“So are things going to be different this time around?” The smile slips right off his face. He’s gone from a dick-sock wielding buddy to Laney’s over protective big bro in one easy bound.
“I’d never hurt her.”
“I never said you would. How about your family? You think anyone might try to put her heart in the blender and serve it up with some mint leaves on the side?”
I nod, completely transfixed on some invisible horizon behind him.
“I’ll talk to my mother. But I don’t think I should wait for the first sign of bullshit to protect Laney. I’m afraid I need to cut my mom out of my life for a while. Maybe for good.” I shake my head at the idea. “I hate it. But last time she went too far, and Laney left me. I can’t go through that again, not for twelve seconds let alone twelve months.”
“Let her know how you feel. Make sure she realizes how serious you are. I know your mom, Ryder. She’s going to change her tune about Laney if it means losing you.”
I blow out a breath and thread my hands behind my neck. “You’re right. She means well, but she’s toxic as hell when it comes to my love life. I think I’ll stop by her office and have a little talk.”
“You need some moral support?”
“Nope.” I hold up the twin foil packets. “You did your good deed for today.”
“Rock on, man.” He leans over and throws a knuckle bump my way. “Guard Laney’s heart. She’s a sweet girl. She deserves to be happy, and so do you.”
“Will do, and thank you. It’s nice to see you smiling these days, too.”
“I’m just glad Baya’s safe. Any news about the trial?”
“None that I know of.” My cousin Aubree was arrested last month for trying to kill Baya, and, apparently, there’s strong evidence that suggests she did kill Stephanie Jones, a girl we grew up with. Bryson and Steph were together for a while, right up until she died. I can’t imagine what it must have been like to go through something like that. And I never want to find out. I’d never say it to Bryson, but losing Laney for a year was enough to do me in. I still don’t know how he catches his breath in the morning. I’m glad he found Baya to quell the pain.
“Let me know how things work out with your mom.” He gets up and heads out the door. “We should take the girls out to dinner sometime. I think Baya and Laney would like that.”
“I’d like that, too.”
He takes off, and I shake my head with a goofy grin plastered to my face. I’ve gone from isolating myself at home to double dating—from romancing Rosie Palm to sleeping with Laney Sawyer.
I pinch the glorified love gloves between my fingers.
Soon Laney and I will commence our relationship in the best way possible, and, if last night was any indication of how incredible things are going to be, I’m betting I’ll need two industrial-sized boxes to make it through this week alone.
Laney and I are together again, and nothing or nobody can tear us apart.
That night I attended the show that the drama department put on and sat front and center. My mother had called earlier and invited me to dinner, but I took a rain check. She asked where I was off to so I told her. She responded with one word.Wow.I got the feeling it wasn’t a good wow, so I didn’t push it. I’m assuming it was more of a wow we’re revisiting bad habits. She actually called Laney a bad habit to my face, last year, a few weeks before it all went down, and I let it slide because she’s my mother.
I shake my head at the thought as I make my way to her office under a gloomy afternoon sky.
Laney and I ended up hanging out at her dorm after the show, and I spent the night holding her. One of Laney’s roommates was home, so we decided to hold off in the pleasure department until tonight. But in a few hours, after her show, she’ll be all mine. She says she’ll pack a bag and spend winter break at the penthouse with me, and I cannot fucking wait. I’ll gladly shuttle her to Whitney Briggs as needed. I’d shuttle her to Alaska and back if she wanted me to.
But right now I’m taking on the task of speaking with my mother. Her office is just across the street from Capwell Industries, so I head over and ride the elevator up, rehearsing what I’m going to say like some douchebag. I know she’s going to be hurt. That she’s going to feel threatened. I’m her only son, and she doesn’t want to lose me. She’s said, time and time again, that she only wants the best for me. Why in the hell can’t she see that Laney is the best?
I step out onto her floor and make my way over to the Capwell Philanthropic offices, fully excepting to see Meg seated behind the big mahogany desk as I walk in but thankfully don’t. She’s abandoned her post for the moment. Probably drowning her sorrows now that she knows Laney and I are back together. Maybe she’ll finally call off her stalker-like tendencies. I’d laugh it off, but she was close with Aubree, and come to find out, stalker-like tendencies were her specialty.
I walk over in the direction of my mother’s office, and the sound of polite female laughter lights up the hall. Great. I’m sure my mother will invite Meg to sit in on our private conversation, no matter how hard I try to get rid of her. I catch the reflection of my mother’s office from the mirrored hall and pause when I see them—Roxy, Baya and Laney, all three with bright red Santa hats on.
Holy shit. They beat me to it.
Laney didn’t mention a meet and greet with my mother last night, and Roxy hasn’t said anything. Maybe this doesn’t have anything to do with me?
“Little Laney,” Mom coos, talking down to the woman I love. It makes me sick to my stomach just hearing it. “If I’ve ever made you feel the slightest bit uncomfortable I do apologize. And I have nothing but the upmost respect for your mother, raising two daughters on her own after her husband so rudely walked out on her.”
Rudely?
Shit.
