Chapter 19
Chapter Nineteen
Layla
O nce again, it seemed I would spend the evening alone. I didn’t bother cooking anything. It wasn’t worth it for one person. I buttered a few pieces of toast and carried my gourmet dinner out to the back patio. The sun had set an hour earlier, but the cool coastal breeze hadn’t settled in yet to drop the temperatures. Heat still radiated in soft billowy puffs off the sand below.
My phone beeped with a text. I hadn’t spoken to Emily since she called me at work and basically accused me of having something going with Nash. This whole thing had really pushed her overboard, and I wasn’t in the mood to talk to her right now. I hoped she’d come to her senses soon because I missed having my best friend around, especially lately, when I was feeling mostly abandoned by my sisters.
The text was from Ella. “I’ll be home late. Rhett and I just started a movie.”
“That’s fine. Have fun.” I put the phone down and picked up my sorry slice of toast. I crunched away on it as I gazed out at the cove. The moon hadn’t shown up yet to crease the rippling surface with its usual streak of gold, so the water was inky-black. When we were younger, we’d always go for a swim when the moon was full. The sand would be almost blindingly white on those nights, and the moon showered the dark, choppy tide with glittering light. It always felt way different and more exciting than swimming in the daylight. There were shards of light everywhere, but the sea itself was still black beneath the surface, so we’d giggle with nerves, thinking about what might be down there, below that rugged surface, creatures and monsters we couldn’t see. Those same creatures and monsters would, of course, disappear once the sun was back in the sky, but we loved to shriek and scream about all the wildly tentacled possibilities during our night swims.
I was halfway through my very uninspiring dinner when I heard a guitar playing quietly next door. Nash must have had the same idea as me and gone out to his back patio. I sat there for a few minutes listening to him play a song I’d never heard before. It was a good melody, one that was mostly rock and roll and a bit country. It made me sway back and forth as I nibbled my toast. The toast crunching was drowning out the music, so I put it down on the plate and turned my ear that direction. He hummed along with the tune. Even his humming was rich and soothing. I could have easily walked around our cottage and over to his side and out to his patio, but the terrible conversation with Emily splashed through my head. It was ridiculous really, since we had nothing but a neighborly friendship. Nash had certainly never said or done anything to make me think he was interested, and I’d turned those thoughts off myself because of Emily. I sat back and listened to the guitar for a few more minutes, then stood up. My feet moved in that direction before my brain knew what was happening.
Rocky hopped up first. Nash had been focused on his playing. He turned to see what had gotten Rocky’s attention. His white smile was bright under the dim patio light.
Nash put down the guitar.
“No, don’t stop. I walked over so I could hear it better.”
“That’s all right. I’m sort of composed out for the night.”
I sat down on one of the patio chairs. “It’s an original? I thought as much. I really like it.”
“Yeah? Great to hear. It’s just something I’ve been messing with.”
Rocky came over to sit next to me. I raked my fingers through the curly fur on his head. “I thought he might be sleeping already after our big walk.”
Nash always smiled when he looked at his dog. “Nah, he waits for me to go to bed, but he’s definitely much more tired in the afternoon when I get home. I’m sorry if he scared you today. Not sure what got into him. Like I said, he does that at night sometimes, but not usually on a walk.”
“Maybe he saw a cat or something,” I said.
“Yeah, but there’s something else, isn’t there? You don’t look convinced by the cat theory, but I sense that it really bothered you.”
I shook my head. “It’s nothing really. I don’t want to make a big thing about it.”
Nash sat forward and placed his forearms on his thighs. “What happened, Layla?”
I hadn’t mentioned the rose to anyone, but it was still there in the back of my mind, bothering me. “After I dropped Rocky back home, I crossed over to my house. Someone had left a red rose on my bike seat.”
“An admirer?” he asked, then his face smoothed in comprehension. “It’s him, isn’t it? Dustin?”
“I think so. I’m not sure who else would have put it there.”
“Do you think he was following you on the walk?” His jaw and shoulders tightened.
“No,” I said too abruptly. “I have no proof of that. It was just an unsettling afternoon, which really saddens me because I look so forward to my walks with Rocky.”
“Aw, Layla, I’m sorry that happened.”
The look on his face was so genuine with concern, my throat tightened. I forced a smile. “Not your fault and I’m not worried about it.”
“If you need me to talk to him,” he started, but I shook my head.
“I don’t need to bother you with my troubles. I’m sure you’ve got plenty of your own to deal with.”
