Chapter 27
27
brIAR
“ T hree weeks from now, we have an event at the library,” Leo tells me as we get home. “I’ve already talked to my sister, who invited her friends, so I already got you a ticket for Zara. You’re all going shopping this weekend.”
“This Saturday?”
He gives me a look as he strips off his suit jacket, as if it’s the dumbest question ever. “What other day would you do it?”
“Sunday?”
“We’re playing at home on Sunday.”
I shrug. “Could still go shopping, Leo. Maybe the stores will be less crowded.”
He shakes his head, crossing his arms over his chest. I immediately have flashbacks to what he said at dinner. How he held firm in his belief that I’m a good mom, even going so far as to make me believe it for a moment. The way his biceps stretch the fabric within an inch of its life…
Snap out of it, Briar.
“You go to all the games though,” he says, his voice dropping slightly, and it occurs to me that he’s sad. The great Leo Warner is sad at the prospect of me not going to his game.
“I’m kidding Leo, of course I’m going to be there,” I assure him, slipping my boots off.
He leans against the end of the kitchen island and lets out a breath. “Okay, uh,” swiping his hand through his hair, Leo chews on his bottom lip. “You’ll have my card. So don’t worry about budgeting.”
“I—”
He shakes his head, cutting me off. “This is technically a work event, Sunny. I got it.”
Looking at my feet, I count the tiles between us, and I’m not quite sure why. Am I trying to make this talk last longer? What do I even say to that?
“Okay,” is what I decide on before heading toward my room, my boots in hand. It’s late, and I peek in to find Elara in her bed. Heidi had told me she was being put to bed, and she was going to hunker down in the guest room like usual.
“Briar?” Leo’s voice booms down the hall as he awkwardly stands by the stairs up to his room.
“Yeah?” I ask, my door half open.
“I had a great time tonight. Thank you for opening up.”
Heat rises up my neck as I look down, hiding behind my hair. “Thank you for dinner, Leo.”
I don’t tell him that I’m more confused than ever.
“You ready to go?” Isla asks as she barges into Leo’s apartment, her purse slung over her shoulder. She wears a pair of paint covered bootcut jeans and a black t-shirt, which happens to be typical of her.
Knowing I was going to be trying on a lot of clothes, I threw on a pair of leggings and an oversized Def Leppard t-shirt that thankfully survived my old place.
Old place? I shake the thought out of my head. I still pay the rent there. I could go back anytime I want.
I just haven’t yet.
Not even to visit.
“Uh, yeah just a second,” I tell her, putting away Elara’s things she had sprawled throughout the family room that morning. Since Heidi was going to be with us today, Leo had asked Emmett for his typical babysitter’s number. They arrived a bit ago and are currently on a walk with Elara and Champ. We had talked extensively Friday during the day, and she seems sweet. And besides, Emmett doesn’t allow most people around his daughter, so I know if they were approved by him, they were good.
It's later in the afternoon, and Leo would be home in a couple of hours anyways, right before turning right back around and going to the hotel the guys are required to stay at before the game tomorrow.
Grabbing my purse from the couch, I meet Isla at the door, ready to go.
“What type of event is this?” I ask, sifting through the gowns on the rack in front of me. It occurred to me as we arrived that I hadn’t actually asked a lot of questions.
“It’s a fundraiser supporting schools in the city that Leo’s organization puts on every year.” Isla tells me, pulling a green dress out from the others for closer examination. “It wasn’t held last year because there were some complications with finding a venue, and I think he just donated out of his own pocket. But this year it’s going to be at the library. ”
I pause, looking up at Isla. “The George Peabody Library?”
She hums a yes before putting the dress back. “Super fancy. Very fun.”
I wonder why he didn’t make a big deal about it. If he was the one hosting it.
“So I need something really fancy,” I state.
“Yeah.”
It’s then that I see Mila, Heidi, and Amara walk through the door, smiles on their faces, iced coffees in their hands. Isla waves them over, and I shoot them a friendly smile.
“Okay, there are some really great ones over there,” Isla points toward the right side of the store, ready to get going. “Heidi, there’s a really pretty green one toward the front that I could totally see you wearing.”
Heidi smiles, her eyes growing wide as she turns to go look for it, passing Zara on her way in.
“Izara! Oh my god, there was this gorgeous baby blue dress in the back that I think would look amazing on you,” Isla continues as she directs people on where to go. I keep looking, not finding anything.
It’s been a long time since I’ve dressed up, especially in anything particularly fancy. The familiar feeling of melancholy settles over me.
It’s not that I miss my old life. It’s not that I miss Tony. It’s that I miss what could have been. What it was supposed to be. And I’ve realized through the years of therapy that it’s okay to feel this way.
“Briar!” Isla calls from across the store. I look up, finding her holding a beautiful white and blue gown over her head. “You need to try this on!”
And with a deep breath, I do just that. Ignoring all the other dresses, I decide to trust Isla with this one.
“My brother is going to lose his shit when he sees you in this,” she mutters as she hands it to me .
My brows furrow. “Why would he do that?”
Her eyes widen as a smirk stretches across her lips. “Just a feeling.”
And as much as I want to tell her that I don’t want him to feel that way looking at me, I’d be a liar.
A huge liar.
Because deep down I want to be looked at like that even once. Like I was something to be treasured. Like I was the only woman in the world.
And as much as I wish I was desperate enough to say I want to feel that from anyone, and that I’ll settle for a stranger off the street, I know that’s not true, either.
But I’m not about to think about that too hard, much less admit it to his sister.
