Page 3 of James

“Oh, come on, Trey, now you can get back to your bachelor lifestyle,” I attempt a joke, but Trey just scowls at me, so I walk over and muss his black hair. “I’ll come back to visit, I promise, and you could always come visit us in Australia?”

Trey glances over at a sleeping Jye and sighs. “I’m gonna miss the little terror.”

“Hey! What about me?”

Trey smirks. “At least I won’t have to kick out all the men at the bar trying to put their grubby hands on you anymore.”

I roll my eyes, and puff out a long suffering sigh. “I’m gonna miss you, Trey,” I whisper.

“I know, Sash, I know,” he says as he rubs the stubble on his chin. His hazel eyes are still on Jye, almost as if he’s memorizing him.

“I hope his father knows how much he’s missed out on,” Trey mutters to himself. I swallow hard. Trey thinks that Jye’s father wasn’t interested in having a child. Layla and the rest of my family think I got pregnant by someone in Scotland. The whole thing is one huge cluster fuck.

I definitely have some explaining to do.

***

Layla is picking us up from the airport. I tried to get out of it. I told her my dad could come; I told her that Tee could, but no, Layla was determined to come and pick us up, so she is. I notice her the second I walk past the gate, standing by herself with a huge smile on her face. I relax when I don’t see Chase with her. Layla runs over to us and gives me a warm, welcoming hug.

“I’m so happy you’re home!” she says, her voice muffled in my hair.

“Thanks for coming to get us,” I tell her.

“Oh, you know it’s no problem. And you must be Jye,” she says as she crouches down on her knees so she’s at his level.

“Layla, there’s something…” I try to say before I’m cut off.

“Aren’t you handsome, Jye! You are just…” I gulp when she trails off. She looks up at me, and back down at Jye. “Oh, dear,” she says.

“Layla…” I start.

“Sasha! Why didn’t you tell me?” she demands in a hushed voice.

“Tell you what?” I ask her, playing stupid. I want to see if we’re talking about the same thing here.

I grimace when she pinches me. “He is the spitting image of James! Add a lip ring and blond hair and they would be twins!” she hisses, outraged. I can’t help but giggle at that mental picture.

“What's so funny?!” she asks as she picks Jye up into her arms and cuddles him.

“Nothing,” I mumble.

“I guess I’m his Aunty squared then.”

“Layla. I can explain,” I assure her.

“Please do. I want to know why you didn’t tell me, or anyone? Why didn’t you tell James? He's gonna be pissed. Definitely going to complicate things with his girlfriend,” Layla says that last bit to herself.

I gulp. I obviously learnt the hard way that James has women in his life, but hearing the term girlfriend in conjunction with him still hurts. Layla must see my expression because she rubs my back, comforting me.

“I shouldn’t be here, Layla. If James has a girlfriend, I don’t want to interrupt their lives. I’m taking Jye and going somewhere else,” I tell her, my mind made up. I turn around, about to walk to the ticket counter when I come face first with a wall. Okay, maybe not a wall. I cringe when I look up at Chase.

“Like hell you are,” Chase says, and if I were a lesser woman, I might have cowered at the iciness in his tone.

Layla gives me an apologetic look as Chase eyes me, then turns to Jye. Jye looks up and stares Chase down, taking a step closer to me and wrapping his arms around my leg. Chase chuckles.

“Definitely my nephew,” he says when Jye sticks his tongue out at him.

I sigh. “I can explain.”

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