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Chapter 27

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I do a little shimmy when Fiona directs me to an old coffee machine.

"Is coffee making your speciality?" She smiles at my excitement.

"Nah, I just used to do all kinds of latte art for my parents when I was little." I gasp, wagging my imaginary tail. "Oh! I could so do it right now. I just need a piece of paper, scissors, and cacao powder."

People pleasing? Yes. Very much. Shut up.

Fiona chuckles without judgment. "Sure, honey. Let me go grab it while you set up."

She sets down a wooden tray with white cups, then coffee and milk before she leaves. Meanwhile, I lift the frother to practice my technique. I'm a bit out of practice, but I don't mind failing a few times to get it right.

When she returns with a paper and scissors, I smile gratefully and cut a heart outline. Within minutes, I have the milk frothed and an espresso shot in each cup.

"You want to teach me how you do it?" Fiona asks. I lift my eyebrows in surprise. No one has ever asked me before. Does she mean it?

"Sure." I bite my lip, concentrating even harder. "So, I pour the milk from the middle, very slowly. Just enough to cover the top until the black turns brown."

"Like a canvas."

I smile. "Yeah. Okay, so next I pour in a spiral motion... all around the cup." My heart pounds with each step, praying I don't fuck up. I tilt the cup and lean it closer to shape the design.

"Look at that tulip!" Fiona exclaims. "Oh, I could never do that, it's beautiful."

"It's easy." I roll my eyes, mentally dancing macarena.

"So now you're going to pour the cacao?"

"Oh no, that's for the blank ones." I put the heart outline over the other cup that's already filled with foamed milk and tap the cacao shaker over it. "I just think it's special when everyone gets their own design."

"Your parents must've been so happy that you did this for them." She notes over my shoulder.

I purse my lips, putting the cups in the tray. "I guess."

"Man, I'm starving." Lucas walks into the kitchen and opens the fridge. "Please don't tell me you brought all this food today. We're just here for a day, mom!"

"So what?" She puts her hand on her hip. "It's not like you cook anymore. What am I going to do, have you go out and stuff your face with junk food?"

"Excuse me. I'm sorry." He puts up his palms up and bows. "Thank you, thank you so much for cooking. Cause you know, I starve to death on my own. My food is just water and air."

"Don't be a smart ass." She smacks his head with a dish towel. Lucas ducks and chuckles, opening the freezer.

"Oh no! What'd you guys do?" He yells loudly, pulling out a package of ice cream. "Is this ice cream? Now Layla's never going to leave!"

I bite my tongue. There's no way I'm going to fight in front of his mom. Lucas grins at me like a chashire cat and gets behind her shoulder.

"What's the matter? Scared to act up in front of my mom?" He mimics my scrunched up frown and raises his pitch higher. "Ruff, ruff, ruff!"

"Lucas." Fiona warns, a smile tugging on her lips. "Behave."

He sticks his bottom lip, talking to me in a baby voice. "What's wrong? You hungry? You hungry?"

"Shut. Up." I grit, turning red.

He laughs, shaking his head at Fiona. "I love messing with her. She thinks she's so intimidating."

"You're just like your dad, you know that?" She says, eyes sparkling with tenderness.

Lucas sobers up and grumbles. Fiona cups his face, smooching both cheeks. "I love you!"

"Yeah, yeah." He grunts, walking away in defeat.

Fiona turns to me, unfazed. "He doesn't like being compared to him."

"I've noticed." I mumble. She looks at me surprised. "He's told me a little about him."

She lowers her gaze for a thoughtful moment, before regaining her composure. "Do you want to sit outside on the porch?"

We give Valerie and Lucas their coffee and leave them in the living room. Fiona leads us to the back of the house, facing the beach.

Turquoise waves unhurriedly kiss the white sand, setting a soothing rhythm. Seagulls fly above and misty air coats my skin. We sit on white rocking chairs, overlooking the ocean.

"This is nice." I sigh at the view. "So different from the city."