He smiled weakly. “Is it that obvious?”
“Let’s just say you give a whole different vibe when you’re on stage, but tonight as you hummed along with your guitar, you sounded sad. Anything I can do or say that will help?”
He stared at the ocean. The moon had just started to paint the water with its glow, and that same unearthly glow was reflected in his eyes. “There’s been nothing official yet, but actually, it might be nice to talk about it with someone other than my band. Can you keep a secret?”
I smiled. “Each of my sisters would have a different answer for that, but I’d say yes, I can. Especially when in service of a friend.”
“I’m glad we’re friends, Layla.” Nash looked at me. “Moonstone is breaking up. It’s only just starting to hit me. We’ve been together for a long time, so not playing together is going to leave a pretty big hole in my life.”
Naturally, my first thought was to call Emily with the news. It would be devastating for her, but Nash had asked me to keep it to myself, and I would do exactly that. “Oh wow, Nash, I didn’t see that coming. What happened?”
Nash relaxed back on the chair and shrugged. “It was more or less an expected ending. We were starting to grow apart, and the enthusiasm, the thrill that came with playing in a band and gaining followers had begun wearing off. We had an opportunity for a European tour, but I couldn’t leave the states because of my mom and sister. I told them to go on without me, but the tour was for the whole Moonstone band.”
“You mean, they didn’t want the band without Nash Ledger,” I said.
“I guess, and that didn’t help the rift that was growing between Bosco and me. But tonight, for the first time in a few years, we talked. Not like bandmates but like high school best friends. It was nice, actually. We grew up together, and we were close like brothers.”
Immediately I thought about Emily and how much we’d shared together growing up. Memories that were irreplaceable and would have been entirely different if Emily hadn’t been part of them.
“I’m glad at least that rekindling of an old friendship came out of your decision to break up. Boy, there are going to be a lot of heartbroken fans out there, including my friend, Emily. Don’t worry, my lips are sealed.”
“I’m sure Ronnie will make a statement on social media after we finish up this gig at Comstock. I guess I’m still trying to get a grip on the whole thing. And here I am, coping by trying to write a song—for a band that will not exist next month.”
“No need to stop writing and singing and creating music. It’s good for the soul, I’m sure. And here I came and interrupted. I won’t bother you anymore. I know you were busy with your music. It’s just—I was feeling a little lonely and—” I got up, but he took hold of my hand before I could turn away.
Nash held my hand and stood up. I had to tilt my head back to look at him. He was quite the picture, standing on a shadowy back patio under the starlight.
“Layla, I’m just going to say it—I like you.” He chuckled and released my hand. “Well, that didn’t come out nearly as cool and suave as I hoped. Look, I just think, I think the two of us should get to know each other better. I’d really like that, but …” His words faded as he looked at my face. I realized then that was exactly what I wanted, only there was a very big, boisterous, daydream-filled impediment in my way. “That’s all right. I get it. You’re not interested, and you’re in the middle of trying to break free of a bad relationship, and here I am making a move. Not exactly smooth.”
This time I took his hand. “Getting to know you better sounds wonderful.”
“But? I sense there’s one of those coming.”
“My friend, Emily, she’d never forgive me.”
“Emily is not part of my life. She’s sweet, but we’re not ever going to be a couple. It’s you I want to get to know, you I want to spend more time with.”
I gazed up at him and could feel my heart breaking with each word. “You were just telling me about you and Bosco. Some friendships come with a lot more than just hanging out together occasionally on the weekend. Emily and I have a lot of history together, both good and bad. Emily would never forgive me and then I’d lose my best friend. I know, it sounds strange.” I released his hand, or he tugged his away first, I wasn’t entirely sure. “We’ve always been there for each other, and it feels, it feels like betrayal.”
“I get it, Layla. I’m not going to push the idea, but hey, if you decide you want to get to know me better—I’m all for it.”
“Thanks. Can I still take Rocky out on a walk tomorrow?”
“Oh man, that dog of mine. I need to learn his secret. Yes, of course. But are you sure? After what happened?—”
“I’m not going to hide in the house because Dustin couldn’t handle rejection. And maybe I’m wrong about all of it, and I have some other secret admirer who decided to leave me a rose.”
“That doesn’t sound far-fetched to me at all. Goodnight, Layla.”
“Goodnight, Nash.” I stopped and rubbed the top of Rocky’s head. “Goodnight handsome.”
Nash chuckled behind me as I headed across to the cottage.