BOOM. BOOM. BOOM.
The hell?
I peel my eyes open and wince at the light beaming through the windows. “Are you fucking kidding me right now, Logan?” He’s standing over me banging on one of Zoe’s toy drums. “You’re the worst brother ever.” Groaning, I roll to my back and pull a pillow over my head. “I feel like shit.”
Logan drops down on the edge of the bed and yanks the pillow off my head. He points to the mug on my nightstand. “I thought you might need that.”
“Thanks,” I say before reaching for the mug.
He gives me a sympathetic look. “I need to tell you something.”
“What?” I bring the mug to my lips and wince at the taste of coffee. Blah.
“Yesterday Jay came by looking for you. She and Mom got into it at the front door and Mom pretty much called her a whore—”
“Jesus Christ! Is she ever gonna stop?” I set the mug down and drag my hands down my face. “What time is it?”
“Almost seven.”
“Shit. I’m gonna be late for school.” I toss back the covers and head for the shower. The doorbell rings, followed by heavy pounding on the door.
I frown at Logan and he shrugs. “Go shower. I’ll go see who it is.”
Stepping out of the bathroom, after my shower, I find Bass standing in the open doorway of my bedroom and nearly drop my towel.
His phone is pressed to his ear. “Yep. I’m here now.” He sighs and rubs his temple. “She’s not ready, Em. Give the girl some space. How would you feel? Okay, then… I’ll see you later… Okay… Okaaay… Jeezus, woman, I said okay. Will you let me get off the phone so I can wrap this up? It is Valentine’s Day, you know? I got romantic shit to do… Bye.”
Without taking his eyes off me, Bass shoves his phone into the front pocket of his jeans and crosses his arms over his chest. “You wanna tell me what went down last night, Romeo?”
“I fucked up, B.”
“You did,” he agrees as he pushes off the doorway and steps further into my room. He sits on the end of the bed with his forearms resting on his thighs and his hands clasped together.
“How is she?”
He huffs out a humorless laugh. “How do you think she is?”
There isn’t much I can say to that. “Why aren’t you pounding my face in right now?”
He shakes his head. “I don’t believe in kicking a man when he’s down.”
He pats the side of the bed for me to sit next to him.
“Em and me, we go way back, since freshman year of college. She’s my best friend and a huge pain in my ass, but I’d do anything for her. Marcus… he loved that girl hard. He was a good husband. Loyal. But sometimes love wasn’t always enough. Em struggled with the media and the tabloid gossip. Women claiming they’d had affairs with Marcus or pregnant with his child. They fought about it. A lot. But then Em finally realized she either had to grow a thicker skin or walk away. She loved Marcus too much to walk away. So, she got a degree in PR and learned how to play the game. She’s good at it, too. Then my princess came along and our lives changed. Marcus…” He shakes his head. “…I’ve never seen that man happier than the day she was born. He said, ‘Bass, promise me that if anything ever happens to me you’ll protect my little Jaybird.’ It was like he knew. I love my princess with every breath in my body. She stole my heart the first time she wrapped her tiny hand around my index finger, and now she’s got me wrapped around her finger. I was there when she said her first words, took her first steps, wrote and sang her first song, and played her first instrument. I was the first person she informed when she shaved her legs for the first time and when she got her period for the first time.” He shudders. “I was also the first person she told about a boy named Zach, and that one day she was gonna marry him.” Bass chuckles. “She’s a beautiful girl, there’s no denying that, but she’s even more beautiful on the inside because she carries so much love in her heart.
“I didn’t come here to kill you, Romeo. Princess loves you, but for the first time, you made her feel ashamed of who she is. That cut her deep. She’s hurt and she’s mad. To be fair, she’s mad at a lot of people right now.”
“I don’t want to lose her. It’s just…” I can’t think of a single word to describe what I’m feeling right now. I shake my head.
“You’ll figure it out.”
I chuckle. “How do I fix this?”
“It’s Valentine’s Day. Start there. I can’t promise you it will be easy because—and this may come as a shock—she’s stubborn and she has a little bit of a temper.” He holds up his thumb and index finger and I breathe out a laugh.
