and may be begging for peace and quiet again.”
He laughs and I can’t help but laugh too.
We chat for a little while longer. We worked on getting me back on the schedule. I told him that I filled in Jaylinn with what’s been going on and that she’s going to be helping me with Fallon on the nights I have to work. Eli also offered to help any time he could and that just made me sit back for a second and realize what a great guy he really is. Eli and I talked about getting Fallon and I moved in as soon as possible, too. When everything was worked out we said our goodbyes.
I feel like a huge weight has been lifted off my shoulders and I can finally breathe. Maybe that dark cloud will finally go away and a rainbow will take its place. Maybe, just maybe.
Eli
Life is good. Nah, life is great.
It’s been almost two months since Layla and Fallon moved in. It was a little uncomfortable for a while but we settled into a routine that works for all of us. The late night screams from one of the girls falling into the toilet after me leaving the lid up was causing some problems. All the girly stuff in the bathroom, hell, the whole house, took some getting used to. Don’t get me wrong I was used to it from growing up with my sister but this was nothing I’ve ever seen before. Now when I came home from work I didn’t just sit down and try to catch a ball game on TV, nope, now it’s playing Barbie dolls with Fallon. When I’m not doing that, I’m cooking dinner, something I rarely ever did.
Fallon is, according to Layla, the happiest she’s ever been. Her teachers even mentioned it to Layla as well. Jaylinn, I think, has adopted her as a little sister. They always have ‘girl’s night’ where they stink up the living room of nail polish and smelly perfume shit, braid each other’s hair and talk about boys. I don’t like that part, not one fucking bit. Layla rolls her eyes at me when I’m glaring at Jaylinn for bringing it up. I swear she does it just to get a rise out of me.
Layla’s mom is still missing. Layla has called around to all the different hospitals in the area, all the rehabs nearby, and has checked all the places she could think of. She also checks in at Jax’s all the time hoping she’ll come back around but, so far, no luck.
Layla has gone back to school. She explained to the counselor what was going on and they worked everything out. Instead of going full time like she was, she is now doing part time. It’ll take her twice as long to finish her degree but it’s the way it needs to be, for now at least. She was even able to keep her full scholarship, too.
Brian has gone missing. Hasn’t been heard from since he left that day I showed up over at Layla’s apartment. This doesn’t sit well with me at all. If it was up to me I would have hired a bodyguard for Layla but she wouldn’t have it. She said that he’s not even going to school anymore either. Something is definitely up with that. We also got her a new phone under my plan, actually I got it, I didn’t give her a choice in the matter; this way he couldn’t call her and he didn’t have a cell phone bill to hold over her head to make her feel guilty.
I snooped around a few times and found out what the cost of Layla’s electric, gas and rent was for the apartment. I took that amount, divided it in half and timed it by the number of months they were together. I’ve got money set aside in a bank account for her to give him back all the money he’s ever given to her. Layla doesn’t know that and she never will. The only one who does is Erin.
When Layla and Fallon first moved in I invited Erin and Sophia over for a little bar-b-que. All the girls hit it off great.
“I like her.” Erin said to me while we were washing the dishes one night after Layla cooked for us. “She’s got you all domesticated now.”
I raised my eyebrows. “Why, because I’m doing the dishes? I’ve always done them.”
“Nope not just the dishes, you cook,