Distraction (Westbrook Series Book 1) (21 page)

Harry: Hi Gorgeous. Sorry, I haven't texted. I forgot to charge my phone before we left and stupid me left my charger at home. Anyway, I'm sorry I missed you. Kyle dropped me off at the store so I could pick up a new one before we left for the concert. I barely had time to even charge it at the mall before he came back. Anyway, I guess I'll see you after the concert, ok?

Me: You didn't tell me you were going to the concert. I thought we were going to hang out tonight.

Harry: I know, but then Kyle and I got these tickets from one of our fraternity brothers. You know how much I like Coldplay, right?

Me: You, Kyle, and my parents. So, who is all at the concert?

Harry: Ok, so don't be mad.

Me: Why would I be mad???

Harry: Georgia brought her friend so it's just the 4 of us, but it's not like a date or anything.

Me: Hmmm. Sounds like one to me.

Harry: No way. I swear I'm not into her at all. You're all I've been thinking about all day, all night. I mean she's pretty and nice, but Laila, she is not YOU. Nobody is. ;)

Me: Yeah, but you brought HER. Not ME.

Harry: I wish I could have brought you, but Kyle would have thought that was weird. I even tried to get out of going, but I sort of panicked when Kyle said, and these were his EXACT words, Laila. What are you going to do? Hang out with lil sis all night?

Me: Oh, but I thought you said that you LOVE Coldplay, Sam!

Harry: I do, but I'd rather be there with YOU. :)

Me: Doesn't sound like you tried all that hard to get out of it.

Harry: It was weird, Laila. I swear he could read it all over my face. If you could have seen the look he was giving me, you'd totally understand. I had to think really quick and act like I was interested in meeting Georgia's friend. Otherwise, he would have known that something was up. Are you mad?

Mad doesn't even begin to describe it. Is he really on a double date with another girl? What the hell? That is so completely not okay. In what universe does he think this situation would be acceptable? Do I really seem so pathetic that I would put up with having my boyfriend blow me off, and then go on a date with another girl?

I can't even find the words to respond.

Harry: Laila, please say something . . .

Me: Have fun with WHAT's HER NAME on your double date!!! Don't worry about having to hang out with me. I won't be here tonight when you get back. I'm staying over at Avery's.

Chapter Seventeen:
Like It or Not, Here I Am
 

I'm so angry that I throw my phone across the room.
Thank God
it's in a hard-shell case, because if it wasn’t, I'm sure the shattered pieces would be spread across the hardwood floor. I hope Avery doesn't mind me being a third wheel tonight after all. I race upstairs, and start shoving clothes into my backpack. I shoot Avery a quick text before leaving, but I don't wait for her response.

"Like it or not, here I am," I think to myself, as I pull up to the curb. The moment I spot Trevor's sparkling clean, silver Mustang parked out front, my heart sputters wildly. I haven't seen or talked to him since Sunday. I haul my overnight bag over my shoulder and walk up to the porch. The front door finally swings open after my second round of knocking.

"Lays, I got your message. You seem pissed. What happened?" She holds the door open, and ushers me into the cool air conditioning. My face is probably a ruddy mess.

"Sam is a
pig
.
That
is what happened."

Her eyes are practically bulging out of their sockets. She motions for me to follow her downstairs, to the movie room in her basement.

"Do you have any alcohol?" I ask, with a mix of frustration and desperation in my voice.

"
Shhh
. My parents are home. We can probably sneak into the liquor cabinet later, but you have to keep your voice down," she whispers, while shaking her head.

"I'm sorry. I'm just so
angry
that I could literally scream at the top of my lungs, and it still wouldn't be loud enough." I toss my backpack across the armchair, and dramatically fall back onto the sofa.

"Okay, so he's a pig. What did he
do
to earn that title, Laila?" she asks, while folding her legs Criss-Cross Applesauce. She is facing me with her shoulders squared, and her back straight. With perfect posture, she places both of her hands gently on my shoulders, as if to calm me down. She waits patiently, as I attempt to slow my breathing.

"Who's the pig?” The sound of his voice startles me. I almost forgot that Avery and I aren't alone. His amazing scent fills the room, causing my heart to skip. We both turn around to look at him.