“No shit.”
“But if you’re serious about her like I know you are, then you have to fight for her. If she pushes, push back. And if you ever tell her I said that, I will kill you.” He smiles. “Just kidding.”
He’s not kidding.
MIKE EASTON IS a big guy. He can be intimidating at times, but mostly he’s pretty laid-back. He doesn’t get mad often, but when he does, he can be downright scary. Like right now, standing at the bottom of the stairs, he looks pissed. “In my office, Zach. Now.”
My dad’s not a physical punishment kind of guy. He prefers to throw out verbal lashes that have us walking away with our tails between our legs. Probably why he’s a good lawyer.
Bypassing the leather club chairs, I toss my backpack on the floor and drop down on the sofa, leaning my head back. My dad takes a seat behind his desk.
“What time did you get home last night?” he asks.
“I don’t know.”
“Were you drunk?”
I shrug. “I wasn’t driving. What’s with the interrogation?”
“Watch your mouth and look at me when I’m talking to you,” he yells. I lift my head from the cushion and scowl at him. “Why were you drinking on a school night in the first place? And what were you doing with the Vaughn girl?”
“I wasn’t—”
“Michael!” My mom interrupts. “Why are you yelling?”
“Because I’m disgusted with my son’s behavior,” he replies in a raised voice, keeping his eyes trained on me. “Now tell me what the fuck you were doing with the Vaughn girl last night.”
“What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about? Let’s see if I can get this straight.” He drags his hands down his face. “This all started because of a few pictures posted on the Internet.”
I shrug.
“So, what? You run to the ex-girlfriend for a little revenge screw?”
“It wasn’t even like that, Dad,” I defend with a scowl. “Where did you get your information?”
“From Brick Manning. Were you not at his house last night?”
“Yes, but I wasn’t doing anything with Reagan.”
“That’s not what Brick just told me. He said Brooklyn told him you wrapped your arm around the Vaughn girl in front of your girlfriend, and I quote, said ‘fuck you.’”
“It was fuck off,” Logan adds from the doorway.
“Logan, be quiet,” my mom snaps. “Michael, that’s enough!”
“I say when it’s enough, Elizabeth.” He slams his fist down on his desk. “You don’t get a say in this, so you can either sit down and be quiet or get out of my office.”
She does neither. Instead, she crosses her arms over her chest and stews in silence.
My dad leans back in his chair and clasps his hands behind his head. “What do you think your life will be like when you’re a big shot in the NFL?”
“I don’t know. That’s a long time from now.”
Zoe waddles into my dad’s office and rounds his desk. My dad smiles as he lifts her into his lap and kisses her on the head. He softens his tone. “Humor me. Hypothetically speaking, if you signed with the NFL tomorrow and became a star player, what do you think would happen? Do you think you could walk through the mall without someone asking for a picture or an autograph? Do you think you could just walk into Mac’s and shoot pool with your buddies and not have someone approach you? Do you think there will never be pictures of you on the Internet? Most athletes just want to play the game and not get caught up in the media spotlight. I’m sure it’s the same for actors, actresses, and musicians, too. They just want to do their job. Unfortunately, their lives on are display for the whole world to watch and judge. Do you think that’s fair?”
“No.”
“So, how is it fair to Jayla? To you, to us, and to everyone in this town, she’s Jay Mackenzie. An eighteen-year-old high school student with a pretty face, bright personality, and a golden voice. To the world, she’s Jaybird.” He turns his attention to my mom. “She shouldn’t be punished for who her parents are or for things that aren’t her fault.” He turns back to me. “This is the life she was born into, Zach. Marcus King was her dad, but to the rest of the world he was a rock star and a reality TV star. He was famous, and whether or not she asked for it, she is, too. It is what it is. Deal with it or move on.” He covers Zoe’s ears and I chuckle. “I’m done with this bullshit. Elizabeth, you will apologize to Jayla and you pull that stick out of your ass and work your shit out with Emerson.”
I scoff. “Mom will be lucky if she even gets a ‘fuck you’ from Jay after the way she treated her last night.”
