Page 26 of Rejected Heart (The Westwoods #5)

“No, she’s home now. Has been for a few days. She’s doing better now than she was the day I saw you, but it’s definitely been a bit challenging trying to adjust to things. She can’t be on her own at the moment.”

Questions lingered in her gaze, but Jules didn’t ask them. I had a feeling she was wondering what I was doing here if I was telling her the truth.

“My mom called her best friend over, and they kicked me out of the house,” I shared. “I’m actually not allowed to go back home for a few hours.”

Jules perked up. “Oh, well, grab a seat, and I’ll come over to chat with you for a bit.”

“I don’t want to interrupt or bother you.”

She waved her hand in the air dismissively. “Not at all. I’d love to talk to you. Plus, your first dessert is on the house. Want anything special?”

I hadn’t realized how much I missed her. Jules had every reason to hate me for how I left, and she didn’t. My heart warmed at the compassion she showed, and a smile tugged at the corners of my mouth. “Surprise me.”

A moment later, Jules sat down opposite me at the table, with a brownie for each of us.

“This looks amazing.”

“They’re one of my bestsellers. I think you’ll like it.”

I took a bite and immediately fell in love. They were intensely chocolate, so soft and gooey. The brownie looked like so many others I’d tasted in my life, but the richness and sweet flavor were unmatched. “This is the best thing I’ve ever tasted.”

A proud look washed over her. “Thank you.”

I didn’t hesitate to take another bite. “You’ve really outdone yourself, Jules. You should be proud.”

She shrugged. “I am, I guess. You know how much I love baking, so this never really feels like work for me.” Her eyes dropped to her lap momentarily, a heaviness filling the air around us. When she returned her attention to me, I could see the hesitancy lingering there. “What about you? ”

“Me?”

Jules nodded slowly, caution marring her features. “I just… Well, I know you’re here now because of the situation with your mom’s accident, but… Where have you been?”

A lump formed in my throat, and I attempted to swallow past it. “I’ve been living in New York City for the last eight years.”

“Wow. Are you… What are you doing there?”

I wanted to crawl under a table. Not necessarily because I was embarrassed by the work I did, but because it seemed like such a foolish reason to have left everything here to wind up where I did.

“I’m a Broadway box office manager,” I shared.

“Oh, how cool. How do you like it? Do you get to see the shows?”

I sent her a small smile. “The job is okay. There are aspects of it that I like. It took me some time to work my way up from being a ticket seller to where I am now. I enjoy the added responsibility that taps into my talent of being focused and organized, and the financial benefit of being the person in charge helps a lot with working in an expensive city. And I’ve seen the shows. They’re probably the best part of it.”

“It sounds amazing.”

Nodding, I confirmed, “Yeah, it’s okay. For the most part, I enjoy it. But I won’t pretend it’s everything I hoped to find when I moved to the city.”

A look of understanding washed over her expression, and I was convinced she had thoughts running through her mind that wanted to spill out. But Jules showed some restraint and kept those thoughts contained.

“So much has changed,” she murmured.

I didn’t hear any accusations in her tone, but I could read between the lines.

There was a level of sadness—perhaps frustration, too—about the lack of communication for all these years.

We’d been good friends, and I just walked away without a word.

It had led to both of us missing out on milestones in each other’s lives.

My shoulders fell with regret. “I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

“For the way I left,” I clarified. “I freaked out, and I just left. And I didn’t have direct contact with anyone besides my mom after I was gone.

It was something I felt I needed at the time.

Regardless of my reasons for going or how I now feel about my decision, there’s no question I could have handled it better.

I’m grateful to you for being so gracious when you have every reason to hate me. ”

In a move I hadn’t expected, Jules reached across the table and covered my hand with hers. She offered a reassuring squeeze. “I guess I should apologize, too.”

I blinked in surprise. “You think you should apologize to me? Why?”

“I freaked out a bit, too. And after I saw you the other day, I couldn’t keep it to myself,” she confessed. “I sort of told the whole family about running into you.”

