Chapter 40: Life's Too Short

"Like goodnight, guys! Me and Blubber are like just going to do some like heavy petting on your couch," Stacy confidently informs us.

"We are?!" Blubber asks jubilantly. "Baby, you're the gift that keeps on giving!"

I snort in amusement. "That's Grey's couch," I murmur under my breath. I pick up a sleepy Slobber and head to the door leading to the bridge. I turn my head to see that Lai's still following me. "Really?" I question.

"I'm not tired yet," he complains, keeping up with me. "Besides, do you really want to cross that bridge in the dark by yourself? Need I remind you that your knight in shining armor isn't here."

No reminder needed.

"Lai..." I drawl hesitantly, still contemplating it.

I really should try and sleep.

"Also, you're still out of it, what if you wobble right off of the bridge and straight to your death?" he reasons. "I can't have that on my conscious."

Like he even has one.

"Fine," I motion with my head for him to cross over first, throwing him a bone. "You can continue to annoy me with your company."

"Yes!" he punches the air in victory before leading the way.

I think it's normal in everyone's life to feel closer to certain friends more than others during specific periods of one's life. And I also think it's normal for that to continually change. There have been times where Bell was my closest friend, and then Max, and then Mase, and then Laiken, and then Ben, and then Ry, etc.

At this point in time, Laiken feels like my closest friend again. He's made a real comeback. This is all aside from Jay, obviously – he's my constant, and constants don't change.

The second we enter Aqueela's Cove, Laiken flops down onto the trampoline. He scoots over and pats the spot next to him. "Come and unleash your secrets."

A smile creeps onto my lips. He's endearing, sometimes, and I don't think he even knows it.

I sit down beside him and cross my legs, much to his satisfaction. I place Slobber down onto my lap. He curls into a little ball, continuing to sleep blissfully, undisturbed.

"I didn't know that you love animals so much," Laiken observes.

I think of the pup at the vet and my heart drops a little. I hope he's hanging on so that he can come home soon.

"I always have," I reveal to Lai, running my fingers through Slobber's coat. "My dad, and then my stepmom, never allowed me to have a pet."

"Look, everyone has always known that your dad's a jagweed," thanks, Laik, "but what happened to your mom? You've never told me, not even while we were in New York. Why?"

I lift a shoulder in a half-shrug. "'Cause it makes me sad," I confess, showing him a more vulnerable side to me. "I don't want to dwell on her absence."

I don't think that I'll ever really move past her death.

"Right. Sorry. Mase mentioned that she passed away," he says apologetically.

I nod. "She died in a car accident. My dad was driving. I was young, so I might be remembering wrong, but I'm fairly certain that he was drunk."

Laik winces. "Jeez. That's rough."

"It was even rougher when he abandoned me with my stepmother," I add, leaving out the details of her abuse. "I blame her for some of my weirdness in high-school."

I wasn't allowed to go to parties. I couldn't bring home friends. I had to constantly cover up wounds. I was always walking on eggshells. I was desperate for friends.

Laiken smiles gently before addressing it, "You weren't that weird."

I shove his shoulder playfully.

"I remember that you were always on top of the world. You were always happy. And you're still like that. Mase and I were just messed up in the head," he admits, acknowledging his faults.

"Mase was dumb," I laugh lightly as memories flood my mind. He could have gone about things in a much better way.

"So dumb," he agrees, grinning.

"Now, I feel like calling him." I take my phone out of my pocket. "Should I?" I ask his permission, aware that they're currently on shaky grounds.

"If you can get me back into his good books, then go ahead."

I stall. "Do you think he'll answer?"

"It's you. Of course, he will."

"What if he's sleeping already?"

"He'll still answer on the first ring. I'll even put money on it."

As predicted, he answers on the first ring. I'm not convinced that it's because of me. He's an excellent businessman and usually answers everyone's calls on the first ring, unless he's in a meeting.

"Hey, Maggot," I greet him. It's been a while since we've last spoken.

"Leech, it's good to hear your voice," he replies, sounding tired. "What's up?"

"I just wanted to talk," I tell him truthfully. "Do you have a minute?"

"Sure. I was just leaving the office," he fills me in. "I never get these kinds of calls anymore. It's usually always work-related."

I pout at hearing that. Lai mirrors my expression, feeling for his friend.

"I'm sorry that I haven't been in touch lately. Life gets crazy, as you probably know," I excuse myself. "We just moved into a new place and Jay's—"

"Back in F1," he finishes for me. "He called me the other day to let me know. I'm happy for him. He deserves it. I watched him today, and he's incredible."

I smile. "And you? How are you doing?"

He falls silent for a moment before clearing his throat, "I'm not going to lie to you, I've been taking a lot of strain these last few weeks. Some stuff went down and I'm still trying to smooth things over."

I take note of how he refuses to throw Laiken under the bus even when it's all his fault.