“Watch your mouth,” Logan says. “Her ears aren’t covered.”
My mom turns to me. “I’m sorry, Zach.”
“You should be. We’ve been together for seven months and you never once gave her a chance. Whether you like her or not, you should’ve have made an effort for me because I’m your son and she’s the girl I love. The girl who makes me happy. How would you feel if Emerson treated me the way you’ve treated Jay?”
“I wouldn’t like it.”
“Of course, you wouldn’t. But you don’t have to worry about that because Emerson doesn’t carry around a twenty-year-old grudge. You know why? Because she’s got better things to do with her time, like taking care of her daughter. Before you hated Emerson, she was your best friend for eighteen years. Think about it.” I stand up, grabbing my backpack off the floor, and walk to the door. “I’m going to school and afterward I’m going to buy some flowers for my girl and pray she forgives me.” I turn my attention to my mom. “Dad’s right. You need to work your shit out.”
“Watch your mouth.”
RIHANNA’S “LOVE ON The Brain” is playing when I walk into the kitchen and spot a giant bouquet of ranunculus in various shades of light pink and ivory with a card in the middle addressed to Jaybird. I pluck the card from the bouquet and open it.
Jaybird,
Happy Valentine’s Day.
I love you always.
Love,
Daddy
“Happy Valentine’s Day, Miss Jayla,” Grace singsongs, setting down a plate of heart-shaped pancakes in front of me.
I smile at her. “Thank you, my amazing Grace. Have you seen Harper?”
“She left early for a meeting,” she replies.
Mom walks into the kitchen and leans over the counter to face me. “Are you gonna talk to me today, or do you still hate me?”
“Jesus, Mom.” I throw my hands up. “I don’t hate you. I could never hate you. You’re my ride or die. Just give me some time to process, okay? The past twenty-four hours have been pretty freakin’ shitty.”
“I don’t know what ‘ride or die’ means, but I’ll take it.” She smiles, reaching into the pocket of her robe and setting a rectangular jewelry box on the counter with the word “Cartier” embossed on the top. “Happy Valentine’s Day. This is from your dad and me.”
My eyes burn as they well up with tears. I reach for the box and lift the lid. It’s a white gold necklace with a heart-shaped diamond pendant. “Oh, my God. It’s beautiful. Thank you.” I stand up from my stool as she makes her way around the counter to me, throw my arms around her and we burst into tears.
“Jayla, I know you don’t want to talk about what happened last night and I’ll respect that. On one hand, I want to send Bass over to kick Zach’s ass for hurting my little girl, but on the other, I get it. I’ve been in his shoes. I’ve felt what he’s feeling. It’s overwhelming. You don’t have to take my advice, but before either of you does something you’ll later regret, you should give each other some space. Just for a few days.”
I nod, wiping the tears from my face. “Thanks, Mom.”
I PASS THROUGH the common area with my shoulders back and my chin held high. I won’t apologize for who I am. My peers are watching me, judging me. Some of them wave and congratulate me.
“Hey, girl.”
I slow and turn to see Cherry’s smiling face fast approaching. She throws her arm over my shoulders, falling in step beside me as we head inside to my locker.
“First, let me say congratulations on your number one song,” she squeals. “I saw you on TV. Your friend Evangeline is a trip.” She laughs. “Are you okay though? That lady was an asshole.”
“I’m fine.” I wave her off. “You guys aren’t mad at me?”
“Not at all. Honestly, I had a feeling. I mean, come on, your birthday party was insane. LAW? People don’t hire rock bands to play at their parties much less grow up with them, unless they’re mega-rich or famous.” She pauses. “We respect you, Jay. You’ve been nothing but supportive in our class. You’re still you. Why does anything have to change?”
I blow out a breath, relieved. “I’m glad to hear that. I don’t want you guys to change your opinion of me just because of who my dad was.”
“It’s because of your dad that we’re even here.” She gives my shoulder a squeeze as she leans in and murmurs, “Brad told me about you and the QB.”
