Stay For Me - Megan Smith Page 0,62

besides the girls in my family so when I say them to Layla they have to be perfect. Huh, maybe that’s the thing; maybe it has to be the perfectly imperfect time.

I cup the side of her face and put that smile on that melts her. I swallow the huge ass lump in my throat. “I love you.”

She reaches up and wipes her forehead. “Whew, I was starting to sweat just now.”

I laugh; leave it up to her to make fun of me when I was having a moment. “Smartass.”

Layla leans up, kisses me and then gazes into my eyes like she’s trying to see my soul. I shudder because the look is so intense. I’m afraid she’ll run out the door any minute when she sees the real me, the one who used to screw around with anything that had two legs just to get the comfort of a woman.

All that can be heard in the room is our breathing. “I love you, Eli Sabatino. I love you for so many reasons.”

I know without a shadow of a doubt that I’m going to marry this girl one day. I’d lay down my life for her without a blink of an eye. From that first look we shared in my office when she interviewed, to the look on her face when she asked me to sleep in the same bed with her that first night to just right now only makes my love for her stronger. It’s the unbreakable, all consuming, kind of love that knocked me straight on my ass.

Layla

It’s Christmas morning and I’m not sure who in this house is more excited, me, Fallon or Eli. This is our first real Christmas, one with all the decorations around the house and a Christmas tree that is placed in front of the big bay window for everyone to see.

Fallon and I both know what Eli is getting us, or should I say making us. We just don’t know what it is. He sat us down at Thanksgiving and made us make a promise to him. “Whatever noise you hear coming from behind that tarp in the back yard you are not to look. Got it?” I looked at him like he had ten heads and I’m still looking at him that way. The noises finally stopped really late last night. I’ve been dying to see what’s behind it but I don’t try and peek. No one has ever tried to surprise me with anything so I’m being a good girl and not looking.

I got up about an hour ago to start breakfast while Eli slept in because he was up so late. Fallon is still sleeping too, not realizing that all little kids normally get up at the ass crack of dawn to open presents. We hardly ever had presents. “Stop it Lay, today is a good day. Don’t fret on the past.” I chide myself.

Mom is doing fantastic. She’s been sober since coming back and she’s more involved with Fallon’s life than ever before. My mom wants Fallon to move back in with her but Fallon doesn’t want to. I can’t say I blame her, not one bit. I thought for sure mom would have flipped her shit but she hasn’t, she understands, too. We’re still taking thing days by day. Fallon has slept over Mrs. Stein’s house, which is where my mom is living, more times than I can count and she loves it but I know a piece of her is holding back because of all the shit mom has put us through.

I’ll never forget the day Fallon told my mom she didn’t want to move back in with her. Before she left that night, mom pulled me aside and told me that she was so damn proud of me for stepping up. She still continues to do it almost daily. The first couple of times my only response was that I shouldn’t have had to but I’m slowly, like snail speed, learning to forgive her. I don’t think I could ever forgive her one hundred percent. That same night Fallon told my mom she’d rather live with me was also the first time Eli joined us for pancakes and ice cream. He came downstairs after a shower, asked us what was wrong, I gave him the short version and handed him the pancakes and ice cream. He understood that this is what Fallon and I did when we were upset, it was our thing. Unfortunately,