Page 31 of Rejected Heart (The Westwoods #5)

LAYLA

“I was wrong.”

Like she could read my mind, my mom said the words that I’d had rattling around in my mind for hours now. Days, even.

It was morning, though later than typical for us, and we’d just finished going through our new morning routine of getting my mom bathed and dressed before we made our way downstairs to have breakfast. Without being able to bear weight on her leg yet, we tried to limit her trips on the stairs to first thing in the morning and last thing in the evening.

We’d fallen into this routine since she’d been released from the hospital, but we’d both slept in this morning.

With Carmen stopping over to visit with her yesterday, my mom had spent more time awake and laughing.

It had been great for her soul and spirit, but it wore her out.

As for me, it had taken much longer than usual to fall asleep last night.

I’d come home, crawled into bed, and replayed my night with Liam over and over in my mind.

It was safe to say I’d had plenty of thoughts as I tossed and turned, and there was no question I’d wondered about the mistakes I’d made, particularly when it came to Liam.

And for my mom to tell me that she was wrong, I immediately worried she knew what had happened last night and regretted her decision to push me out the door for hours.

As I sat on the opposite end of the couch from her, I looked in her direction. “What are you talking about? Wrong about what?”

Sadness and a hint of defeat washed over her expression.

“I thought I was doing a good thing for you yesterday. I had hoped you were going to wake up feeling refreshed and energized after having a night out to yourself. But it seems the opposite is the case. It’s like you’ve got the weight of the world resting on your shoulders.

I’m sorry about how my accident has taken such a toll on you. ”

Guilt cut through me like a knife. I hadn’t realized I’d been wearing my feelings on my face, and I certainly hadn’t intended for my mom to think that she was a burden to me.

“I’m not upset about your accident. I mean, obviously, I’m upset you were so severely injured, but I’m not mad about being here to take care of you. ”

“But I can see that you’re struggling, and it’s worse than it was before you went out last night,” she reasoned. “What did you wind up doing, anyway? ”

Apparently, when I’d arrived home last night, neither my mom nor Carmen had noticed anything was wrong. Then again, I’d prepared myself before even walking into the house, forcing a bright smile on my face, and even insisting I’d had a great night.

Technically, I hadn’t been lying.

Of course, I saw the questions lingering in their expressions. I hadn’t stayed out all hours of the night, returning home by just a few minutes before eleven, but I’d been gone longer than the three hours they’d insisted upon from the beginning.

I’d wound up having a better night than I could have hoped for.

It was spectacular. The problem was all that came after when realizing what I’d done.

Because as much as I enjoyed myself with Liam, there was no doubt we’d skipped over a few steps.

And as I laid in bed beside him last night, I asked myself question after question about why I’d done what I’d done, especially when I knew how badly he was hurting.

Had I taken advantage of his vulnerability? Had I used the love he had for me to avoid telling him the things he deserved to hear?

It was safe to say I was disgusted with myself and the decisions I’d made once again. Why he’d even be willing to do what he had with me last night was a mystery to me.

Now that I was still so caught up and confused about things with Liam, the last thing I wanted to do was share the details of my evening with my mom.

I held her gaze, hesitating, not wanting to get my mom’s hopes up.

Because it was almost a guarantee that if she knew I’d seen Liam last night, she’d be ecstatic.

And while I understood why and couldn’t have wanted for more in a perfect scenario, there were far too many unknowns when it came to him.

So, I inhaled deeply and considered my options for sharing with her. Maybe I could turn my mood around while talking about the things that had happened before I ran into Liam. Maybe that would be enough to satisfy my mom’s curiosity.

“I went to see Jules.”

She blinked in surprise. “You did?”

Nodding, I explained, “When she saw me outside the consignment shop, she’d urged me to come visit at Westwood’s, so I could see her new bakery.”

“Was she surprised to see you?”

I smiled. Evidently, there wasn’t much I was going to be able to get past my mom. “Just as surprised as I was that I’d driven myself there.”

She returned a knowing smile. “I’m proud of you for that. So, you got to see her bakery?”

“Yes. And honestly, I can’t wait until you’re feeling better and able to walk around on that leg, because you need to check it out. She treated me to a brownie, and it was easily the best thing I’ve tasted in years, possibly forever.”

