Chapter 15
Payton
I stretch my arms in front of me and groan. Ugh, why did I drink so much last night? When I press my face into the pillow, a familiar sense assaults my senses—Rhyland. Why does my pillow smell like Rhy?
I quickly sit up and regret it immediately, clutching my head and begging the world to stop spinning. It’s then I realize I’m not in my room at all. I’m in Rhyland’s. How the hell did I get here?
Memories flash through my mind from the night before: waving to Rhyland and Gabby as I got into my Uber, the look on Nixon’s face when he learned I’m a mom, and dancing with Sara Beth.
Although everything after that is pretty fuzzy, I vaguely recall talking to Rhyland, but was that before or after I left?
And that still doesn’t explain how I got into his bed.
“Oh my God, Gabby.” I throw off the covers and rush into my bedroom. The crib is empty. Where is she?
I rush down the stairs in a panic, almost tripping over my own two feet. Where is my daughter? Where is Rhyland?
I’m on the verge of a literal breakdown as I enter the living room. The sight in front of me has me halting, and I try to catch my breath.
“Oh, good morning, sunshine. I was wondering when you were going to get up.” My mother sits on the couch, feeding Gabby a bottle.
“Mom, what are you doing here?”
I look around for Rhy. When I peek out the front window, his truck is no longer in the driveway.
“Well, imagine my surprise when I got a call from a very concerned Rhyland this morning, asking me to come over so he could go to work, and you were…” She clears her throat.
“A little under the weather.” She arches a brow, and I know she knows the truth that my “under the weather” was really the aftermath of a night of drinking.
My cheeks heat with embarrassment, and I walk over and plop down on the couch beside my mom.
“Good morning, sweet girl.” I press a quick kiss to Gabby. A sense of relief washes over me because she is safe.
“I’ve got things all set down here. Why don’t you go shower? You’re looking a little rough, deary.”
Her pointed look tells me it wasn’t a suggestion but a request. I press one more kiss to my daughter’s forehead before I head back upstairs to my room.
I find my purse and cell phone on the nightstand.
My phone is even on the charger. God, how did I get so lucky with this man?
I’m still curious how the hell I got into his bed. Did he sleep in there, too?
I find numerous missed calls and texts. There are a few texts in a group chat I have with my brothers, which I ignore, a text from Sara Beth apologizing for the shit show that was the double date she convinced me to go on, and the rest are from Rhy. Along with five missed calls from him.
Rhyland: I’m sorry I had to leave for work, but I called your mom to come take over watching Gabby. If I hadn’t already agreed to be here for the wine delivery for Ollie, I would have stayed.
Rhyland: I hope I didn’t overstep by calling your mom and asking for her to come over. Please don’t be mad.
Rhyland: Payton, are you awake?
Rhyland: I hope you are feeling okay.
Rhyland: I guess you’re still sleeping, but please call me when you get up.
As I read through his texts a second time, I can’t help but wonder if he’s for real or not.
He’s seriously apologizing for asking my mom to help because I wasn’t able to do my job and take care of my daughter.
Hanging my head in my hands, I’m regretting my decision to have gone out last night instead of being home with her, where I should have been, but there’s nothing I can do about it now.
I debate whether I should call him back or respond to his texts. Not wanting to bother him while at work, I decide to reach out via text.
Me: I’m alive…
Delete.
Me: I don’t know what I’d do without you …
Delete.
Ugh, this shouldn’t be that hard.
Me: I’m awake. Thank you for taking care of me and especially for taking care of Gabby. I’m not sure I can ever repay you for everything you’ve done.
I press Send before I allow myself to overthink it even further.
With that taken care of, I put my phone down.
Just before I leave the room to head to shower, my phone vibrates, and the photo I snapped of Rhy and Gabby the other night appears on the screen, showing that he’s calling me. Why is he calling me?
“He-hello?”
“Payton?”
I clear my throat. “Hey, yeah, I’m here.”
He lets out a sigh of relief, and it causes me to smile. “I’m sorry I didn’t respond to your text. I just—just—” He fumbles for words.
“Just what?”
“I just needed to hear your voice for myself.”
To avoid squealing at his swoon level, I press my lips together and fall back on the bed. Seriously, why is he so perfect?
“Sorry for the text, but I didn’t want to bother you at work. I’ve already caused enough of a headache.”
“Payton.” His voice is stern. “You didn’t cause anything. I’m just glad you’re up and moving.”
“Hmm, I don’t know that I’m ready to run a marathon or anything, but after I shower and run out to get an order of chicken nuggets, fries, and a fountain coke, I’ll be feeling human again.
” I know everyone has their go-to hangover meal—for some folks, it might be pho, others fried food.
For me, it’s a simple meal from my favorite fast-food restaurant, and the fountain soda is a must. I think the bubbles help calm my stomach.
