Kellan
Chapter Twenty-Five
Layla had once said cancer was the wake-up call to set her priorities straight.
It turned out her fight against cancer had become a wake-up call for me too.
I now realized my petty grudge was exactly that.
Petty. So, I’d finally reached out to Brandon and was ready to meet him in person.
Eight days after the wedding debacle, I waited for him at a local sports bar in Northgate on a Sunday night.
He arrived dressed similar to me in jeans and a button-down shirt. He murmured hello to me before turning to the waitress who was already walking up. “I’ll have a Stella, please.”
Mine was already sitting in front of me. “Thanks for agreeing to meet me here.”
His somber brown eyes met mine. “Thanks for reaching out with the text message.”
He smiled for the waitress who delivered his beverage, and then we both sat in awkward silence.
After a moment, he spoke. “How is Layla feeling?”
“She’s good. Chemo takes a lot out of her, but she’s strong.”
“You’d never know from meeting her last weekend that she’s going through treatment. She must be a trooper.”
My grin couldn’t be helped. “She is indeed. I owe you an apology for the way I acted last Saturday. I was way out of line.”
He shook his head. “After all these years, I should’ve been more sensitive about talking to any woman who was your girlfriend. Especially the first time we saw one another again. If anyone owes someone an apology, it’s me. I only hope this meeting might mean you’re ready to accept it.”
My gaze met his. My best friend, my cousin, my partner in crime for so many years. It felt as if a weight was finally being lifted that I’d been carrying around forever. “It’s years overdue. I accept.”
He seemed to let out a breath he’d been holding. “You don’t know how much it means to me.”
Over our beer, we caught up. Brandon was currently single, busy working at his dad’s business, and appeared to have workaholic tendencies similar to my own.
I told him about my stint in Boston but left out a lot about my current business.
After all, he was still the competition.
And I was fiercely protective of my fledgling company.
“How did you and Layla meet?”
“Funny story.” I proceeded to tell him some of the details of Russ calling in reinforcements. By the end of it, we’d switched from beer to whiskey.
“I can’t believe Carly actually thought you’d give her another chance.”
“Me neither. Can I ask you something?” It was a question I’d had on my mind for years.
“Of course. Anything.”
“After everything happened that night, did you two date?”
He looked shocked. “No. I wouldn’t have anything to do with her. Not to rehash, but I’d been drinking. I seriously thought it was my ex who’d come over. After it happened, I was so angry she’d caused this between us, I wouldn’t speak to her at all.”
I was certain somewhere down the line he’d already given me the same explanation, but hearing it now, I could actually hear it. And believe him. The story made clear how much damage she’d caused between us, and for what? I found it didn’t matter any longer.
He lifted his shot glass to mine. “Cheers to the past. May you never have to see her again.”
I clinked mine to his. “Yeah, well.” I tipped back the amber liquid, letting it burn my throat.
“What do you mean? She’s not still bothering you, is she?”
Although I was willing to accept his apology and leave things in the past, I found myself reserved about sharing the present. I didn’t care to reveal I was renovating Carly’s parents’ house. “No. She’s definitely in the past.”
I should’ve gone home, but by the end of the night with Brandon, there was only one place I wanted to be. With Layla.
I called her from the road. It was almost ten o’clock in the evening, so I hoped I wasn’t waking her. Since she was one week post-chemo, I knew she wasn’t at her best. But she picked up on the first ring.
“Hello.”
“Hi, you. How you feeling?”
“Okay. How was it with Brandon?”
“Good, but I missed you tonight. Okay if I come by?”
“Of course. I’ll see you soon.”
I let myself in when I arrived, smiling at her sitting on the couch. She hadn’t bothered putting on makeup or anything fancier than her comfortable sweats. But it also appeared as if she’d lost a few pounds. I would need to work—subtly—on getting her to eat more calories.
“Hi, beautiful.”
“Hi, handsome. So, it went well?”
I took a seat next to her on the sofa and settled her legs over my lap. I’d told her last night I’d contacted Brandon. She’d clearly been pleased. “It did go well. I gave him a long-overdue acceptance of his apology, and he was gracious enough to accept mine about Saturday night.”
“How did it feel?”
“Like a weight was lifted. You were right. The thing that hurt the most out of that whole debacle was losing his friendship.”
“I’m really glad you reached out to him.”
“It’s thanks to you, really.”
“Me?”
“Yeah. Life is too short to hold grudges. And I got to thinking. All roads, even the shitty ones, got me here to you. Nothing else matters. Especially not anything surrounding a college ex-girlfriend who I no longer care about. I may not have wanted to drive this particular road, but in the end, I’m grateful it directed me to you. ”
She wiped the tears from her face.
“Whoa, I didn’t mean to make you cry.”
“I know. But you can’t say those sweet words a week post-chemo and expect I won’t get emotional.”
“Fair enough. How you feeling?”
“Stronger each day. My hair is hanging in there, which is giving me hope I won’t lose it.”
“That’s good.” From what I’d read, losing hair was a common side effect of chemo. But since she wasn’t experiencing every single side effect, perhaps she’d be lucky. “What did you eat tonight?”
“Crackers and some yogurt.”
It wasn’t enough, yet I knew her teeth were sensitive. “How about for dinner tomorrow I go pick up the clam chowder you love so much?”
She sighed with contentment as I massaged her feet. “Sounds good. Hey, is Carly still showing up at the jobsite all the time? Bringing your guys breakfast and lunch?”