“Yeah.” I laugh once in disbelief, remembering Zach with his arm around Reagan and my stomach turns. “He was humiliated. So, instead of being a mature boyfriend, he got drunk and cozy with Reagan and made a point to rub their past relationship in my face.” I roll my eyes and stop in front of my locker.
“What?” Cherry gasps. “Brad didn’t tell me that.”
“Hey, Jay,” Justin says, leaning against the locker next to mine. “You okay?”
“Yeah,” I lie. “Thanks for asking.”
Justin nods. “Are you coming to my party on Friday?”
“Yeah, I’ll be there. But now that the cat’s out of bag, I’ll probably have to bring Levi with me.”
“Better him than that Bass dude.” He laughs. “I’ll see you guys later.” He walks off.
The locker beside me opens with a click and I freeze. I’m not ready to deal with Zach. Cherry catches my eye and says, “Hey, Harper.” I let out a sigh of relief. “I’ll see you at lunch, Jay.” Cherry gives me a quick hug before she walks off.
“Hey,” I say. “Grace told me you had to leave early for a yearbook committee meeting this morning. How’d it go?”
“Boring.” She rolls her eyes. “Sometimes I forget what a total nerd I am.”
“A hot nerd.” I jerk my eyebrows up and down.
“Yeah, right,” she frowns.
“I heard you and Cole broke up yesterday. I tried to wait up for you so we could talk, but I think Grace spiked my tea and knocked me out. Yesterday was a pretty bad day.”
“I saw bits and pieces of it on TV at work. You okay?”
“No,” I huff. “I’ll fill you in on everything after school. Are you okay?”
“Not really. Cole and I got into a fight yesterday because Josh showed up at Mac’s.”
“Oh, shit.” My eyes bulge out before I lean in and whisper, “The married guy?”
“Yeah,” she says. “I thought it was just a fight and after he calmed down we’d talk about it, but, apparently, he had other ideas.”
“I’m sorry, Harper.”
“For what? You didn’t do anything wrong. You’re the only person who ever tries to do the right thing. You’re a good friend, Jay.”
“Cole is an asshole, but I know he loves you.”
Her eyes fill with tears. “It took me months to finally trust him and one night to lose that trust. One bad fight and he runs straight to the one girl who’s made my senior year a fucking nightmare. Because of him.”
“That’s not true, Harper.”
We both turn our heads at the same time to face Cole while Zach opens his locker and switches out his books. “I didn’t,” Cole pleads. “She sat in my lap for all of two minutes. That’s all. You can ask Jay.” He gestures to me. “She was standing right there.”
Harper ignores him and smiles sadly at me. “We’ll talk later.” She squeezes my arm before disappearing into the sea of students crowding the hallway, leaving me to face off the two fucktards alone.
I turn back to my locker, keeping my face hidden behind the open door. Cole pulls the door back and steps into my personal space. “I’m sorry for what I said last night. You’d been through hell and you didn’t deserve that. I was drunk and pissed off because of my own insecurities. I fucked up, but I didn’t do anything with Ashton. You know me, Jay. Help me out here.”
If he didn’t look like a wounded animal, I’d tell him to kiss my ass and that he doesn’t deserve Harper. And maybe mess up his hair or something. I’m not ready to accept his apology for the things he said last night but if he wants my advice… I tilt my head back and take a deep calming breath before turning to him. “Listen closely, Cole…” I slam my locker shut and pull my backpack over my shoulder. “…because you are riding on my last nerve. Stay away from Ashton, and, most importantly, stop being an asshole. It’s Valentine’s Day, for fuck’s sake!”
“Happy Valentine’s Day, babe.” Zach leans in to kiss me.
I palm his face and push him away. “Save it for Reagan.” With that, I walk away and right out the door.
I don’t feel like being here today.
Fuck Cole.
Fuck Zach.
Fuck Valentine’s Day.
I blow off school for the rest of the day for some time with me, myself, and I. And because Xavier—my stylist, angel from heaven, and half of my favorite gay duo—loves me, he worked me in for a pedicure and a much-needed massage. However, with the way he’s sanding down my feet, I’m not feeling the love. “What’s going on with you?”