“Can I ask you a question?” I chew on the tip of my thumb and hope that Rhyland can at least answer the one question that has been nagging at me since I woke up.
“Of course.”
“How did I end up in your bed last night?” Please don’t say I threw myself at him. That would just be the icing on the cake of embarrassment.
He chuckles. “I’m surprised that wasn’t the first thing you asked this morning.
I carried you to my bed after you passed out because you clearly needed to sleep it off, and I wasn’t sure that you could get up with Gabby if she had woken up.
So I put you in my bed, while I slept in yours and got up with Gabby this morning. ”
“Rhyland.” I try to fight back the tears at his selflessness. My restraint is too weak in my state, and a few tears fall.
“Please don’t cry, Pay. It’s fine.”
“I can’t help it. I’m a mess.”
“You’re not. You need to give yourself some grace.”
I wipe my tears. “I should go. I need to shower, eat, and spend some time with Gabby before my shift.”
“Actually, I spoke with Archer this morning, and we’ve got your shift covered. They were supposed to reach out to you this morning, but maybe neither had.”
Ahh, maybe I should have checked my group chat with them. If I weren’t so hungover and exhausted, I might give a damn, but I don’t.
“I’ll see you when I get home, okay?”
“Yep. Have a good day, Rhy. And thank you.”
“Don’t worry about it. Enjoy your day off, and give Gabby extra snuggles from me.”
I stare at my phone with a small smile on my face long after we’ve hung up.
After a quick blast through the shower, I toss my hair into a messy bun on top of my head and throw on a baggy sweatshirt over a sports bra and a pair of leggings.
It’s about as good as I’m going to get today.
At least it’s better than the reflection I saw in the mirror as soon as I walked into the bathroom before my shower.
Yikes! Hot mess express may have been putting it lightly.
Hopefully, Mom won’t mind if I run out to get food if I promise to get her something, too. It’s the least I can do. I really owe the people in my life everything.
“Hey, your food was just delivered. Perfect timing.” Mom points to the coffee table, where a brown bag with a familiar golden arch logo sits beside a large fountain coke.
“I didn’t order any food. In fact, I was just about to run out.” I follow my mother’s gaze to where a— Oh my God, he didn’t.
“Well, someone did. And someone who knew your go-to order.” My mother gives a knowing smirk before turning her gaze back to her granddaughter, who is sound asleep in her arms.
“Now, come on.” She tilts her head toward the food. “Sit down here and eat your food and tell me all about last night and how you got into this mess.”
I take a seat on the floor between her and the food. Before I dive in, I take a quick selfie of me and the bag of food and open my chat with the man I know is responsible for sending this.
Me: *selfie*
Me: It seems someone had my food delivered to save me the trip of going back out.
Me: And they even remembered my love of sweet and sour sauce.
Rhyland: Hmm, sounds like a nice guy or girl who sent it. Any idea who it was?
Me: Nope, not in the slightest, but if I did, I would tell him how amazing he is.
Rhyland: Good to know. Also, I wish I looked that good after a night of drinking.
Is he flirting with me? Out of the corner of my eye, I catch my mom watching me. “Seems someone’s got you smiling.”
Was I smiling? I set my phone down on the ground and decide it’s best to focus on my food and tell my mom about my night—that’s how much I’d rather avoid talking about Rhyland, especially with that glint in her eyes that tells me she knows.
Eventually, I convince my mom that I have a handle on things and to take advantage of the night off.
Gabby and I are lounging on the floor, her on her activity mat, while I’m lying on my side with my head propped up on my elbow.
“I’m sorry for being a bad mom today, sweet girl,” I confess, thankful that she’s too young to understand my guilt.
“But did you have fun with Rhyland last night and this morning? I hope you were a good girl for him. That man.” I sigh and bring my bottom lip between my teeth.
“They don’t make them like Rhyland Cole, do they? ”
She coos as she looks up at me as if I hang the moon.
“Do you like Rhy, too? Huh?” I bury my face in her neck with kisses, and her cooing escalates. I keep doing it, and she squirms like a wiggle worm. She lets out a little screech and takes a breath just as the best sound fills the room.
Pulling my head back, I stare at her. “Did you just giggle, sweet girl? Did you finally giggle for the first time?” Tears spill from my eyes as I keep getting her to giggle with my kisses. Her palms smack my cheeks, and I can’t help but join in her laughter.
Today has seriously gone from the worst day to the best. Grabbing my phone from the floor, I take a video of her giggling.
It’s not the best, but you can still hear it.
I add the photo to a new text thread, and my finger hovers over the top.
Before I type out my family’s name to send this video to, I realize there is one person I want to share this with first. I type out his name and press Send before diving back in and tickling Gabby, filling the house with the best sound ever.