Page 135 of Beautiful Thing

I spin around in a slow circle, appraising the damage. This is not good.

The main bedroom is the worst of the mess. I’ve never seen anything like it. Every inch of the floor is covered. And it’s several layers deep. Clothes. Shoes. Dingy towels. Trash. Dishes.

And the smell…Ack!

The girls came over to help me clean out my new house—I’ve decided we’re calling it that now; it sounds way better—so we can get the place ready for me and Sky to move back in.

I knew it would need some deep cleaning to make it livable again. But holy cow. I didn’t expect this.

“The aura is giving off some real funky vibes,” Ziggy mumbles. She turns around and starts opening all the windows in the house. I don’t stop her.

I just stare. “I actually don’t think this is Razor’s mess. He’s a slob, trust me. But this? None of this stuff is his.”

“Whoa. Seriously?” Inez questions. “This is all Janet’s crap?”

Ziggy is going around with a burning incense stick in each hand now, pungent smoke wafting all around the house. “I’m not one to girl-shame, but I have never seen a woman make this kind of mess. This is like, possession-type scary.”

“Maybe that’s not a baby in her belly? You ever seenAlien?” Karli chuckles.

“Okay now, be nice,” I scold them, holding back my own laughter. “We all know Razor’s not easy to live with. Plus, she’s likeverypregnant.”

“Umm,youused to live with Razor,” Karli argues. “And you’ve also been very pregnant. And I know for a fact that you did not live like a rabid animal. So, let’s not make excuses for the woman.”

“Okay. Fine,” I mumble. “I guess I can’t argue since you all are the ones helping me with this disaster.”

We spend most of our morning cleaning out Janet’s filth. We stuff everything into trash bags. Trash bags to take over to her parents house,notthrow in the nearest dumpster. I had to fight the girls on that one. Then, we divide and conquer the kitchen, the living room and the bathroom.

By the time we call it quits, the place is sparkling clean, and we’re all starving. I order a couple pizzas for delivery to thank the girls for their help. Though I think pizza hardly covers it. I couldn’t have done all this without them.

“Damn. It sure feels good to say that this is my home. My safe place.” I drop onto the couch and tuck my feet beneath me.

“Is it going to be weird moving out of Archer’s place, though?” Inez asks, grabbing a slice of all-dressed from the open box.

“Why would it be weird?” I ask, trying to act unbothered as I pull a green pepper slice off my pizza.

The girls all trade a look.

It’s Karli who speaks up. “Look, this thing between you and my brother might not have started out in a ‘traditional’ way, but we all see what you two have built together.”

“She’s right,” Ziggy chimes in. “The two of you are crazy about each other. You don’t have to be a psychic to see it.”

“And when Archer looks at you?” Inez fans herself. “The whole room catches on fire.”

“And he’s so good with Sky,” Ziggy adds.

“Right?” Karli agrees. “My brother is always such a grump to other people, but when your kid’s around, Archer is a whole different person. He just lights up at anything Sky says or does.”

My heart squeezes. Maybe they’re right about all of it. Or maybe Archer’s just a really good actor.

It felt so good when he claimed me as his woman to Razor. But he only did it to defend me. He didn’t mean it. He doesn’t mean any of this. Even if he thinks he does, he has no idea what he’d be getting himself into with me. All I’d bring to his life is chaos.

“He really is a catch. You really shouldn’t let that man get away from you, Layla,” Inez presses.

I sigh, dropping my half-eaten slice of pizza back in the empty box. “I’ve already considered all that. But it just won’t work.”

“Why not?” Inez questions.

“For starters, Archer is my best friend’s brother. I would hate to lose Karli if things went sour between her brother and me.”