Trevor's face is so full of concern; even I have to admit he might genuinely be worried about me. Just hearing his soft, deep voice sends the butterflies into a massive frenzy. He settles down in the love seat adjacent to us, and waits for me to answer. His eyebrows remain furrowed, as if they are cemented this way. My eyes flicker down to his chest. He is wearing a black, slightly fitted t-shirt with plaid shorts. His tan seems darker than it did earlier this week, making me wonder if he spent time at the hotel swimming pool. When I imagine his bare chest sweating under the burning sun, I almost have to fan myself.
What did he ask me again?

"Sam is. You know, Laila's boyfriend? But I don't know
why
yet," Avery answers for me.

I look at Avery, then Trevor, and then back at Avery again. I'm not sure this is something I'm willing to share with him. As if she is reading my mind, Avery stands up. "We're going upstairs to get some popcorn, Trevor. We'll be back. The Xbox is over there if you want to play."

Trevor seems annoyed with us for leaving, but he doesn't say anything. He just sighs and shakes his head.
Excuse me for not wanting to share the details of this very private situation with you. Irritating Trevor enters stage left. What happened to the sweet, soulful Trevor, whom I haven't been able to get out of my head all week?

We are only upstairs for about twenty minutes. I tell her all about Sam's text messages and the double date. I've been so mad at Sam up to this point, that I didn't realize just how hurt I am until I started saying it all out loud. Despite my best efforts to keep the tears from spilling, they seem to have their own plans. Before I know it, my tear-streaked cheeks are burning, and my eyes are stinging and swollen from crying so much.

Avery is her usual amazing self, offering me tissue after tissue between hugs. She doesn't say much, but listens and nods at all of the pertinent moments. She knows me well enough to wait to tell me anything that I wouldn't want to hear right now.

I also know her well enough to know that the reason she is being so quiet is because she wants to defend Sam in some way, shape, or form. Even though she hasn't said anything yet, it upsets me. I know it's not fair, but I can't help it.
What in the world could she possibly have to say in his defense?

Before I can make her spit it out, we are interrupted by the sound of soft knocking. Trevor is standing at the top of the stairs, waiting hesitantly with my purse in his hands.

"Hey guys. Sorry to bother you, but Laila? Your phone is going
bat-shit crazy
. It rang a bunch of times. You must have gotten like ten text messages just since you came up here."

Trevor looks really worried about me. It's stupid, but knowing how concerned he is makes the corners of my mouth curl up ever so slightly. He raises his eyebrows, as if to ask us if it is okay to come any closer. I force a smile, while waving him over.

"I didn't know if maybe someone was trying to get ahold of you?" He says this more like a question, as he hands me my purse.

I remove my phone, and sure enough, there are eight text messages and five missed calls from Sam.
Now his phone suddenly works
.
Interesting
.

"There is definitely someone trying to get ahold of me, but
he
happens to be the last person on earth that I want to talk to right now."

I shut down my phone completely so I won't have to hear it, before throwing it back into my purse. Avery dabs my cheeks gently with tissue, and squeezes my shoulders to remind me she is here for me.

Trevor keeps glancing at me, as if he is debating with himself whether or not he should say anything. He looks down and scratches his head. Then, he looks right at me, and asks, "Are you okay, Laila?"

I just shake my head, while a fresh stream of hot tears rush down my face. I bury my face in my hands so he can't see just how broken I am right now. I'm so far gone that I can't even keep it together in front of Trevor.

"Laila, no guy is worth your time if he is making you feel like
this
."

I am so shocked by his words that I have to pry my fingers away from my sopping wet face and look at him. He is biting his lip nervously, probably bracing himself, in case I snap at him. For some reason, I don't want to rip his head off, like I normally would when he is being nosy. I guess I can just tell that he really means what he is saying. The fact that he cares means so much more to me than he could possibly know. Everything about Trevor seems to mean more to me than it should. This scares the hell out of me.

"You're probably right." These are the only words I could string together in my alphabet-soup mind.

I know that Avery is standing right here, but I can't help but stare deeply into his hypnotic, emerald eyes. For some reason when I look into them, I feel like everything is going to be okay. His gaze does not falter, either. We stay this way for a while, with our eyes locked, as if we are having a silent conversation. When the timer on the microwave beeps, I jump a little. I shut my eyelids hard, wishing that I could keep my thoughts about Trevor out.