"Laiken told me everything," I say, unable to keep it from him. "I'm so sorry. I can only imagine how difficult it's been for you."

"I'm stunned," he slowly admits. "I didn't think he'd come clean to you. It's not really his style."

Laiken furrows his eyebrows and stares down at the ground, trapped in his own thoughts, guilt evident in his eyes.

"Maybe he's finally maturing, Mase," I suggest, wanting to patch their friendship up.

Mase scoffs. "I'd need to see it to believe it."

"He's very regretful of his actions," I add, placing a hand on Lai's shoulder.

"Are you siding with him?" he asks in disbelief. "Why do you always side with him?"

"I'm not siding with him," I clarify. "I'm just trying to understand both perspectives here."

I'm about to remove my hand from Lai's shoulder when he places his own hand over mine, grateful for the support.

"I've known him for a long time now, Aqueela. I can't keep giving him second chances. He's destroying everything I've worked so hard to build," he explains his point of view to me.

"I get that—"

"He should just move on," he cuts me off. "Not all friendships are meant to last a lifetime."

His words make me frown. I don't want to ever believe that.

"How did you two become friends anyway?" I ask.

I don't know the full story, but I do know that Mase had zero friends when we just started high-school. The only people he interacted with was Bell and me -- and we didn't even like him, for obvious reasons, but then he met Laiken Edwards, and everything changed.

"You know the story," he retorts, unwilling to elaborate.

"I really don't," I insist, unrelenting in my pursuit.

"My dad forgot to pick me up from school. Lai was hanging with the football team when he noticed me on the bleachers. He called me down and we started tossing the football around. He said that I should try out for the team," he starts telling me the story, a fondness in his voice.

I glance over at Lai to see him still staring at the ground, but with a slight grin now as he recalls the good old days too.

"The next day, I was sitting alone at one of the lunch tables when he just sat down across from me and started talking to me. Later, he brought Melinda and the rest of the crew to my table. I tried out for the team, got in, and that was that," he catches me up to speed, a fondness in his voice.

I didn't know the details. I'm actually shocked to hear that Lai, of all people, can be kind. I would never have guessed.

I pat Laik's arm and shoot him a warm smile, proud. I want to see more of that side to him.

"That's a sweet memory, Mase," I snap out of my surprise. "In my opinion, life's too short to throw away meaningful friendships like that. I know he's put you through hell, I know that, but he's going through some stuff on this side that I don't think he's told you about. I'm not justifying his actions in any way, but I think he could use you right about now."

"He's there, isn't he?" Mase questions after another beat of silence. When I don't answer, he sighs. "Put him on."

I glance over at Lai to see if he's alright with this. He leans down and kisses my cheek softly before taking the phone from my hand, an appreciative smile dancing in his eyes. He mouths a 'thank you' to me before walking away to speak to Mase privately.

Taking the gap, I pick up Slobs again and head upstairs to our bedroom. The fever seems to have broken but my head still hurts. After a quick shower, I get under the covers and cuddle Slobber. I stare up at the ceiling, waiting to drift off to sleep, but it never comes.

I miss Jay.

The bed feels empty without him. I turn on my side and close my eyes for a few minutes before giving up. I sit up and let out a defeated sigh. My mind is running a million thoughts at once. My body is exhausted, but my mind is hyper, and I have no control over it.

Ten minutes pass before there's a knocking at my door.

"Aqueela? Are you still awake?"

"No," I reply, keeping a yawn at bay. "I just fell asleep."

"Okay, I'll come back later—wait..."

Laiken opens the door when he realizes how dumb he's being. "Hey," he greets like he didn't just see me half an hour ago. He notices my expression and quirks an eyebrow. "You okay?"

I shake my head, being transparent. "I can't sleep."

"Well, that's why I'm here. While I was talking to Mase, your boyfr—husband-thing," he corrects himself, "phoned twice. I kept rejecting his call, but I assume he needs to talk to you."

"How did everything go with Mase?" I ask, taking my phone from his hand.

"We've decided to continue our friendship," he jokes.

I find it within myself to smile. "That's great, Lai. I'm so happy."

"We just can't work together anymore," he adds dejectedly. "He's going to carry on with the business and I'll go down my own path in the NFL."

I press my lips to together, taking a second to think about it. "Honestly, I think that's for the best."

Mase is the one who started the company and got it off the ground in the first place. Laik helped grow it from thereon out. I'd say Mase deserves to reap most of the benefits. Also, if they continue working together, I doubt they'll remain friends.

He nods. "Yeah, I agree. I'm going to miss working with my best friend everyday, but I never liked all the business stuff anyway. Plus, when I start at the NFL, I'm barely going to have any spare time. I'm just glad that he's talking to me again. That's what matters most to me." He blows me an air kiss. "Thank you, Law."

