Jaybird,
This is our first official Thanksgiving apart and I’m sorry for that. I’m so thankful for my girls and our time together. I’m also thankful for my wonderful friends and family who are looking out for my girls. I love you, baby girl.
Happy Thanksgiving.
Love always,
Daddy
MY HEART IS heavy.
Today is going to be an emotional day for my entire family. Not only is my dad not here, but my extended family is scattered all over the country. Evangeline’s parents are flying in early this afternoon. Lucas and Andrew are still on tour. Tommy and Chaz, the remaining band members of Royal Mayhem, stayed in California to be with their families.
Everything about today just feels off.
I pull my phone from the nightstand and look over my text messages.
Harper: I know I’m in the next room but Happy Thanksgiving. xoxo
She’s such a dork.
Lexi: Happy Thanksgiving, bitch. Love you <3
Cherry: Happy Thanksgiving. Today I’m thankful for you… and Brad.
Awwwww.
Dude LAW: Happy Thanksgiving from me and the guys. Miss U. Luv U.
Lucas is probably thankful he’s on tour. He likes to deal with the emotional stuff in private. I know today is just as hard for him and Andrew.
Drew: Happy Thanksgiving, baby girl. Today’s going to be a tough day for all of us. Love you.
Kali: Happy Thanksgiving, Jay. I’m in Colorado with Lucas. Eek!
Aw. That makes me smile. Lucas and Kali met at my birthday party and hung out the whole night together. I’ve never seen him show this much interest in a girl. He must really like Kali if he flew her out to Colorado.
Brad: Happy Thanksgiving, Holly!
I snort. He’s been calling me Holly ever since the fight.
Xavier: Today I’m thankful for you. Thank you for introducing me to this gorgeous man! Happy Thanksgiving. Xoxo
Attached is a photo of Xavier and Brice blowing a kiss at the camera. Yes, I played matchmaker and they’re both very happy.
Brice: What he said, lol! Happy Thanksgiving! Xoxo
Piper: Happy Thanksgiving, Jay.
Piper and I haven’t talked much since Homecoming, but I did invite her to my birthday weekend. She came with Brooklyn. She also sent me a text while I was getting my cast put on my hand, asking if I was okay.
“HAPPY THANKSGIVING,” UNCLE Liam says from my doorway with a smile that brightens my dark mood. I’ve been so caught up in Zach, I forgot how much I’ve missed hanging out with Liam. And Cam, too. The three of us used to hang out all the time back in the day when Liam and Cam lived down the beach from me. Back in the day when they weren’t traveling for baseball games. Back when Cam still played for the LA Heat.
“Hey, stranger,” I reply, patting the empty side of my bed and Uncle Liam happily climbs in next to me. Turning on my side, I prop my head up on my good hand. “I feel like I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“I saw you a couple of months ago.” His eyes fall to my cast. “I heard you got into some trouble. Everything good?”
“It is now.”
He smiles. “I heard all about it from Mimi and Em. Don’t tell your mom, but I’m proud of you for fighting back. When do you get that thing off?”
“A week or so. What’s new with you?”
His lips stretch into a devilish grin. “Same shit, different chick.”
“You’re such a manwhore.” I playfully smack him in the arm. “I thought you were dating Dr. Ramos.”
Liam shakes his head. “Jasmine and I are just friends. I don’t date.” Changing the subject, he asks, “How are you today?” His green eyes reflect his concern.
I let my head drop to my pillow and roll to my back. “I’m sad, but I expect everyone is feeling the same.” I sigh.
Harper squeals from inside her bedroom, “Cole!” Then a loud laugh mixed with Willow’s giggle, echoes from the hallway outside my door.
“Looks like Cole caught himself a girlfriend.”
“Surprisingly, yes,” I agree. “Harper is amazing. Life has dealt her a shitty hand. And if that isn’t enough, she’s in a relationship with Cole Mackenzie, of all people.” I say the last part a little louder because I’m aware that he’s standing in my doorway.
“I heard that,” Cole says, walking in the room carrying Willow piggyback.
Liam and I laugh. “I know.”
“JJ, me have torekey and pumfin pie,” Willow announces proudly, making us all laugh.
I can’t even with this kid. So freaking cute.
It’s Willow’s adorable face and her excitement for “torekey” and “pumfin pie” that has me rolling out of bed and heading downstairs to greet the rest of my family.