"Well, I know you probably don't want to hear it, Laila, but I don't think Sam was trying to hurt you." Avery's voice is calm, but sincere.

Are we really here already?
I was sure I had another ten, maybe even fifteen minutes, before she would unleash her opinion. I take a deep breath and open my eyes slowly. I have my eyes fixed on Avery, the bag of popcorn, the bowl she is pouring it into, or really anything else I can find that isn't Trevor.

"Why do you think that?" I try to keep my voice calm. However, I can tell by Avery's reaction, I may have sounded angrier than I had hoped.

"Lays, you
know
how much I love you. You also
know
that as your best friend, I will
always
tell you the truth.
Good
or
bad
, like it or
not
, I will
always
be honest with you."

She sets the bowl of popcorn down onto the table. She curls her legs up onto the chair, wraps her arms around them, and rests her chin on her knees.

The three of us are all sitting around the kitchen table, discussing the details of my love life. The fact that Trevor is here doesn't even seem to bother me anymore. He has this calming effect on me, which I am desperately craving right now. Plus, I could use another person who will be on my side, when the firing between Avery and me starts.

She looks at me and nods her head to the side toward Trevor, as if to ask me if it’s okay for her to continue talking with him still in the room. I nod reluctantly, dreading what is about to come out of her mouth more than the fact that Trevor will hear it.

"Okay, first of all, Sam and you have decided to keep your relationship a secret, right?" she asks.

"For the time being, yes," I snap back at her.
She already knows this
.
I'm not sure what saying it out loud proves
.

"Well, from what you've told me, it sounds like Sam is doing his best to keep up that facade," she continues.

"By going out on a date with another girl? You can't be
serious
, Avery," I shout.
What on earth is she thinking?

"He went out on a date with someone else?" Trevor asks with a look of horror on his face.

"Not a
real
date. It was a double date that Kyle's girlfriend, or whatever she is, arranged. He even tried to get out of."

I cannot believe Avery is defending him
.

"I'm
sorry
, but the guy didn't try hard enough if he is
on the date
." Trevor crosses his arms, and shakes his head in disgust.

"Thank you, Trevor. That is
exactly
what I thought," I say with a smug look on my face, as I wait for Avery to reply.

"Yeah, but he thought your brother was on to him. So, he panicked. What did you say Kyle said, Laila? Something like,
What are you going to do? Hang out with my little sister all night?
I mean,
come on
. Sam about
shit a brick
when Kyle said that. I'm sure Kyle was looking at him strangely because it was written all over his face. He
literally
panicked, Laila. He didn't know what else to do. He texted you from the concert, and he's been calling and texting you all night. I don't think he's worried about what his date thinks right now, if he is trying so hard to get ahold of you to make sure you're okay. He's worried about
you
."

Avery is good and she means well, but
thank God
for Trevor
.

"So, let me get this straight. The guy
waits
to tell her about it until
after
he is already on the date?" Trevor's eyes are huge. He scratches his head again. "I don't know. That's pretty low, Avery. I don't care if he panicked or not. He
should
have called Laila right away, and told her what happened."

He shakes his head again. "Even then, I still think he should have figured out a way to tell Kyle he wasn't going. There is no way in hell I'd be going out with anyone else, if
I
had a girlfriend. He's an
idiot
to screw things up with you, Laila. A
fucking moron
, if you ask me."

Hearing Trevor come to my defense like this makes my heart flutter.

"Nobody
is perfect, Trevor. The guy is clearly
head over heels
for Laila. He
screwed
up. I'm not saying he shouldn't suffer a little for his mistakes, but I
don't
think it's worth
ending
her relationship over. Laila, just ice him out a little. Stay here tonight. You can even stay here tomorrow if you want."

"Thanks." I had already planned on staying, even though I didn't formally ask her permission.

"Don't go home until after he goes back to school. Let him sweat it out, and when you're ready, call him. Just see what the guy has to say. Hear him out and
then
decide what you want to do. You haven't even talked to him about it. Everything he said was through text messages. When you hear each other's voice, I
guarantee
you will feel differently about all of this."

"Which is yet
another
reason he is a complete
ass
, and doesn't deserve for her to waste another thought on him." Trevor is glaring at Avery, as he retorts through clenched teeth.