I wondered if Jules knew that Liam had come to see me after she’d shared that news with them. Seeing how he felt about me now, I could only imagine how the rest of the family reacted to learning I was here for the next couple of months.

“It’s okay. I wouldn’t have wanted you to lie to them.”

“They miss you. Ivy was pretty bummed about it. In fact, if you have some time, I’m sure she’d love to see you before you leave. She handles everything at the hotel now, and I’m certain she’s still there.”

Was Jules purposely avoiding bringing up Liam?

It was probably for the best. And the truth was, I missed Ivy, too. I wasn’t as close with her as I had been with Jules, but we’d still gotten along really well. It would be nice to see her again. “You don’t think she’d mind?”

Jules smiled and shook her head. “Not at all. I think she’d be upset if she learned you stopped here, and she missed seeing you again.” Before I had the chance to respond, Jules lifted her gaze behind my head. “Oh, I have a customer. Can you excuse me?”

“It’s okay,” I said. “Go take care of whatever you need to. I’ll get out of your hair. I just wanted to see the place.”

“You don’t have to leave.”

Hearing the longing in her tone felt good. I loved that she had such grace for me, considering the things I’d done to hurt her and people she loved.

I stood at the same time as her. “It’s okay. I think I’ll take your word for it and stop over to see Ivy.”

“She’ll love that.” Jules stepped forward and wrapped her arms around me, hugging me tightly. “It was great to see you again, Layla. If you ever want to get together while you’re here helping your mom, just let me know. ”

I hugged her back. “I will. Congratulations, again, on the bakery. The brownie was delicious.”

Jules and I released our hold on one another, and after we said goodbye, I took off.

A few minutes later, I was walking through the front entrance of The Westwood Hotel.

Despite all the times I’d been in the hotel when I was a teenager celebrating with the Westwood family, the moment I walked through the front door, it felt different.

Not just like years had passed and things had been upgraded.

No.

I could feel Ivy’s personal touch on the place. Her organization and take-charge attitude were likely the reason the place seemed to be running like a well-oiled machine.

My eyes shot to the reception desk, and while there were two individuals behind it, Ivy was nowhere to be found. Perhaps she’d already left.

One of the employees made eye contact with me. “Hi. Can I help you?”

“Yes, I was curious if Ivy is still around?”

“She is. I think she’s down in one of the ballrooms. Let me call her and find out. Who can I tell her is here?”

“It’s Layla.”

“Okay. Give me one minute.”

While the front desk employee called Ivy, I took in the space.

Most people might not notice it, but I could see it.

Ivy was everywhere in just the entrance.

And her eye for design was featured in the furniture, chandeliers, flowers, and even the music.

She’d created the perfect ambience for the guests.

“Ivy said she’s finishing something up, but she’ll be down in just a few minutes. You can either grab a seat over there, or if you’d like to stop in at the hotel bar, I can let her know to find you there.”

The bar.

I could do that.

Maybe we could catch up over a drink if she had the time.

“I’ll head to the bar.”

“No problem. I’ll let her know.”

With that, I turned and made my way to the hotel bar. Until Ivy arrived, I’d grab a drink and do some people watching. And if nothing else, at least I could kill some time until I was able to head back home.

I walked down the hall and stepped through the doors into the bar. My eyes landed on the bartender, and my feet carried me that way. But I’d only taken three or four steps in that direction when I froze.

There he was.

On a barstool, his back rounded, and a drink in front of him, Liam sat there. It was like he had the weight of the world on his shoulders.

My heart ached to see him that way.

The fun-loving guy I’d known and fallen in love with was gone.

It had been eight years, though. So, I could only wonder what had happened to make him look that way.

I should have turned around and walked away .

But the conversation I’d had with my mom the day after Liam came to the store rang in my head. And considering she and Carmen had told me I wasn’t allowed home for a few hours, maybe I needed to use my time wisely.

The only question that remained was whether he’d want to hear anything I had to say.

There was only one way to find out.