“What’s up, badass? I heard you fucked shit up at school.” Aiden laughs, holding up his hand for a high five.
“Aiden, watch your mouth.” I smack his hand away. “There are tiny ears running around here.” I wink and lean in to whisper, “It’s Miss Badass, and I totally fucked shit up.” I hold up my casted hand. “With one hand.”
CAM, LOGAN, AND I walk through Jay’s front door, into chaos, and “24K Magic” by Bruno Mars playing over the sound system. Hysterical laughter and cheers drift from the back of the house, but it’s Jay’s laugh that pulls me in the direction of the great room.
Jay and Harper are dancing with Mimi. Willow is beside them giggling and rocking from side to side. Everyone is laughing and Emerson has her phone out recording the whole thing.
“Ella, what in the hell are you doing?” Mac exclaims, startling everyone.
“I’m twerkin’ with my granddaughter, Mac. What does it look like?” she explains as she bends her knees, arches her back, and begins thrusting her hips.
I’ve never laughed so hard in my life.
“That’s your godmother,” I say to Cam who’s shaking his head. I’ll admit, as hilarious as it is, it’s also kind of disturbing.
“It looks like you’re having a goddamn seizure,” Mac continues. “I thought I was gonna have to call for an ambulance,” he teases, turning to Emerson, who has her phone aimed at him. “She’s finally done it, Emi bear. Your mother has lost her mind.” He shakes his head in mock disappointment and heads out the back door with a giant turkey in his hands. As he passes by, I hear him mumble under his breath something about a “crazy broad.”
And to finish things off, Cole and Aiden jump in and start twerking beside Mimi.
Jay finally notices me standing here and squeals as she runs over to me, jumps in my arms, and wraps her legs wrap around my waist. “What are you doing here?”
“I can’t stay long, but I came to see my girl,” I tell her, then lower my voice so only she can hear. “And give her something to be thankful for.”
She snorts. “You’re such a horndog. I can’t with all these people here. Would you settle for a heavy make-out session on the third floor?”
“I’ll take it.”
“LET’S GO TO Pelican Cove,” I suggest. Dinner is over and everyone has gone home for the night. And Bass left with Lisa. The two have been spending a lot of time together, ever since the night of my mom’s welcome back dinner. Mom introduced them and I’m really happy Bass is finally getting a life. It’s down to Mom, Liam, Cole, Harper, and me. I haven’t heard from Zach since he left earlier, but he promised he’d be back over later.
“Everything is closed, Jay,” my mom says.
“The stores are open for early black Friday shopping,” I remind her.
“I’m too full to go shopping and deal with the crowds,” my mom replies.
“Then let’s go to the movies,” I propose.
“I’m down,” Liam says. “Let’s go walk off some of this food.”
Cole looks over at Harper. “Let’s go,” Harper says with a wink.
We all pile into my Range Rover and head to Pelican Cove. I shoot a text to Zach instead of calling since my phone is linked to Bluetooth and I don’t want everyone in the car to hear my conversation.
“We should get a big tub of popcorn to share,” I suggest.
“You can’t possibly eat popcorn after all that food we just ate,” Mom says.
“You can’t go to a movie and not get popcorn,” Liam says.
“I’m not sharing popcorn,” Cole states. “That’s just as bad as double dipping. Think about it. You stick your fingers in the popcorn, then stick them in your mouth, and then stick them back in the popcorn. Then there’s the finger licking.” He shudders. “It’s gross.”
I laugh. “Wow, you’ve really put some thought into that, huh?”
“I never realized you were such a germophobe,” Harper says with a laugh.
“Ha-ha. Laugh all you want, you two, but if I licked my fingers and stuck them in your popcorn, would you eat it?”
I scrunch up my nose as Harper and I say at the same time, “No.”
We stand in front of the movie kiosk, debating over which movie to see. “How about Bad Santa?”
“Zach!” a female squeals from somewhere in the sea of people coming out of the theater. I know there’s more than one Zach in this city, but out of habit I turn my head and spot my Zach skipping through the crowd with Chelsea on his back, his parents and another couple, I assume Chelsea’s parents, walking behind them.
As if he can feel the heat of my stare, Zach turns his head in our direction and jerks to a stop. He mumbles something to Chelsea and she immediately slides off his back, dropping to the ground, before they both make their way over to us.
