Page 26 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“I’ll keep them,” Layla announced as she bent down to get them, swinging them up in the air with both hands. “We are the same size.”

Alexander was next to the car, and his voice sounded strained as he reached his hand to grab my leg. Instantly as his hand touched my bare leg, my skin burned. “Get down, or I’ll pull you down and put you across my knee.”

He sounded like he meant it, but I was too drunk to notice because I giggled.

“I bet you’d like that. Cold and preppy Alexander Caldwell spanking an innocent girl,” I told him, trying to tug my leg back.

“You are not a girl.” His voice was deceptively calm and his hand on my leg seemingly relaxed. “And certainly not innocent.”

“I’m telling you, he’s probably mad because we stopped him from getting laid tonight,” Layla announced loudly. “Livy will sleep with you.”

“Stop pushing me,” I told her angrily. “And he’s not my type.”

“But you want to sleep with him,” Layla announced with certainty.

“Stop it you two,” Lena scolded us.

Just as I thought I was safe from Alexander, he tugged me and pulled me over. He easily caught me as I was falling off the roof of his car. In his arms, I wrapped my hands around his neck to hold on, leaning my body close to his. He might be a cold bastard, but his body was warm.

His driver was approaching and Alexander looked at him, his pants wet up to his knees.

“What the hell have you been doing?” he bellowed at him, holding me in his arms.

“That blonde one threw the keys into the pond,” he growled at Layla.

“You should catch better,” she responded nonchalantly, and turned back to me. “Livy, you should stop debating with yourself about sleeping with men. You are always overthinking everything. That’s how you lost Callen. You are actually scared; you are so scared of people leaving you that you keep them away. And then, they leave.”

I froze in Alexander’s arms, slowly turning my gaze to her. Her blue eyes were challenging me. That was shitty… cruel even. And it hurt to hear it. In my state, there was a lingering thought telling me she was right, but it hurt like hell. Layla could be such a bitch at times. I tried not to take it personally, but this comment was hard to swallow.

“That’s not fair,” Lena immediately took my side. “She doesn’t throw in your face that you sleep with any man, as long as he’s rich.”

Now Layla turned pale. I guess both of us had issues, but we handled them in opposite ways. Layla’s blue eyes locked with mine, and we just stared at each other. Layla had her own reasons to act the way she did. I guess we both had father issues we handled differently. Her father’s family hated her and her mother. And her mother saw too much of her dad in her. So she treated her with the hate she felt for her dad for abandoning her when she was pregnant with Layla.

“Let’s just go,” Lena sounded tired. She turned to Alexander, who still held me in his arms. “We are sorry for ruining your night,” she apologized softly to him. “We got out of hand.”

“Grab your friend, and let’s get out of here before the police squad turns up,” he told her and I moved to get out of his arms. “Oh, no, you don’t. You won’t cause any more trouble,” he muttered firmly.

“Whatever,” I told him, suddenly feeling low. Layla had a point, and I was scared of people leaving me. My father must not have wanted me. I failed my mother, and now, she was gone. I started moving past it with Callen and his easy going and caring manner. Then, he left me too.

We all got into the car, our wild and happy mood suddenly somber. I stared out of the window, my thoughts scattered.

Why did everyone leave me? How did people heal from being abandoned?

My father. Callen. Even my mother.

Memories of finding her body in a pool of her own blood. Her lifeless eyes staring into the dark nothingness. She had been a great mother, always there for us when we'd needed. But she left me... and I failed her.

So many questions haunted me after that day. How did I not see any of the signs? How did I miss them all? Did I push her over the edge? I kept asking about my father, I wanted to know who he was, why he wasn’t in our lives.

Looking back now, I could remember the sadness in her eyes every time I brought it up. Why couldn't I see it then?

The last time I’d seen her, she was upset, her eyes full of unshed tears.

Mom never cried.

I should have never missed the signs. She needed me and I was too selfish to see it, focused on finding out who my father was. The next time I saw her, she was dead. I shuddered at the memory.

The car came to a stop, and Layla reached for the door.

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