“Jules always was a wonderful baker, if I remember correctly.”

“Her talent is unmatched,” I agreed. “And the bakery itself is perfect for her. Cooper built it, which is the sweetest thing. It’s not too big, and judging by the very few treats left when I arrived, it’s obvious she’s doing well there.”

I was smiling, feeling genuinely happy, and had felt my spirits lift a touch. But apparently, that wasn’t enough.

“That’s excellent. I’ll look forward to checking it out when the doctor clears me for a bit more activity. By then, I’m sure I’ll be ready to get out of the house for a while. So, did you spend all your time out with Jules, then?”

My mother was no fool. She probably already knew the answer and just wanted me to admit the truth to her.

I shook my head. “No. I did visit with her for a while, but at her suggestion, I made my way over to The Westwood Hotel. Ivy is the one in charge of it now, and after Jules had mentioned days earlier that she’d run into me out in town, apparently Ivy had been bummed she hadn’t had the opportunity to catch up with me. ”

“Ivy’s running the hotel now?” The disbelief in her tone was undeniable.

“It’s crazy, isn’t it? I still haven’t quite wrapped my head around how much has changed since the last time I was on the Westwood’s campus. I mean, Jules was still in high school at the time, and Ivy was in college. They’ve both come such a long way.”

As soon as I’d gotten the words out, I felt something squeeze in my chest. I’d been working my tail off in hopes of finding similar success, but it hadn’t happened for me.

I’d run off to the big city expecting big things, and none of my dreams had come true.

I’d failed miserably, in more ways than one.

“I can’t tell you how happy I am to hear that you are still on such good terms with that family.”

Warmth moved through me. I couldn’t deny that they’d had every reason to never want to speak to me again, and yet, they were beyond gracious. “It’s been so lovely and unexpected, that’s for sure.”

I watched as a questioning look flitted through my mom’s expression, but she quickly recovered. Whatever she’d been thinking, she didn’t share. Instead, she asked, “Are they married?”

The question caught me off guard. “I… I don’t know.”

“They didn’t mention it?”

Shaking my head as I pursed my lips, I explained, “Well, Jules didn’t. And I don’t recall seeing a ring on her finger. But I’m not sure about Ivy. I didn’t get a chance to see her.”

“Oh? Why not? I thought you said you went to the hotel after visiting with Jules.”

Damn it.

It seemed I might not have any choice in sharing the truth about Liam.

“I did. I went to the hotel to see her. And not for nothing, but the place looks incredible. Obviously, I always thought it was luxurious and grand, but Ivy’s added a level of elegance and opulence that wasn’t there before. The place is stunning.”

“I remember going there for a party once. It was breathtaking back then, so I can only imagine what it must be like now.”

“I should have taken some pictures to show you.”

“So, what happened with Ivy? Was she not there?”

“She was. But when I arrived, she was busy finishing up something in the ballroom and had a member of her staff tell me to wait for her in the hotel bar,” I explained.

My mom’s expression twisted with confusion. “So, you did see her?”

I pressed my lips together. How long could I remain silent? “Not exactly.”

“I don’t understand.”

Several options for breaking the news to my mom ran through my mind, but none of them felt right. How could I tell her about what happened without artificially lifting her spirits?

I parted my lips several times in hopes of offering an explanation, but nothing came out. And just when I thought I had something figured out, the doorbell rang.

Saved by the bell.

I sent my mom a curious look as I got up off the couch. “I wonder who that is.”

Relief swept through me as I made my way to the door. With any luck, this would be just enough of a distraction that I’d get out of the conversation with my mom and wouldn’t need to get her hopes up, only to disappoint her later.

But when I made it to the door and looked out one of the small windows that ran along the side of it, I gasped.

Every muscle in my body tightened as I took in the sight of Liam standing there, looking as handsome as ever. But as wonderful as he looked, I couldn’t miss the hint of annoyance in his expression when his eyes met mine.

I bit the corner of my lip and opened the door. “Liam?”

“You left me,” he clipped. “Twice now, you’ve left me.”

My stomach dropped.

I’d considered how wise it was for me to leave the way I had last night. But it had gotten late, and I panicked. If I had woken him up, I suspected a conversation would have ensued. And with needing to get back home, I figured it was best to just leave.