“Nothing,” he clips out without looking at me. “Why?”
“You’re lying. I’m sensing a ’tude.”
He scoffs and rolls his eyes. “I do not have a ’tude.”
Oh, he definitely has a ’tude. And if that’s not a dead giveaway, the snap of his head on the last word sure is.
“Oh, okay. Mr.—” I push out my lips and jerk my head side to side, imitating him. “What did my feet ever do to you? If you scrub them any harder, I’m not gonna have any skin left. Now put down the scrubby thingy and tell me what’s got your thong in a twist.”
Xavier’s mouth pulls to the side as he tries not to laugh. “Scrubby thingy?”
I cross my arms and raise my brows. “Quit stalling and talk to me.”
He lets out a dramatic huff and drops his shoulders. “Brice and I ran into his ex at the club last night.”
“So?”
“So? He’s freaking gorgeous.”
“Of course, he is.”
Xavier clicks his tongue and gives me the stank face. “Thanks a lot.”
“Don’t look at me like that. Brice is hot and I doubt he’s ever dated an ugly guy. Have you seen you?” I wave my hand up and down. “I rest my case. How did Brice react to seeing his ex?”
“Like they were old friends and it was no big deal.” He waves his hand around, dismissively.
“His ex probably took one look at you, went home, downed a bottle of wine, and cried in the bathtub for hours. Brice is very happy with you. Don’t push him away with your insecurities and bitchy attitude. It’s Valentine’s Day. Do something special to show him how happy he makes you.”
Xavier’s lips pull to the side. “Girl, what am I gonna do with you?”
“Well, you can start off by apologizing to my feet. I happen to know they like massages and if you massage them for like ten minutes, they’ll accept your apology. They’re very forgiving like that.”
Xavier laughs. “I’m not the only one with a ’tude. What’s got your thong in a twist?”
“Zach and I are taking a time out.” Zach just doesn’t know it yet.
Xavier pauses mid-rub and gasps. “Shut up.” He blinks in shock. “You two are so perfect together. Tell me you’re kidding.”
I tell him everything about California—leaving the part out about my mom and Cam—and coming home to find Zach drunk.
“I saw Celebrity Gossip. Evangeline is my hero.” He laughs. “Sweetie, that boy loves you so much. I’m sure this is hard on him, too. You’re both so young and under so much pressure. You’re kind of a big deal these days.”
“I know. But right now we just need to take a step back from each other and breathe.”
My phone pings with a text notification from an unknown number. Jayla, this is Liz Easton. I would like to apologize to you in person. Would you be willing to meet me for coffee?
“You’ve got to be kidding me.” I roll my eyes and hold up my phone for Xavier.
His eyes bulge out of his face. “What are you gonna say?”
LIZ IS ALREADY seated in a corner booth when I step through the doors. Her hands are wrapped around her coffee cup as she stares out the window. Turning, she notices me and lifts her hand. I wave back and make my way to the counter, to order my usual from my favorite barista, Jeffrey. He waves me off to let me know he’ll bring me my order.
Liz Easton is a bitch, but she’s a beautiful bitch. I’d always imagined she was beautiful just by the looks of her sons and her brother, Cam. We’ve established that Zach takes after his father and Logan definitely looks like his mother. She and my mom have a lot of the same mannerisms. I can almost picture them as teenagers with their smart mouths, raising hell.
“Nice shirt.” Liz nods toward my shirt that says, “Abracadabra… Nope, you’re still a bitch.”
Seemed fitting for the occasion.
“Have a seat.” She gestures to the empty seat across from her. “I don’t bite.”
“I beg to differ,” I say, sliding into the booth. “I wasn’t sure if you were here yet since I didn’t see your broom parked out front.”
Liz smiles over the rim of her coffee, keeping her eyes on me.
I raise my brows in a challenge.
“Here you go, Jayla girl,” Jeffrey says, setting my coffee on the table in front of me. He runs the show at Starbucks. I’m his favorite customer because one, he loves me and, two, I tip well.