Taking the dress into the back, I find a fitting room next to Zara. Mila is still out looking for a dress, and Heidi is busy in front of the wide mirror, twirling in her beautiful green A-line dress covered in flowers. It ties in a large bow in the back, and although some people may consider it a bit much, I can tell by the look in Heidi’s eye that she’s in love with it.
Getting settled in, I strip off my clothes, pushing down the desire for Leo to be outside like the last time I was trying on clothes.
Stepping into the dress, I pull it up, slipping the thick straps over my shoulders. The back would need to be pulled in just a little, but otherwise it looks perfect.
The bustier top covers everything, leaving only a tasteful amount of cleavage while the skirt bellows out. The white fabric is sturdy and thick, and the blue flowers detailing it are absolutely stunning. The straps tie at the top of my shoulders, and when I spin, the dress fans out around me.
It’s perfect.
Stepping out, I find Isla with a black dress in her arms, waiting for a fitting room. Her green eyes instantly light up the second she spots me, and a wide smile envelopes her face as she starts nodding. “That’s the one, Briar.”
I get home around seven o’clock at night, after dinner and drinks with the girls. I’m tired and a little cranky, which is only heightened by the fact that Leo is definitely not home. I’m past the point of self-reflection, and I refuse to think about why that irks me so much.
“Elara?” I call as I shut the door, setting my bags down and rolling my shoulders.
There’s some noise from down the hall and the sound of a puppy’s toenails clacking against the floor, and before I know it there’s a furry little beast jumping at me.
“Down, Champ,” I tell her, placing my palm out. Although I adore her excitement, I don’t need her making it a habit and doing it to someone who hates it. It reminds me to enroll her in puppy training next week.
Elara comes around the corner too, a large, very suspicious grin on her face. I stop, looking at her. “What’s going on?”
“Why would anything be going on?” she asks, her hands behind her back as she sways.
“When did Leo leave?”
“Like ten minutes ago.”
Leo had let the babysitter go when he got home, thinking we’d see each other. When he had to go, he asked if Elara could stay by herself for a few minutes, and I told him that was fine.
She’s been by herself before for short amounts of time, and she’s a smart kid. I told him to tell her to stay in her room with Champ until I was home .
“Okay,” I tell her, looking around. “What’s behind your back, Elara?”
She pops her hip, tilting her head to the right and shimmies her shoulders. “I have something to give you.”
Nervous, I gesture for her to spit it out.
“I was told to first show you something else.”
Without another word, Elara turns and skips down the hall to the office, and I follow after her, confused.
But when she pushes open the door, my heart stops.
This isn’t what the office usually looks like. Not at all.
Because everything was cleared out of it. The desk was replaced by a longer desk and nicer chair. A large, expensive looking monitor sits in the middle, a vase of flowers next to it. In the middle of the room sits a table with photography equipment all around it, and a brand new camera.
And most importantly, on the far wall sits a line of vinyl’s, each one brand new versions of several of my favorites that were smashed back home.
“What is this?” I whisper, walking in further.
“Leo said Uncle Owen told him about your cookbook. He wanted you to have a place to work on it.”
Uncle Owen is going to get his ass kicked.
“This—”
“—is awesome!” Elara yells, skipping around the room. “Mom! You have an office here!”
I had an office before he redid it though, too.
“And you can finish your book, and you could publish it. And then you can be a famous chef!” she nearly yells.
I don’t have the heart to tell her that there’s going to be nothing famous about me. It’s not that kind of cooking.
Before I can say anything else, Elara takes my hand, leading me out of the room.
“We need to go downstairs for the next one,” she tells me, pulling me along .
We put on our shoes, heading out the door. She leads me to the elevators and down to the garage.
And right outside, right next to my old beat up Ford, is a giant truck with a big red bow on it.
Elara places something in my hand, curling my fingers around it. “He said that you needed something more reliable to bring me to school in,” she nearly whispers, knowing that if there was one thing I’d freak out over, it’s this.
I love my little rust bucket.
“I—”
“Mom, take a breath. You haven’t in like, two minutes.”
I take a breath, pressing the button to unlock the car.
Because in front of me sits a Grand Wagoneer.
“Oh!” Elara says, following me as I get a closer look. “Leo said to tell you he knows you’re going to look up the price. He said to tell you not to.”
Like that would stop me.
Opening the drivers-side door, I admire the tan interior and the wide screen in the middle of the console.
“Isn’t it cool?” Elara asks, yanking open a door and climbing into the back.
“Be careful Elara, we can’t keep this.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s expensive Bub. We can’t afford this.”
“Leo said you’d tell me that. He said to tell you to read that note.” She points to a small envelope sitting on the console, and I pick it up, my breathing labored.
Sunny is scrawled across it in messy handwriting. Opening it, I find a letter written on printer paper.
I know you’re going to hate this, and I know you’re going to want to bring it back. But I’m thankful for everything you’ve been doing for me and feel terrible that you’re stuck with me. I want you to be comfortable, and I think you deserve these things. Please consider keeping them.
Le o
I sit there for a few minutes longer, no thoughts flowing through my brain as I feel the leather under my fingertips. Is this for an article? Is there something going on that I need to know about?
Taking out my phone, I shoot him a text.
Did you get in trouble again? Do I need to tell anyone about this?
His response is almost immediate.
Pretty Boy
What do you mean?
Leo this car. I can’t accept it.
We can talk about it tomorrow night, Sunny.
I leave it alone, deciding to let myself stew for a bit before ripping his head off.