Page 5 of The First Time

Why in the hell does he think that us spending a week alone together would bode well? Not to mention the weird feelings I’m having around her again.

“Why me? Why can’t you ask Avery or someone else like your mom?”

He sighs, the worry evident in his voice. “Avery can’t get off work for the week on this short of a notice, and my mom isn’t fond of that kind of travel. Plus, a week of just my mother is not a relaxing trip for Layla.”

Shit, he’s right. Her mom would drive her crazy. Still, I don’t see how I’m any better.

“Look, I appreciate that you trust me enough to ask, but I don’t think it’s a good idea. Have you even cleared it with Layla? There’s no way she would agree to this.”

He clears his throat. “We haven’t even told Layla that Charlotte can’t make it. We’re in panic mode. Charlotte wants to have a solution before she breaks the news to Layla.”

“Trust me, man. Layla would never get on that plane with me. I can promise you that.”

Charlotte whispers something that I can’t quite make out.

“Charlotte says she’ll take care of Layla. She promises she’ll be on board, even if she’s hesitant at first. That’s how much this trip means to Layla. Please, man.”

“What about work?” I ask, knowing what he’ll say next.

I work for Asher at his construction company. He likes to say we’re partners in the business, but it’s still his company. He makes the final decisions, even if he trusts most of my decisions.

“It’s covered. I’ve got you. Ian can take over for the week.”

There it is. Asher has everything figured out. I appreciate what he’s doing for his sister, but he doesn’t realize what our history is. He just thinks we annoy each other, that our personalities clash at times. No one knows our history.

I’m just about to tell him it’s a firm no when he throws a wrench in everything.

“If you don’t go, I’m going to have to resort to asking David. I know he’s our buddy, but I just think Layla would be more comfortable with you there. I don’t know why, but I do. Charlotte does, too.”

David. Alone with Layla in Italy for an entire week.

Fuck. That.

“David is not going. Absolutely not,” I growl into the phone a bit too forcefully.

I think I hear Charlotte chuckle in the background.

“Well, if you don’t go then…”

“I’ll go,” I cut him off, sounding a bit too intense.

“Really?” he asks hopefully. “You’ll do it?”

This is so fucking stupid. I know I shouldn’t agree to this, but the idea of Layla alone with David is too much for me to bear. How could I let her be alone with one of my best friends in one of the most romantic countries in the world? Over my dead body.

“Yeah, whatever. I’ll do it.”

“He’ll do it,” I hear Asher whisper to Charlotte.

“Oh my god! Thank you so much, Josh!” Charlotte shouts in the background.

‘Yeah, yeah, yeah. Just give me the details.”

As they spout off a bunch of details I won’t remember until they write them down or text them to me, a warning voice whispers in my head, telling me this is a bad idea.

I should heed the warning. I swallow hard as I try to hide the anger building in me for being put in this situation.

But there’s also a faint bit of excitement in the pit of my stomach. As much as I want to deny it, a week alone annoying the hell out of Layla sounds kind of fun.

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