"Isn't it? I'm glad Grant didn't sell this place. We use it from time to time to get away." Fiona takes a sip of her coffee and hums. "This is excellent, Layla. Great job."

I smile at her compliment. Something about her persona is so welcoming and warm.

"So, you and Lucas are colleagues?" She asks.

"More like rivals. We were supposed to fight for the same promotion."

"Supposed to?"

I frown, realizing that maybe Lucas would want to keep his change of heart private. "I guess, we don't fight as much anymore. Well, he doesn't. I still do."

"Yeah? You don't seem like the fighting type." Her lips curl up at the corners.

"Ha. I'm definitely acting nice for you." I blurt, then freeze. "Oh, I don't mean that in a disrespectful way. I'm not trying to lie or anything. I'm just really nervous."

She waves me off. "Honey, it's very hard for me to get offended. I look at people's words as projections of themselves."

I think of her words. If that's the case, then what do mine say about me? Why am I so insecure? My dad's face flashes in my mind.

"I can tell you think a lot." She drawls out.

"I have a horrible poker face." I force a smile.

"Not a bad thing. Nowadays it's too hard to tell how others really feel."

I eye the ruined swan in my cup. "Yeah, it really is."

It seems like that's all I ever worry about. How my dad feels about me. How Grant feels about me. How Lucas feels about me.

Hell, I barely even have time to think about how I feel. No wonder I'm such a mess.

I could've sworn there was a connection between Lucas and I. The way he looked at me on the dance floor, all soft and tentative. I couldn't stop myself from breaking the distance.

Was it just out deprivation for attention? To feel wanted? I really don't know what to make of it. I got scared and ran away. And when I tried to talk to him, he just joked about it.

"Whoo! It's hot today." Lucas slides the glass door open and steps out, Nina on his shoulders. My heart does a violent thump at his shirtless state.

"Did you put on sunscreen?" Fiona asks.

"Yeah, yeah." He brushes her off, focusing on the waves. I'm so thankful he is, because—

1) I get to obsess over his delicious muscles and the black tattoo on his back.
2) He can't see me hyperventilating over it.

Nina giggles, bouncing up and down as he jogs down the porch steps.

He holds her underarms, swinging her little legs in the water. She screams and lifts her feet, trying to avoid it. He just swings her lower, hunching his broad, defined shoulders.

"He's a child, isn't he?" Fiona smirks with a side glance. Please, I hope I'm not blushing.

"Oh no. If anything, he's the mature one compared to me." I chuckle nervously.

"Not after that barking scene in the kitchen." She snorts.

"That's nothing! I've dumped cherries on him, used him as a punching bag, played hide and seek, jumped out of the fridge and even head butted him." I don't mention where, naturally.

"How can you fit inside a fridge?" Fiona laughs.

"It was a commercial one. And it was empty since the restaurant isn't operating."

I know I've probably overshared when her actions suddenly freeze.

"I'm so sorry for bringing it up." I fold in with a grimace. "I'm sorry."

"Oh, no, honey. I'm not upset. I'm just shocked that Lucas opened up about it. I'm a therapist, but I can't get him to talk about his restaurant. Not after his dad passed." She says softly.

Lucas is busy covering Nina with sand. All you see from the distance is her head poking out of the ground as he piles more sand around her.

"He doesn't talk to me a lot." I bite my lip, hoping to convince her. "I have to really force it out of him. He just does it to shut me up."

"Or he does it because he trusts you." She looks right into me, making me squirm.

Lucas waves at Nina and walks away. She starts screaming and calling her mom for help.

"I don't think... " I rub my forehead and laugh when she tilts her head. "I just think that's a pretty generous way to think about me."

"And that's a harsh way to talk about yourself." Fiona murmurs, frowning with concern.

"Because he's helped me so many times. all I've done is lash out at him." I explain quickly, shrugging. "It's an unbalanced dynamic."

Lucas cackles, jogging back to Nina. He dances around her while she throws her head back and groans. He's like a drunk dinosaur tormenting a baby bird.

"You might've done a lot more for him than you think." She nods, eyes narrowing at the ocean. "Grief can be unbearable. People often hide it... along with other parts of themselves."