I quirked my head to the side, trying to figure out where she was going with this. “Yeah. She is.” Even though I ignored her, she always found reasons to be there. Since I was over halfway through with the job, though, I had little choice but to put up with it.
“What if I wanted to stop by and bring breakfast or lunch?”
I was surprised but made it very clear. “You’re always welcome. Anytime.”
“You do realize you’re encouraging the crazy in me, right?”
“It’s my way of saying I’m not hiding anything. I absolutely have no problem with everyone knowing you’re part of my life.”
“I prefer the title of girlfriend. You okay with that?”
“The real kind, right? Not the fake kind?”
She laughed as I hoped she would. “As real as it gets.”
The next morning, an unfamiliar car pulled up to the jobsite. Then I realized it wasn’t unfamiliar at all.
Layla stepped out of her white car like a supermodel, wearing a long red dress with a gold belt around the middle.
Her hair was up in a high ponytail. The gold sandals and jewelry complemented her classy look.
And in her hands as she walked up was a box.
It appeared to be full of food bags. I was down the steps and outside to help her in a flash, but I couldn’t get there as quickly as Jack, who’d already been outside.
She beamed at the younger kid. “Hi, Jack. Nice to see you again.”
He blushed crimson. “Hi. Yeah, you, too, Layla.”
“Hi,” I greeted, all smiles.
“Hi yourself. Hope this isn’t an interruption, but I thought I’d bring all your guys breakfast.”
I had to hold my amusement inside, especially when the white Range Rover pulled in. “It’s never an interruption where you’re concerned. Especially if you’re bringing breakfast sandwiches.”
Jack passed them out to everyone.
“Would you buy that I’m here this morning because I was curious to see where you work? Not because I’m the least bit territorial over you?”
I pulled her to me, hardly believing this woman was in the middle of cancer treatments.
Instead, she looked like she’d stepped off a runway.
“Nope. But I’ll pretend I believe that if it makes you feel better, my non-fake girlfriend.
” She giggled, and I kissed her then. Gently, since she was only one week post chemo.
A familiar zing went sailing through me.
As I pulled away, well aware we had an audience, I gave her a special smile. I was gone for this girl. Completely.
Carly wasted no time in interrupting. “What is she doing here when you’re on the clock?”
An answer was on the tip of my tongue, but Layla turned around, providing one first. “She has a name. I’m Layla. You must be Carly.”
Carly didn’t know what to make of the introduction. She was dressed casually in a summer dress and heels, but didn’t hold a candle to the woman in front of me. “I am. This is my house he’s renovating.”
“Huh, here I thought it was your mother and stepfather’s. It looks great. Love the view. Anyhow, I thought I’d come by to drop off breakfast and coffee.”
“You have coffee, too?” I asked.
“Yep, in the car. Want to help me with it?”
“Would love to.”
I walked away with Layla, not sparing a glance toward Carly.
Layla loaded me up with the two containers of coffee while she grabbed the cups.
“How did you find the address?” I asked.
“Looked it up. You did say you didn’t mind the crazy?”
There it was, the sliver of insecurity. I set the coffee jugs on top of her car and caged her against the doors. “And I meant it. You’re welcome here any time.”
“Oh, yeah?”
“Yeah. And you look incredible.”
“Luckily, my hair is still cooperating with me thus far.”
Although it was hard to picture her without it, I knew my feelings for her went way deeper than her external beauty. “What do you think about driving up to the San Juan Islands during your next window? We can get a place for the night.”
A smile curved her lips. “Sounds amazing. Then again, I’d say the same if you took me to Target.”
“You’re so high-maintenance.”
She threw her head back and laughed. “I save that for the bedroom. Now then, I’d better let you get back to work.”
I glanced back at the house, realizing most of the guys had stopped what they were doing to eat. Carly was on the porch, clearly pissed. “I’m glad you came by.”
“Me too.”
“I have a meeting with a potential new client tonight, but I’ll bring you that clam chowder afterward?” Business was already lining up as a result of my current job.
“How about tomorrow night instead? I know it’s already a long day for you.”
“Sounds good.” My lips dropped to hers for one final peck goodbye.
Carly was in a huff when I went up the steps. “I’m not paying you to play kissy-face with your girlfriend on the job.”
“You’re not the one paying me at all. And I don’t work on an hourly basis. My fee is project-based.”
“Well, make sure you don’t go falling behind.”
I turned to face her while trying to tamp down on my irritation. “Don’t threaten me.”
She turned red. “I could shut this entire thing down.”
“Actually, you can’t. There’s something called a contract. There’s nothing wrong with the work being done here that’s in breach of it. If you’d like, I’ll call your stepfather to confirm that.”
We’d reached a stalemate. One she must’ve realized wouldn’t go in her favor if I made the call. So, she took another approach. Tears.
“I’m sorry, Kellan. It was tough for me to see you with her. I’d hoped— I hoped maybe we had a chance.”
“We don’t. Even without Layla in the picture. But I hope we can be civil to one another while my team does an amazing renovation on your parents’ house.”
She wiped her eyes. “I don’t have much choice, do I? I, um, should go. I’m sure hanging around here every day makes me pathetic.”
“I wouldn’t use that word, but I do think you not being here every day would be for the best.”
She sighed. “Your girlfriend is very beautiful.”
“I think so, too. I’m going to get back to work now. Take care, Carly.”
It felt good to be done with this chapter and put it permanently in the past.