Page 49 of Adoration: Isn't What It Seems (Love Isn't What It Seems 2)

“Daycare director or principal, or something like that,” I tried to explain to Layla. Brandon yawned at that moment and I got up to tuck him in.

“No,” Layla stood up. “Livy, you stay. I’ll tuck Brandon in. This is your night off.”

I glanced at my little boy and he nodded seriously.

“Ok,” I told him. “Give me a kiss, then.”

He came to me and hugged me tight and gave me a big, loud kiss on my cheek after which we all burst into laughter.

“Good night,” I whispered. “Dream of angels.”

With two of them gone upstairs, and me still sitting at the table alone with a glass of wine, I felt sorry for myself. Maybe I was going to end up being single and alone forever? Maybe I didn’t know how to let people in? It was not fair that people like Alexander and that damn Elizabeth had it all, while I couldn’t even get a date to show up.

I loved hanging out with friends, helping writers with their books, and getting them published. And now, all I did was work for Alexander Caldwell and take care of Brandon. Tonight was an exception, but my date stood me up.

While waiting for Layla, I walked over to the laundry room, pulled Brandon’s washed clothes out of the dryer, and laid them up for tomorrow. My mind was taunting me, making fun of me. While I had to wash clothes, clean house, and cook, I was sure Alexander Caldwell nor his date ever had to do any of it. I scolded myself. I wouldn’t have it any other way. Right now, Brandon was all that mattered.

Brandon and I were a great team, we were just a work in progress.No, I corrected myself; I was a work in progress, he was just perfect. He reminded me to grab dress shoes when I forgot, gave me hugs when I needed them, and we loved each other. That was all we needed.

I swallowed hard. I hoped I was good for him, and I was scared to death of hurting him or even worse, losing him.

Layla’s steps echoed on the stairs as she came down.

“Liberty,” she called out. “Where are you?”

“I’m in the laundry room,” I answered. “Folding clothes while tipsy.”

She showed up at the door of my laundry room. “Well, this is a sight.”

“Right?” I told her, just a tiny bit bitter. “Who would have ever thought I’d be the responsible one?”

“C’mon,” she urged me by grabbing me by my hand. “Let’s go work on that wine bottle. We could both use a break.”

We went into the kitchen, grabbed our wine glasses and bottle, and headed for the living room.

We made ourselves comfortable on the sofa and didn’t even bother turning on the television. Only light music in the background, and us sitting in the dimmed room. We sat there without talking, staring into space. I never thought that life would come to this, grippling with the loss of Mom to suicide, getting left at the alter, losing a sister and close friend, no career. I felt like I was in a limbo, failing at this thing people called life.

Life is full of punches,Lena would tell me.You just have to punch back.

Lewis Capaldi’s “Someone You Loved” played softly in the background, each word of the song was a stab to my heart.

“I miss them so much,” I whispered, either to Layla or myself, I wasn’t sure. “I just don’t know what to do.”

“Me too,” she added. “I was just thinking about them. I still can’t believe they are gone.”

“Some days the phone rings and I think it’ll be Lena,” I whispered my heart wrenching at the thought of them. “Or doorbell rings and for a fraction of a second, I expect to see them waltz in.”

We remained quiet, each one of us lost in our thoughts.

“How is work going?” she asked. “Besides the fact that you can’t stand your boss.”

“It’s not something I imagined myself doing,” I told her, disappointment in my voice. “I want to get back to the publishing business. I loved helping my mom with that stuff. Even Callen, it was probably the highlight of our relationship… bringing his publishing house back on its feet. Lena mentioned she wanted me to do this instead of you because Alexander was looking into acquiring a publishing house. But I haven’t seen him do anything with it. I’ve been trying to do some stuff at night, but after all day working for Alexander, I can’t seem to get going.”

“You call him Alexander?” she asked me, surprised.

“I guess in my head, but not to his face,” I told her quickly.

She frowned. “I thought you couldn’t stand him.”

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