of the house,” I say. I know her twin means everything to her, so I know it’s killing her seeing Juliet this way.
I can hear the sniffles and my heart clenches. “It’s so bad. She refuses to talk to Mom. She only leaves her room for bathroom breaks or to restock her supplies. She’s been living off stale Cheetos, water, and playing endless video games. I’m not even sure she’s slept.”
“Well, want me to help you get her outta the house? Maybe we can take her to see the movie with us or something.” I don’t really want to have her sister tag along, but I will if it makes Layla happy.
“As sweet as that offer is, I don’t think she’ll go for it. Honestly, I don’t think she’s showered since the dance. I mean she’s really bad, Ty. I’ve never seen her like this. Even when she’s on her series binge reads. She at least washes her hair.”
I make a face as I pull out of my neighborhood. This whole image is grossing me out and putting her sister in a whole other light that is truly not appealing for anyone. A girl not showering? It’s nothing for guys to skip the daily hygiene routine, but girls doing this? That just sounds wrong. Girls are supposed to care more about their appearances.
“Okay. Well, another reason I called is that my mom is having this get together on Christmas Eve, and she wanted me
to invite you.”
“Oh,” she says. “Uh … Okay.”
“Okay? Does that mean you’ll come?”
“Um … Do you want me to?”
I smile. “I always want you around me.” I just don’t want you around my family.
She giggles. “Awww. I’ll be there then.”
Shit. Shit. Shit.
Chapter Two
Layla
Omigod! Omigod! I don’t know why I just agreed to meet his entire family. Are we really at that step in our relationship? I don’t think I’m ready for this.
I didn’t meet Adam’s family until we had been seeing each other for a good five months, and even that was by pure accident. I ran into them during one of those free physical screenings at school. Talk about awkward. His mom had this look on her face like, “who’s this girl hugging my son?” She called me “dearest,” and Adam, well, he stood there turning red like I was embarrassing him in front of his mother. His little sister gave me the stink eye. His dad kept clearing his throat.
Tyler and I have only been dating officially for a week. What if his family hates me? What if they take one look at me and tell him to dump me?
I’m freaking out. The other issue that has me worked up; is Christmas. Yeah, I know it comes every year. But things around our house have been a little bland since my dad died. Our house used to be decked out in decorations. Since my dad’s death, my mom just puts up a tree, if you can even call it that. It’s a five-foot artificial tree, and this year, only two parts of it are lit. She doesn’t care enough to buy a new one or add lights to it. I miss our banisters and every other section of the house decorated with ribbons and garland and the smell of cinnamon wafting throughout the house. Instead, it looks like we’re celebrating Halloween or some other holiday we’re not really into.
Aside from my house lacking the Christmas spirit, I’m worried about gifts. Not in receiving but giving. Am I supposed to only get Tyler a gift, or am I supposed to get ones for his family too? And what do I possibly get a guy who already has everything?
I fly down the hall and enter my sister’s room. I wave my hand in front of my face as the smell of rancid body odor, sweat, and Doritos fill my nasal cavity. It reeks of an old sweaty gym in here. It’s so gross, I can feel my stomach churning. “Juliet, I love you, but holy shit, go take a shower.”
“Erm …” She lifts an arm, sniffs her pit, and makes a meh face. “I’m good.”
I can’t take her “I don’t give a shit” attitude anymore. Holding my breath, I make my way over to her windows and pray something doesn’t crawl out from under piles of trash littering her floor and bite me. This behavior is very unlike my usually neat-freak twin. “When is the last time you even let in some sunlight?” I step over her and the dress she wore to the winter formal, lying near the edge of her bed. I make it to the blinds and yank them open. Juliet hisses like a demon. I glance back at her and take in her disheveled appearance. “That’s it, you are getting a bath.”
I reach for her arm. “Don’t touch me,” she says as she taps her right thumb and left finger mindlessly against the controller in her hand. “Ha. Take that, you stupid egotistical asshole!”
“Juliet!” I snap.
She isn’t paying attention to a word I say. I can’t stand to see her like this. I grab her by the upper arm and pull her to the door.
“Hey! What the heck are you doing? Layla! I’m in the middle of beating this level!” She tries to plant her feet but I jerk harder. She loses her balance and I lose my grip. Her butt slams against the ground while the controller she was clutching flies out of her hand and collides with the floor. When it shatters, Juliet’s eyes widen.
“You’re freaking dead!” she screams. Juliet pushes herself off the ground, and I take off in a full-on sprint. She follows closely, which is a good thing and a bad one. Good because she’s out of her room and moving. Bad because she’s ticked off and quicker than me. It won’t be long before she catches up and unleashes all her anger.
I fly down the stairs and rip open the front door, ready to sprint down the street if I must. My body collides into a solid wall. Arms wrap around me, and I scream.
“Layla! It’s me! Quit yelling before someone calls the cops on us. Jeez. If you didn’t want to go on our movie date, all you had to do was tell me,” Tyler chuckles.
