Page 43 of Minor Trouble
Still unsure whether Seth had found Noah, I didn’t know what Lyla knew. “Was Noah there too?”
“I think so. Maddox didn’t say much, typical guy.” She changed the subject. “You want to get some coffee?”
My stomach was still doing knots, and I wasn’t sure whether I could keep anything down but getting out of the apartment would be good. “Sure. Where?”
We agreed to meet at the deli in the center of town in half an hour. I decided to get changed before I went. The Daisy Dukes and checked shirt combo had been for Seth’s benefit, although the scenario hadn’t panned out like I’d expected. I had a super quick shower, washing any evidence of last night off my body. Going back into my bedroom, I caught the faintest scent of Seth’s aftershave lingering in the air and sank down onto the rumpled bedsheets, memories of all the angry words we’d exchanged washing over me.
Why was I so upset after a one-night stand? It was clear after Seth’s reaction that’s all it meant to him.
Determined I shouldn’t wallow in what I couldn’t control, I stood up and grabbed a fresh pair of jeans out of my closet and paired them with a plain black T-shirt and a long grey cardigan. Shoving my feet into an old pair of white Converses, I shook my hair out of its ponytail and slicked on some lip gloss. My reflection stared back at me, confident and sure, neither of which I actually felt.
Lyla had already bagged us a table in the deli, which was thronged with Saturday morning shoppers grabbing brunch before heading to the market. She waved as I walked in, and I made my way over to her.
“Hi,” I said, sinking into the chair opposite her.
“You look well and truly fucked,” she replied, pushing a menu towards me.
My shoulders sagged. “I haven’t even told you what happened yet.”
“No. I mean you look like you’ve had a wild night of sex. You’re radiating.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks and I bit my lip. “You can tell?”
“We were sitting next to each other last night, and you seemed a bit, well, stiff? This morning, you’re all chilled and laid back.” Lyla looked through the menu. “Are you going to eat? Why am I even asking, you must be starving!”
I couldn’t tell whether the nauseous feeling was from all the stress of that morning or if Lyla was right, and I was actually hungry. I guessed we’d find out after I ordered pancakes with bacon and syrup and a bottomless coffee—the things I’d planned to make Seth and Noah for breakfast.
After the server brought our drinks, Lyla cradled her mug between her hands, elbows resting on the edge of the table. “What happened after you left last night?”
Stalling, I tipped some sweetener into my mug, stirring it until it dissolved. “We took Pepper home, then went back to my apartment to watch a movie.”
“That’s not all you did though, right?”
Slowly, I shook my head then gave her a quick overview of what happened next. She didn’t need to knowallthe details. “Then when he found out Noah was missing again, he totally flipped out and turned on me.”
Lyla’s mouth dropped open. “That doesn’t sound like Seth at all. He must have been really wound up about Noah.”
“I mean, I get the fact he’s new at being a dad, but he said some really horrible things. Like how we were a mistake, and he should never have gone there.” Even saying the words to Lyla made it hurt all over again.
The conversation paused while the server delivered our plates, my pancakes and Lyla’s acai bowl. I stared at my breakfast, unsure whether I could even take a bite. Cutting off the tiniest piece of pancake, I smothered it with syrup and popped it into my mouth. The sugar rush was exactly what I needed, and the minute it hit my stomach, I felt better.
“I don’t know if this will help, but Seth hasn’t exactly been much of a relationship person in the time I’ve known him. When he rocked up at the garage and Maddox offered him a job, he was so grateful he worked all the hours he could. Evenings, weekends, holidays. It even got to the point where Maddox told him to stop because they might not have enough work if he kept going like that. All during that time, Seth had the occasional date, the occasional adult sleepover, never anything serious. You’re the first person he’s had an actual connection with.”
I frowned. “But we’re not together.”
“The amount of time he’s spent with you, at school with Noah, bringing you to CC’s last night, is longer than he’s ever spent with any other woman.”
“Most of that is to do with Noah. He moved here, had trouble settling in at school. He needed my help.” I brushed off Lyla’s suggestion that Sethdidactually care for me.
“Think about it, Ainsley. Seth’s life has been turned upside down. All of a sudden, he has to be responsible for a son he barely knows. The kid’s moved across the country to be with his dad, his mom died, and he’s left behind all his friends. And who’s the person helping them both through this? You.” She waved a spoonful of fruit at me.
Lyla’s words made sense. I sipped my coffee. Even if I took just one of those things, it was a huge adjustment for both of them. “What should I do?”
“Hard though I know it will be, you have to wait. Maybe Seth will see sense, maybe he won’t. But I know Maddox will try to set him straight.” She took a swig of her own drink. “Because you and Seth? You’re made for each other.”
I trusted Lyla. Everything she’d said so far was completely genuine. There were no airs and graces—she simply told it how she saw it.
“Thanks, Lyla. I really appreciate this.”
