Falling for You

“You’re Josh’s girlfriend. Right?”

“Yeah.” I hold my hand out, assuming this is another one of his friends. I thought Landon’s parties were intense, but I’ve met more people tonight than I have at one of Aunt Tricia’s fundraisers. Josh knows everyone here, and I mean everyone. I don’t know how he keeps all their names straight. “I’m Layla.”

The girl spits at my feet and sticks her finger in my face. “You’re a homewrecking slut!”

“Layla!” Josh runs between the cars. He passes the bitch, I don’t like that word but this woman fits the definition to the tee, and pulls me into him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah… I’m fine.”

He kisses my forehead and turns to the woman in question. “What the fuck do you want, Kaitlin?”

“Nothing.” Kaitlin holds her hands up and back steps towards the fire. “Just saying hello to your new girl.”

“Sure you are.” He narrows his eyes, watching Kaitlin until she’s deep in the shadows. I don’t know what I did to piss her off, but I don’t want to do it again.

“That was Amanda’s sister,” Josh says when we’re in the safety of his truck. He cranks the heat up for a few minutes, letting me warm up, then turns the air down to a normal temperature.

“Makes sense why she called me a homewrecker.” Amanda mustn’t be happy that her speech didn’t drive me off. In truth, it almost did. My life is complicated enough without adding in some baby mama drama. Colson is ignoring me. My mother calls me daily, trying to convince me that a life with Ashley isn’t as bad as it seems. My aunt is pressuring me to take on more responsibility. Dad acts like I don’t exist. And then there’s school.

But I want what Josh described the other day. A love without limitations. A best friend, not a business partner.

I’ve never felt emotions the way I do when we’re together. Everything is magnified, good and bad. I’m not falling for Josh. Falling is a leap and then smooth descent. I’m tumbling down the mountain, feeling everything along the way.

Mom’s house is filled with a mix of my brother’s friends and mine. Thanksgiving and Christmas have always been huge, but tonight is more crowded than years past because everyone is in town for the week. People I haven’t seen since high school have shown up, some with food, others with beer, just to hang out.

I smile and nod absentmindedly, while staring at the screen door to the patio. I told Layla to park at the house and drive the Gator over. Everyone knows to leave the road clear, but they park alongside it. Judging by how many people are here tonight, I’d say it’s probably crazy out front.

I take a sip of my Coke and nod again, agreeing with a conversation I didn’t hear. I’ve been anxious all day, worried about Layla meeting Mom. I’ve never brought a girl home. Not to meet her.

Sam’s whistling pulls me out of my daze. He’s such a tool, whistling at one girl with another in his arms. In my opinion, the girls who throw themselves at him are stupid. They think they’ll be the one to change his ways and then are scorned when he drops them in a day or two. It’s a never ending cycle of disappointment and heartache, but Sam has attachment issues. I don’t see him letting anyone get close.

I find the girl he whistled at and grin. Layla walks through the screen door of Mom’s pool, arms clasped in front of her, a beautiful, yet timid smile on her face.

I hold my hands out and pull Layla into a hug, lifting her off her feet. She smells good. Like strawberries and cream. She throws her head back, a laugh leaving her perfect lips. Setting her back on her feet, I reach up and cradle her face in my hands. I kiss her until my lungs burn and am forced to take a breath.

“You made it.”

“I told you I would.” She looks around, her gaze bouncing from one person to the next, taking in the two dozen people scattered about the patio. “This is a lot of people.”

I drop my arms and lace her fingers with mine. We walk away from the screen door and towards the beer pong table. “There’s normally not this many, but Bret hasn’t been home since August. Most of these guys are his friends.”

“And yours.” Layla waves and Hattie leaves Kelly by the pool to come say hi.

“Ahhh!” Hattie squeals. “I can’t believe you're gonna meet Sandy! She can’t stop talking about you. I swear, I don’t know who’s more excited you’re here tonight, me or her.”

She pulls Layla into a hug then reaches for her hand.

“Oh no.” I wrap my arms around Layla’s waist, refusing to lose her so early in the night. “She just got here. Go back to the friend you invited. I want some time with my girl. “

Layla

“Oh, my heavens. Is this her?” a woman squeals. She sets the bowl of potato salad she's fixing on the counter and pulls me in for a hug. Both arms wrap around me as she rocks me side to side. She sets her hands on my shoulders and pushes me back a few inches. “Let me get a good look at you, sugar.”

The woman is weary with wrinkles around her eyes as deep as the smile lines on her cheeks. Brown hair, the same shade as Josh’s, though much longer and pulled into a messy bun on her head. “Mercy me, Josh, she’s a beauty.”

Josh slips his arm around my waist, pulling me away from her. “Mom, quit. You’ll scare her off.”

“Oh, hush now, child. Darlin’, I’m Sandy Thomas. Most kids around here call me Sandy,” she says with a proud smile.