Page 35 of The Playboy’s Playbook

Chapter Thirty

LAILA

A m I stupid for agreeing to go to Luke’s house? Maybe. Am I stupid for agreeing to go to Luke’s house and be alone with Matthew? Definitely.

I texted Erica once I got to my car and she flipped her shit. She threatened to slap some sense into me because apparently all the work I’ve been doing has “fucked with my brain functions.”

She might be right, but I couldn’t tell the boys no. Not after they ran to me and practically cried tears of joy the moment they were in my arms. The feeling’s mutual because I’ve missed them so much.

I exit my car and let Nola out of her carrier, holding her as I cut across the driveway to the front porch. Clay and Jen run up to me and hug my legs just as tightly as they did at the park. I smile softly at Matthew and he returns it.

If I didn’t know what a true Matthew smile looks like, I wouldn’t have known that this smile is half-assed and full of sadness. He nods his head and I follow him toward the front door.

“Boys, start on your homework. If you need my help, come get me. Laila…Auntie Lala and I will be in the living room,” Matthew says as we enter Luke’s house.

Clay and Jen reluctantly let go and sprint off to their room to work on their homework. I set Nola down and her little legs scamper across the floor as she follows the boys.

I haven’t been to Luke’s house since Clay’s birthday last year and while everything feels familiar, it also feels foreign being here again.

There’s more pictures of Clay and Jen. I pick one up and smile at them in their Halloween costumes.

I’m assuming it would be from last year since it wasn’t here when I first came by.

Clay is dressed in his seashell costume and Jen is a construction worker. They’re smiling so hard, their eyes are practically shut.

Luke is standing next to Clay with a shark headband on while Matthew is kneeling next to Jen dressed in his own construction gear. My eyes zero in on Matthew and I can see that his eyes are void of emotion, but he’s trying to be happy for the boys’ sake.

“Do you want something to drink?” Matthew asks as I sit on the furthest side of the couch. I shake my head and look at my hands. I don’t feel as chatty like I was in the park and I know Matthew can tell.

“How have you been?” Matthew asks. I finally look over at him and see that he’s already looking at me.

“I’ve been –” I pause for a moment, considering my words. I haven’t been good, I haven’t been fine, and I sure as hell haven’t been great or happy. “I’ve been okay. How have you been?”

“I’ve been okay,” Matthew says. He leans forward and places his arms on his knees. “I honestly didn’t think I’d see you in person again. I thought I’d be relegated to seeing you on the nightly news.”

I chuckle. “You watch the news?”

Matthew smiles. “The boys would watch, too. They rush to get showered and in their pajamas just to sit and watch the entire broadcast for the chance of seeing you.”

I close my eyes and turn my head away, saying a prayer to not cry. “I’ve missed them. Seeing them today…I didn’t think they were real for a moment because of how much they’ve grown. I mean Clay is getting so tall and Jen is still the same bubbly kid, but he can form full sentences now.”

Matthew nods his head. “Yeah, they’re something else. They’ve missed you. Luke will never admit it because he’s a grumpy old man, but he’s missed you, too” Matthew stops and looks at his hands and begins fiddling with them nervously.

He wants to say more, but he remains silent before taking in a deep breath before continuing. “Are you going to the reunion this weekend?”

In the fuss of today’s events, I completely forgot that our graduating class planned to have an “almost ten year” class reunion picnic this weekend. The timing of my mom’s trip is impeccable, I swear.

“Uh, yeah. Are you going?” I ask, staring at him intently. Before he can answer, Clay runs down the stairs and into my legs, Jen and Nola not too far behind him.

“Are you mad at Uncle Matty?” Clay asks, catching me off guard.

“What do you mean, Boots?” I ask, trying to keep my voice level.

“It’s just…when you and Uncle Matty see each other, you always hug and kiss, but you didn’t. And you’ve been gone for a really long time, so you have to be mad with Uncle Matty,” Clay explains.

“I can kick him!” Jen exclaims, fully prepared to send a strong kick to Matthew’s shin.

“Jensen Dean Turner, you better not,” Matthew says sternly, causing Jen to pout.

“Boys,” I sigh and pull Clay and Jen into my lap, holding them close. “Uncle Matty and I had an argument. Do you know what that means?”

“It means that you had a fight because Uncle Matty was stupid,” Jen says, causing me to chuckle.

“Stupid is an ugly word, Jensen. Daddy told us not to say that,” Clay reprimands his brother.

“Daddy said not to say it in front of Uncle Matty. He calls Uncle Matty stupid all the time,” Jen says matter-of-factly.

“Remind me that when I call your dad later tonight, he and I are gonna have a long discussion on what he says about me around you two,” Matthews says pointedly before glancing back in my direction.

“Uncle Matty made a very stupid mistake with Auntie Lala. She’s mad with me right now, but that doesn’t mean she doesn’t love you boys. ”

“Exactly! I love you two and have missed you so much. Just because Uncle Matty and I aren’t friends doesn’t change us. Okay?”

I look at both of the boys on my lap and they nod their heads. I pull them closer into a tight hug and feel tears prick the back of my eyes. I look over at Matthew and he looks equally pained watching our interaction.

Against my better judgment, I hold out my hand and gesture for him to move closer and join our huddle. Matthew hesitates for a second before he slides over to us, wrapping the boys and I in his arms. Nola, not wanting to miss out on the attention, hops onto the couch and lays on Matthew’s lap.

For a moment, I forget we’ve had no contact for a year. For a moment, it feels normal for us to be in each other’s arms, cuddling Nola and the boys.

But eventually the moment will end and we’ll return to reality.