Page 40 of Rebel Heart
“Yeah, by, like, two years. That’s hardly an age gap.”
A collective silence fell over the group, enough that we got a few odd looks from the pool again. The guys weren’t going to intrude, but I didn’t doubt they had at least a dozen questions swirling between them.
Skye broke the silence. “The hopeless romantic in me wants to believe the best about this situation, so I want to lean on the same side as Ava in suggesting that you respond and see what he has to say for himself. But before I can do that, there’s one thing bugging me. I hateto ask this, but do you think he took advantage of the situation, of you being so much younger?”
For all that I hated about how things went down in the end with Beau, I could honestly admit that was never a concern. “No. No, if anything, he had reservations about there being nine years between us.”
“I say you call him.”
“What about you, Layla? You’ve been very quiet this whole time,” Rhea noted.
A small smile formed on Layla’s face before she turned her sympathetic eyes my way. “My heart wants you to be happy, however that comes. I don’t think anyone here can deny that love is messy. Relationships are so hard. And from what I’ve learned from the rest of the ladies here, nobody’s flawless. We’ve all made mistakes, particularly when it comes to love. But if we’re keeping score, I made the worst one of all.”
Ivy said, “Jules didn’t do anything wrong here, though.”
Warmth flooded my body at the way my sister was so quick to defend me, to go to battle for me. I didn’t know what I’d do without her in my life.
“I agree.” Layla reached her hand out and took hold of mine, offering a reassuring squeeze. “But I am thankful every day that Liam had the capacity to forgive me the way he did, that he was willing to look past the horrible decision I made when I got scared, so we could wind up here. For someone to tell you that they don’t believe in love, there’s got to be some deep-seated hurt there. Maybe he needs some grace and understanding just like I did.Yes, it’s possible he’s a complete jerk. And don’t get me wrong, I’m so angry he wasn’t upfront with you in the beginning. If he really is only looking for one thing, you’re absolutely right to walk away. But coming from someone who didn’t try for years, I can’t tell you how much it says, how important I think it is, that he’s been trying since the day you told him to leave, even if he hasn’t yet said what you want him to say.”
A tear escaped and rolled down my cheek. Had I been too harsh?
Before I could respond, Wyatt’s voice cut in. “What’s going on here?”
Six sad and stunned faces snapped up in his direction and found five concerned ones staring back.
“It’s nothing, Wyatt.”
“I’d say it’s something,” Marco interjected. “My wife’s in tears.”
“So is Jules,” Cooper pointed out.
“Cooper, don’t push this,” Skye urged him. “In fact, maybe it’s time for Lily to eat. Would you mind getting her for me?”
I didn’t want to cause any tension between my siblings and their spouses, so I opened my mouth to explain, and everything spilled out. “It’s me, guys. I met someone, thought things were going one way, and recently learned I was wrong. That’s it.”
“Who is it?”
Shaking my head, I answered, “You don’t know him.”
“Where did you meet him?”
“It doesn’t matter.”
“What did he do to you?”
It was a wonder I didn’t get whiplash from how my head was bouncing back and forth among my brothers as they made their demands to know more.
Deflecting their questions hadn’t been about not sharing with them. It was mostly about not wanting to relive the story once more. Ivy, like always, had my back. “His name is Beau. He’s a professional skateboarder, she met him at Westwood’s when he walked up to her bakery, and he’s thirty-four.”
“I’m sorry. Did you say he’s thirty-four?” Tate clipped.
“I did.”
“I’m going to kill him,” Wyatt muttered, receiving a round of nods from the men beside him.
“Wait. No,” I begged. “It’s not like that. He didn’t do anything wrong.”
“You’re clearly upset, and I’m not going to stand for someone thinking they can treat my sister like that.”