I tap my chest twice and flash him a sideways peace sign.

"Such a dork," he chuckles under his breath before leaving the room, closing the door after him.

I immediately call Jay back, concerned. It's about three in the morning by him, and I'm worried that something is wrong.

"Hey, 'Queels," he answers straightaway. "Sorry for calling. I thought you might still be awake. I shouldn't have—"

"Laiken was using my phone. He's the one who rejected your calls," I quickly clear up any confusion before he assumes the worst of me. "He only told me now. What's wrong?" I ask hurriedly.

"Nothing's wrong," he answers as rapidly as I had asked, not wanting me to panic. "This is so stupid, but I've been awake for hours. I can't sleep. It feels weird without you besides me. There's just this empty space next to me and I hate it."

I actually laugh, finding it funny. We really are soulmates.

"It's not funny," he retorts with a chuckle of his own. "You've made me soft. My whole life, I've always been fine on my own and now, I can't go a night without you."

"I'm only laughing because my own fingers were itching to call you too. I can't sleep either," I confess. "I'm having a hard time with this. I don't cope well when you're not here. I really miss you," I choke up on the last part, unable to hide my emotions from him.

I'm such a baby.

Hopefully, I'll get used to this as time passes by.

I hear him suck in a sharp breath from his side before he asks the inevitable, "Do you want me to come home?"

When I don't reply quick enough, he goes on, "I can come home. I can get on a flight right now." There's some ruffling in the background, almost as if he's getting out of bed to pack. "I don't have to do this."

"No," I interrupt before he actually does it. "I think it's just because when we've separated in the past, it's been for a while. My brain is convinced that I won't see you soon. I know better. I don't want you to give this up. Just talk to me. How was your day? Tell me everything."

His background goes silent again as if he's decided to lie back down. He starts telling me in detail about everything he's done today, and I find myself listening attentively, smiling at his enthusiasm before, finally, my eyes drift closed, my phone still propped up against my ear.

*~*~*~**~*~*~*

I wake up early the next morning – well, early for me. It's around 7:30 AM. Feeling groggy and worse than yesterday, I sigh and roll out of bed. I should take some of those meds that Grey bought me.

I take a shower in the hopes of waking myself up properly. Once I've changed into clean clothes, I feel slightly more refreshed. Deciding to go without makeup for the day, I head over to the other side of the house in desperate need of something to help with my cough, stuffy nose, and pounding headache.

I reach the other end, and just as I'm about to go to the kitchen, a beautiful lady steps out of Grey's room. Her hair is a little frizzy and she appears a little disheveled but still gorgeous. She quietly closes the door after her as if not wanting to wake anyone up.

As I open my mouth to talk to her, I notice something. She's carrying her heels in her one hand. Ah, I get it, she's doing the 'walk of shame'. She's trying to slip out of here before Grey wakes up. I had no idea that he even went off to get another girl last night.

"Hi!" I chirp on impulse.

The woman just about jumps through the roof before slowly turning around to face me. She places a hand over her heart, still jittery. "You scared me."

"Sorry," I reply with a sheepish smile. "But there's no need to be so discreet just because you spent the night." I start walking and gesture to her to follow after me, "Come, you must be hungry. Have something to eat before you go?"

She hesitates. "I really shouldn't. Grey and I have this unspoken understanding that I leave before he wakes up."

So, they're well-acquainted then...

I shrug. "I can make a killer breakfast but suit yourself."

I love meeting new people and finding out what makes them tick and today is no exception. New company is always great.

Her stomach rumbles. She checks the time on her phone. "Oh, what the heck, he probably won't be up for another forty minutes or so in any case."

I smile from ear-to-ear when I hear her start following me. "Awesome! You've made the correct decision, and trust me when I say this, Grey's all bark and no bite. You have nothing to fear. You can even pin all the blame on me if you want; I won't care."

She's silent for a moment. I turn around to see her squinting at me before she clears her throat. "You're the best friend's girl, aren't you?" She's figured it out. "Aqueela, is it?"

"The one and only," I confirm, motioning to her to take a seat at the kitchen counter. "I'm surprised that Grey even mentioned me, if I'm being totally honest."

She cringes. "Well, he mostly complains about you...if I'm being totally honest."

"Ah," I nod in realization. "That makes more sense. Standard Grey. I think he's just jealous because he'll never be as cool as me," I joke.

She lets slip a laugh. "Definitely," she humors me.

I hold up a pan. "Bacon and eggs?"

She nods happily. "That sounds delicious. Can you be at all my one-night stands? You're fantastic."

"Morning, Princess!" a loud voice booms before Laiken's head pops through the doorway. He stops short when he spots the brunette across from me. As if it comes automatically to him, he immediately lays on the charm. "And who's this beauty, Law?"

He's not wrong. She is very pretty with her dead-straight long, brown hair and coffee-colored eyes.