She turns to Lucas, and for a brief moment, her demeanor sinks into the same sorrowful look of the guardian angel on his tattoo.

"I'm not good enough to help someone with grief." I mumble with a tight throat.

Lucas looks our way. He twists his hands under his eyes, mimicking me crying. I give him the finger in an angle away from his mom.

"Not from where I sit." She eyes him with a small smile. "Keep pushing him."

~

"Let's get this over with." Lucas mutters, opening the door of the corporate building. We're meeting Hershey's in twenty minutes for the 'anniversary dinner' pitch.

I'm still all over the place after the talk with Fiona. She sort of gave me the approval to... continue making Lucas's life living hell? I don't think she realizes just how bipolar I am.

Can't blame her. I do a good job hiding. Lucas is probably the only one that knows the real me aside from Casey. Hell, even with Casey I don't cry about my dad. She always tries to make me feel better with sunshine and positivity.

Lucas made me rage instead. And somehow it was exactly what I needed.

Perhaps... his mom is right. We're both headaches to each other. Yet, it seems to work. I piss him off, which opens him up. And he does the same with me.

"What's wrong with you?" He asks rather harshly as we get out of the elevator.

"Nothing." I scowl at him. "Can't I just be quiet?"

"Of course not. It scares me. I need to know your crazy thoughts so I can prepare."

I roll my eyes. "Why is everything a joke with you?"

Seriously, how hard is it to have a normal conversation about what happened on that dance floor? Does he like me or not?

"Why is everything so heavy with you?" He drawls, shaking his head. "Take a chill pill."

"Yeah, that's going to help. Thanks."

"You're welcome. I'm full of great ideas."

"You're full of shit."

"No, I already pooped today."

"Did not need to know that."

"Why not? I'm going to hear you when you poop in the house. I'll be behind the door, giving you moral support."

"I hope you pass out."

"Stop talking dirty, it's turning me on."

I smack his arm as we enter the Hershey's office. A tall, blonde guy sits behind the reception desk. He smiles warmly as we approach and asks who we're meeting with.

"There's a modeling agency on the other side. I thought you might be mistaken." He raises an eyebrow at me as we finish signing in.

"Me? You think I'm a model?" I point to myself and chuckle. Lucas scoffs next to me.

"Or an actress. I feel like I've seen you before." His green eyes glint. Dude, he's actually handsome.

"Well, I have been in some viral videos." I shimmy a little, feeling proud of myself.

"Right on. You're from LA, right? First time in San Diego?"

"Mhm, I love it so far. It seems much calmer."

"Oh yeah, you should definitely check out the Gaslamp Quarter. It's full of bars and restaurants." He squares his shoulders, splaying his arms across the desk. He's fit.

"Never heard of it." I tilt my head. I wish my hair was down so I could twirl my finger around a curly lock. "But I'm only here for the night unfortunately."

"That's enough time." He smirks, completely ignoring Lucas. "I know the area really well, I could show you around if you don't have anything to do."

I narrow my eyes, hesitating for a moment. "Are you a serial killer?"

He laughs. "I assure you I'm not."

"So you're just a shameless flirt."

His eyes widen. "Uh... n-no, I was just being friendly."

"So you don't find me attractive?"

This is kind of fun. Lucas sighs. He disagrees.

"I do... I'm just confused. I don't want to offend you." The guy looks at Lucas for help, who doesn't budge.

"Just be straight up. Do you like me or not?" I try to contain my smirk.

I have no clue what's taken over me. Something about being next to Lucas gives me courage to be bold. And I have a feeling he's getting annoyed. Which fills me with joy.

"Yes, I do." He smiles tentatively.

"Okay." I smile and hand him my phone. "I love open communication. No guesses, no games. You know?"

"No games my ass." Lucas grumbles under his breath. I look up at him, but he just glances with a cold look before walking away.

I shrug and take my phone back, smiling at Miguel. "I'll text you tonight."

~ A/N ~

Mua...ha....ha...ha. Now what? Vote to find out!