“Thank you, Jeffrey.” I reach in my purse and pull out a twenty.
“Hm-mm.” Jeffery rests his hand on my shoulder and shakes his head. His expression is sympathetic. He’s either seen the news or talked to Lexi. “Not today, girl. It’s on me.” He winks. “Let me know if you need anything else.”
I thank him again before he sashays back behind the counter.
“Thank you for meeting me. I wasn’t sure you’d show after the way I treated you yesterday.” She gives me a sad smile. “I’m truly sorry for the things I said, and for the way I’ve treated you. I’ve hurt you and, by hurting you, I’ve hurt my son.” She turns her head to stare out the window for a moment before looking back to me. “Believe it or not, I’m a nice person when you get to know me.”
“I believe it. You just never gave me the chance.” She winces. “I can tell just by being around Logan and Zach that they come from amazing parents. I think Logan takes after you. He’s outspoken and protective, but he’s also caring and considerate. Zach is more like his dad—laid-back, easygoing, but if you push him too hard, he’ll push back and things might get ugly.”
She laughs. “You definitely know my boys.”
“You should be proud. They’re good guys.”
“Do you have a best friend, Jayla?”
“I have several.”
“But do you have one friend in particular who you sometimes swear you need to breathe?”
“Yes. Lucas and Weenie.”
“Who?”
“Sorry.” I laugh. “Lucas and Evangeline. I call her Weenie.” I wave my hand. “Long story.”
“Evangeline is the model, right?”
I nod. “Yes. Lucas, Evangeline and I grew up together. I couldn’t imagine not ever having them in my life.”
Liz gives me another sad smile. “That’s exactly how I felt about Emerson.” A tear slips down her cheek and she quickly wipes it away. “You already know that our mothers are best friends. Mimi is my godmother and I was named after her. The same goes with Emerson and my mother. We were inseparable from the time we were babies until a few weeks after we graduated from high school. Nothing and no one could ever come between us.”
Another tear rolls down her cheek that she quickly wipes away.
“I don’t hate Emerson.”
“Yes, you do. It’s a little late to try to spare my feelings now. The question you need to ask yourself is if you can ever forgive her?”
She laughs once. “I hadn’t thought of it that way.”
“You need to decide…” I wave my hand around “…because it’s affecting your families.”
“I know.” She sighs, running her finger across the edge the table. “Mike isn’t too happy with Zach, or me, at the moment. And Zach isn’t speaking to me.”
I lift my eyebrows. “Is that why you called me here? You’re apologizing so Zach won’t be mad at you.”
She shakes her head. “No, I’m apologizing for the way I treated you because it’s the right thing to do. You didn’t deserve it. I won’t make excuses for Zach’s behavior last night, but he loves you and he’s terrified of losing you.”
“I don’t want to lose him either, but this is my life. I didn’t ask for this, nor do I want the attention, but this is who I am and I won’t apologize for it. I can’t control what the media says about me. I don’t want to constantly worry about Zach’s reaction to every photo that gets posted online. I’m going on tour in less than five months. This is only the beginning.”
“Jayla,” she says in a low voice, reaching across the table to rest her hand on my arm. “I know I have no right to ask you for anything, but, please, give Zach a chance to make things right. He knows he messed up and, just in case he forgets, Logan has been doing a fabulous job of reminding him.” She laughs. “I hope maybe one day you’ll forgive me too.”
“I already have and I hope one day you can forgive Emerson.”
“I’m working on it.”
I FIND GRACE in the kitchen when I walk in from the garage. “Miss Jayla, Mr. Z was here looking for you,” she tells me. I laugh to myself. I love when she calls him “Mr. Z.” It makes him sound like a superhero.
“What did he want?”
She points to another flower arrangement—ranunculus—on the island countertop. “There’s a card too.”
I move over to the island and pick up the card, carefully opening the envelope and pulling out a folded piece of paper. It’s a handwritten note.
Jay,
I love you. I love you with my whole heart and I always will. I’m sorry for hurting you and I promise I will never let anyone or anything come between me and my girl, ever again.
Happy Valentine’s Day.
Love,