Well, this is gonna be awkward.
“Don’t jump to conclusions, Jay,” Mom says at the same time Cole leans into my ear and reassures me that “They’re just friends.”
“I thought you were dating Zach?” Liam asks, confused. “Did something happen between the two of you, or is this as bad as it looks?”
Always so protective.
“Ohmigod, will you guys relax. It’s fine.” There’s something about Zach and Chelsea’s friendship that makes me uncomfortable, but I can’t pinpoint it. Maybe it’s because they had sex. Zach swears they’re just friends and I believe him. Zach isn’t the cheating type. But there’s something else that just doesn’t feel right.
I push my jealousy aside because technically Zach isn’t doing anything wrong. It could easily have been Lucas and me doing the same thing.
“Liam, be nice,” Mom warns. “Zach’s very good to her.”
Zach reaches for me, careful of my cast, and pulls me to his chest. “Hey, babe.” He kisses me on the forehead.
“Hey, man.” Liam jerks his chin to Chelsea. “You steppin’ out on my niece?”
Zach frowns.
“Liam,” Mom chastises. “What did I just say?”
“You told me to be nice. I’m just asking a question.”
“This is my friend Chelsea.” He gestures to her. “Chelsea, this is Jay, her mom, Emerson, and her Uncle Liam. You know Cole, and this is Harper.”
Chelsea nods at everyone before her eyes come back to me. An expression quickly crosses her face before I can read it, but it wasn’t a friendly one. She hates me. A fake smile spreads across her face like a Cheshire cat as she says, “It’s nice to finally meet you, Jay. I’ve heard so much about you.” Her last words are more of a warning than a compliment.
But she doesn’t scare me. “Good to meet you, Chelsea,” I sneer, not bothering with my perfected fake smile.
Cam walks up with his arm around my dance instructor, Juliette. Cam and Juliette? Random. “Hey, man,” Cam says, reaching out to give Liam the one-arm pat on the back. As if he hadn’t just seen him earlier today. “You remember Juliette?”
“Of course, I do.” Liam smiles and leans over to hug her.
“She’s also my dance instructor,” I add, waving to Juliette.
“Ah.” Liam smirks. “So, you’re the one responsible for all that ‘twerking’ my mother shamelessly demonstrated for the family today.”
We all laugh.
Liam pulls out his phone and types out a text before he shoves it back in his front pocket and says, “Well, if we’re not gonna see a movie, then I’ve got somewhere to be.”
Mom waves him off. “Go. I’m too tired to sit through a movie.” She reaches inside her purse, digging for her keys, and I wonder how long it’ll take before she realizes that we rode together in my car.
“We’re gonna take off,” Cam says. “Zach, you coming?”
“Nah. I’m staying with Jay.”
Liam leans over and drops a kiss on Mom’s head and then mine. “I’m gonna catch a ride with Cam. I’ll see you guys tomorrow.”
“I better get back to my parents. It was nice meeting you, Jay. I’ll see you around,” Chelsea says, but what she means is “I hate your fucking guts, Jay, so watch your back.”
“Looking forward to it,” I reply, but what I mean is “Bring it on, bitch.”
“Baby, you’re so freaking cute when you’re jealous,” Zach singsongs and my mom laughs. “You know you have nothing to worry about, right?”
“I trust you, Z. It’s her I don’t trust. You guys looked like you were on a date, all of you coupled up.”
He chuckles. “I came with Cam and Juliette. We ran into Chelsea, her parents and mine on the way out. I called you earlier to see if you wanted to come with us, but your phone kept going straight to voicemail. I thought about stopping by, but I didn’t want to interrupt your time with your family.”
“Sorry.” I pull out my phone. “Willow was playing with my phone earlier.”
“So, you’ve changed your mind about seeing a movie, then? Bad Santa was pretty funny.”
“Nah. I’ll pass. Besides, Cole won’t share his popcorn with me.”
Harper laughs and Cole rolls his eyes.
“I didn’t know Cam was dating Juliette,” I say to Zach.
“He’s not.”
“I’m ready to go home, throw on some comfy pants, and read a book,” Mom says as we head back in the direction of the parking garage. She’s still searching for her keys.
“Em.” Harper laughs. “You can stop looking for your keys now. We came in Jay’s car.”