Somebody to Hold (Tyler Jamison #2) - April Wilson Page 0,82
he raises his arms to be picked up.
“You want some hair gel, too?” Cooper asks.
Luke squeals excitedly as he tries to grab the tube.
“Is it okay with mama?” Cooper asks Beth.
She laughs. “Sure, go for it. I’m about to wash his hair anyway.”
Cooper sits Luke on Sam’s lap and applies gel to the hair on top of the baby’s head, spiking the strands.
As Sam steps off the stool, holding Luke in his arms, Cooper turns his gaze to me. “You’re next.” He motions toward the stool. “Want a haircut? I can trim your undercut.”
I laugh. “No, thanks. I’m good.”
Shane walks into the bathroom. “Sounds like I’m missing out on all the fun.”
“Dada,” Luke squeals as he reaches for his father.
As Shane takes the baby in his arms, Luke shows off his spiked hair.
“I see that,” Shane says. “You look amazing.”
“All right, young man. It’s time for your bath,” Beth says.
“I’ll take care of it,” Shane says to Beth. “You go put your feet up and rest, sweetheart.”
After the haircuts are over, and we kiss Luke goodnight, Sam and I end up in the home theater, where we watch Terminator.
“I don’t blame Sarah Connor,” I say when she finally hooks up with Kyle Reese. “Growing up, I had such a crush on him. What about you? Who was your teenage crush?”
Sam ponders my question for a moment before he says, “You know the movie Avatar? Remember the soldier who was in charge?” Sam says with a grin.
“You mean the gray-haired guy with a scar? The bad guy?”
“Yeah, he’s the one.” Sam laughs. “I guess I have a thing for silver foxes.”
“I should think so since you have one of your own.”
Sam grins. “Damn right I do.”
We call it quits after the first Terminator movie. It’s getting late, and I’m tired. My lack of sleep last night is catching up with me.
After taking a long shower, I put on my flannel PJ bottoms and a T-shirt of Tyler’s that I brought with me, and head to the kitchen for something to drink.
The apartment is pretty quiet now, with most of the lights off. The only light I see is coming from the kitchen. As I approach, I hear quiet voices.
“Are you sure, sweetheart?” That sounds like Shane. “I really think we should go to the hospital, just to be sure.”
“I’m fine, Shane,” Beth says. “They’re just Braxton-Hicks contractions.”
“I’d feel better if we got you checked out.”
“It’s late, and we have company. I really don’t want to go to the hospital.”
“Cooper and Sam can manage things here.”
“Honey.” She falls quiet a moment, and then she laughs softly. Actually, it’s more like a giggle.
A moment later, Shane walks out of the kitchen carrying Beth. She’s dressed in a nightgown and a silk robe, her feet bare. Her head rests against his shoulder.
When Shane spots me, he nods to me and keeps moving as he carries his wife to bed.
Okay, that was pretty hot.
I help myself to a bottle of cold water and an apple, then I head back to my room. After I crawl into bed, I send a late-night text to Layla, just to check in with her.
She replies immediately, so I call her. “I didn’t know if you’d be up this late.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“How are you feeling?”
“Not great. Everything hurts. Every muscle in my body is bruised. My sugars are fine, but the mean girls are being particularly bitchy tonight. The voices have been worse ever since… you know.”
“Stress always makes your hallucinations worse.”
“They say it’s all my fault.”
“That’s not true, Layla, and you know it.” My heart hurts for her. Life is hard enough without having voices in your head constantly trying to drag you down.
She sighs. “I know. I’m trying to block them out. I have an appointment with my therapist tomorrow.”
“What about Jason?”
“What about him?” she asks, sounding a bit wary.
“Have you talked to him yet?”
She hesitates. “No.”
“Layla, don’t blame Jason for what Sean did.”
“How can I trust another bodyguard? Sean was supposed to protect me, and he sold me, Ian. He fucking sold me to his drug dealer. What kind of asshat does that? What kind of miserable, low-life, scum-sucking—” She cuts off and then I hear a muffled sob. “I keep reliving it over and over in my head, like a movie stuck on repeat. I can’t stop thinking about it.”
“I’m so sorry, sis. Do you want me to come over? I can come right now.”