I look up at my sexy savior. “What are you doing here so early?” I ask, momentarily forgetting why I was running in the first place.
“Movie. Remember? We literally talked about it twenty minutes ago and … whoa, Juliet, nice to see you.”
I look back at my sister and cringe. “You’re so dead! Don’t think just because he’s here I won’t rip your hair out,” she snarls.
“Whoa-whoa-whoa! No one is ripping my girlfriend’s hair out.” He moves me behind him, keeping me out of view of my sister. “I don’t give a damn if you’re related or not. It’s not happening on my watch. Tell me what caused this need to kill her, and we’ll go from there,” Ty says.
I peer around his side. Juliet blinks at him. “What?”
“What caused this?” Ty asks her.
Juliet points at me. “She broke my controller. After she ruined my chance to beat my high score.”
“It was an accident. You need to wash your hair. You smell!” I fire back at her.
Tyler shifts and says, “Juliet, you do have this whole cavewoman look about you. I am sure Layla was just trying to help you out. Tell you what though, we’re going to be going shopping. We will pick you up a new controller. But you’ve got to clean up a bit. Put on a clean shirt at least.”
She scowls at him. “Both of you can bite me right now.” She turns and heads back up the stairs.
“So, is that a yes, to getting cleaned up?” Tyler asks.
She flips him off right before she disappears out of sight. Tyler looks back at me, and I let out a sigh of relief. “Thank you. I think she really wanted to kill me.”
“Hey, you broke her controller. That’s a sacred thing,” he says with a goofy smirk.
“Is it?” I tease. I walk my fingers up his chest and say, “So if I broke your controller, would you be mad at me?”
“I’d be furious,” he says with a wink. “Ready to go?”
I glance down at my own outfit. “Should I change?”
“Absolutely not. I love you in yoga pants.”
I smack his arm playfully. “You’re such a perv.”
He shrugs. “What? I can’t help what I love.”
I shake my head while smiling and follow him out the door.
We can’t decide on a movie, so we end up running an errand his mother texted him about. From the way Tyler groans and grumbles, I’m definitely not up to meeting his family.
“How big is this party with your family going to be?” I ask. I’m still freaking out that his family will hate me.
“It’s going to be big. Look, if you want to ditch, I completely get it.”
We walk into the florist shop and head toward the counter.
I examine the pre-made bouquets, too scared to see his face when I say, “I don’t know.”
“Layla, if you don’t want to do it, I swear it’s fine. We won’t do it.” I can feel him staring at me.
I skim the rose petals and sigh. “Do you not want me to go?”
“That’s not what I said. This is your choice. If you don’t want to go, we don’t have to. That’s all.”
“I’m just worried. What if your sister or mom hates me?”
He chuckles, then his lips graze my earlobe as his arms wrap tight around my waist. “Babe, no one will hate you. If they do, who gives a shit?” He turns me so I’m facing him then his lips drop to mine.
“I mean are you dating me or my family?” he asks.
I give him an annoyed look. “You.”
“Great because I like dating you, and that’s all that matters. Everyone else can screw themselves,” he says after he kisses me.
“Mr. Rich
ardson,” an older lady chimes. “How lovely to see you. You’re getting more and more handsome by the day.” She eyes me like she can’t wait to pick up the phone and call Tyler’s mom to rat him out.
“Hello, Mrs. Cramlet. I’m here to pick up my mom’s centerpieces for the fundraiser.”
She stares at me, looking hopefully from me and then back at Tyler. Uncomfortable silence. I nudge Tyler with my elbow.
“This is Layla, my girlfriend,” he says, like a good boyfriend.
“Oh, how nice to meet you.” Mrs. Cramlet looks like she just ate something sour. “I’ll go get those centerpieces for your mother.” She smiles and then vanishes behind a doorway made of navy-blue beaded curtain.
The moment she’s gone, Tyler kisses my lips again then pulls me toward the counter. “It’s hard to behave around you. You know that?”
“Oh, I’m sure it’s such a strain,” I say while giggling.
“It really is.” His mouth brushes against mine but when Mrs. Cramlet returns, he lets me go. She hands him a clear box with ten centerpieces inside. “Thanks, Mrs. Cramlet.”
The woman, probably in her late sixties, waves him off. “Not a problem, dear. It’s my pleasure. How about something for your girlfriend? My treat.” She looks at me. “Would you care for some roses?”
I smile. “That’s okay. You don’t have to do that.”
“I know, dear. I want to. Go ahead. Pick something,” she says.
Tyler leans close to me with the large box in his hand. “You should listen to her. She doesn’t take no for an answer.”
With that little tidbit of info, I head over to the case of prearranged bouquets and glance around. No sense in turning down free flowers is there?
Chapter Three
Tyler
Layla sits smiling quietly in the seat next to me, and every so often, I catch her sniffing the floral arrangement she’s holding. I love making her happy, I just hope I can keep doing it.
Of course, after my family’s party, who knows what she’ll feel for me afterward. She might go back to hating my guts all over again.