36. Layla
LAYLA
Things haven’t been great.
In fact, I’ve never gone this long without speaking to my Uncle Ben, and it’s been so bad that he hasn’t come in on Wednesdays to get his pies for his weekly card game with the boys.
He’s mad at me, I get it. I kept a secret from him for most of my life, with a boy he could never stand, but I didn’t think it’d drive him away this much.
Honestly, I guess I never expected the silent treatment, but more of him being on me constantly about changing my mind. So, this sort of reaction would’ve been the last one I would have bet on.
Nonetheless, I’ve been busy.
I’ve given Blake more responsibility, and he soaked that up like natural sun, but after day three, it started going straight to his head to the point where he began to tell me how to make pies.
Annoying would be the word I’d use to describe him in his new general manager position; however, I trust him with Buttercup however, it doesn’t leave a warm and fuzzy feeling in my chest.
“You have plans,” Adeline reminds me, stepping deeper into the kitchen to convince me. “We’ll be fine.”
“More than fine,” Blake tacks on. “The Kerrigan sisters are a great addition to the team.”
Adeline makes a face. “Since when? You’ve been nuthin’ but a pain in the—”
“General manager,” Blake reminds her with a sweet, fake cognition to his voice. “I said y’all are fine. So be fine, okay?”
“I can’t when ya keep hijacking the cash register for me to help out around here.”
“It’s not my fault that ya step away from it for long periods of time when—”
“It times out in ten minutes,” I retort because I’m starting to feel uneasy about this. “And, I dunno, I think maybe—”
“You’re takin’ those pies to your Uncle Ben, right?” Adeline points at them, and I nod.
“I was. Until y’all started reminding me that you don’t like each other and what’s going to happen when Everly is in school—”
“Nuthin’,” Blake assures me, handing one of the pies carefully to Adeline. “All will be well, Layla Jean. We promise. The bakery will run, and everyone will be happy.”
“I’ll come with you,” Adeline suggests. “You’ll need help with the pies.”
“I’m crashing my uncle’s card game, so I don’t know if you’re gonna want to come to this,” I tell her. “He’s already in a mood about…everything.”
Adeline doesn’t appear a bit deterred by that because she takes the other pie from Blake and patiently waits. “He loves me. It’ll be great.”
At least there’s that.
And maybe if he sees us move together, he’ll feel more at peace with it?
I don’t know.
I’m grasping at straws, but I need something to move. And if it’s forcing Briggs’s sisters on him, he’s only susceptible to so much, so it could work in my favor.
We’ll give it a shot, because I’m running out of time and he needs to come around.
Closing the fridge, Adeline follows me out back, and we start for my uncle’s card game.
“I never said sorry for rattin’ you out,” Adeline suddenly says before we hit the sidewalk, and I can settle into how I’m going to approach Uncle Ben.
My feet freeze, and I turn to face Adeline head-on because I don’t know, this isn’t exactly the time? I’m in my head, and the past is distracting right now.
“I was always rootin’ for you and Briggs,” she continues. “And I didn’t want anything to get in your way.”
“You should’ve started with my Uncle Ben,” I suggest. “Could’ve helped me in the long run.”
“There’s nothin’ I could’ve done to help you solve that problem. I could’ve made it worse.”
Probably.
However, it is what it is, and I don’t want to hold grudges like Uncle Ben apparently is doing.
“It’s all good,” I claim. “I was runnin’ away from problems I shouldn’t have.”
She gives me a warm smile. “So, we’re good then?”
“Yeah, we’re good.”
“Good.” She begins down the sidewalk. “Ya might be out a general manager, though, when ya get back. I might kill Blake and his big ole head.”
Great.
Let’s add murder to the list of things I’d need to resolve.