"I'm not exactly sure," I casually admit, busying myself with cooking. "She's Grey's one-night stand, well, actually, his few-nights stand."

"We've been together a couple of times," she turns in her seat, explaining it to Laik. "I haven't heard from him for a while but we bumped into each other again last night."

"Last night?" Lai questions, his gaze trailing over her.

"At the bar," she clarifies.

Lai looks over at me. "I thought he went to bed?"

I shrug again, not bothered by it. "I guess not."

"My name's Elle," she tells us.

I spin around, a bright smile on my face as I beam at her. "Welcome to our home, Elle. It's always good to meet a new face."

"Especially faces like yours," Lai winks at her, strolling over to her, unfazed by the fact that he's shirtless – hell, he's probably proud of it. "If you ever get bored of Grey, you can always try me."

I snort, amused. "Don't mind him, Elle. He's a total flirt."

Laik gasps in an over-dramatic fashion. "Am not!"

"Yeah, yeah," I chuckle at him, "you're innocent. Whatever. Can I make you some breakfast too?"

He stares at me, a clear question roaming behind his eyes. "You seem a lot more chipper than you did yesterday?" He pauses. "But it's weird because you look worse...if that's even possible."

I may feel awful, but I had the best night's sleep, no thanks to my husband-thing. He cheered me up. I still feel elevated after simply talking to him. I fell asleep, mid-conversation, but he sent me a message that he didn't mind and that his job was done. There is no one else on this planet who can calm my soul so naturally like Jay does. Because of him, I feel at complete peace.

"Shut up," Elle playfully puts Lai in his place, siding with me. "She's so beautiful, and even without a stitch of make-up." She redirects her attention to me. "You have perfect skin. It's flawless."

I place a hand over my heart, touched. "Thank you."

Ignoring Lai's intrigued gaze, I hum to myself and take some medicine out.

"You're still feeling unwell?" I hear him ask from behind me.

I nod, popping some pills. "Yeah. You're right; I look and feel worse."

"Sorry," he replies, leaning down to kiss my shoulder, being empathetic for once. "How can I help? How do I make it better?"

"Are you Jay?" Elle asks, attempting to make sense of all our connections to each other.

I almost laugh at her question before furiously shaking my head. "No. Jay's at a race event. This is Laiken, the resident philanderer."

Lai grins at her and wiggles his brows.

Elle takes it like a champ and laughs. "You're cute but not my type."

"I didn't know that 'perfect' isn't everyone's type," he comments arrogantly.

I slap him across the chest. "I swear, he's harmless, Elle," I reassure her before handing her a plate of toast, bacon, and eggs – it's pretty much the only meal that I can cook.

I can feel Elle's eyes on me as I move to serve Laiken.

"I don't get it," she finally speaks up. "You're amazing. What's Grey's issue with you?"

Laiken begins laughing, entertained by the question. "Where do we start? For one, he's in lo—"

"I pick on him," I confess, speaking over Laiken, "but only because he makes it so easy for me."

She smiles. "He's quite the mystery, isn't he?"

I don't answer her. Instead, my gaze moves to the person now standing behind her with his arms crossed over his bare chest and a deep scowl imprinted on his lips, his gray eyes flashing in fury.

"What's going on here?" he asks in a gravelly, morning voice.

Elle stiffens and bites her bottom lip nervously. She eventually swings around on her seat to face him, deciding to get the awkwardness over with. "Morning. You're up already?"

"Yeah, because you're all loud," he retorts, annoyed.

"Sorry," she apologizes. "We didn't mean to wake you."

"Why are you still here?" he asks her with an accusatory tone.

Despondent, Elle sighs to herself, not saying another word. I feel for her. She likes him. She likes Satan.

"You'd better treat your lady friend a lot nicer than that, Ferrot," I warn him with a steady look in my eyes. "She didn't do anything wrong. It was my idea. I invited her to breakfast."

He frowns, his cheeks reddening ever so slightly. "Why are you talking to one of my hook-ups anyway?"

"I was bored?" I offer lamely. "Also, she's nice. You have impeccable taste in women."

Elle passes me a thankful smile.

"Get used to it, dude. In New York, Law always befriended my hook-ups and invited them to breakfast before I could kick them out and, sometimes, even after I kicked them out," Laik reveals, taking delight in the fact that it's not him this time. "Get comfortable with being uncomfortable."

Grey groans, frustrated with me. "It's too early in the morning for me to deal with you." He reluctantly takes a seat besides Elle before resting his head on his arms, watching me serve him a plate of food too. "Did you poison it?"

I shake my head. "Not this time."

*~*~*~**~*~*~*

No one at the table is talking. I can literally feel the tension between Elle and Grey. I glance down and stifle my laughter. I didn't mean to put them both in difficult positions. I just wanted company.

"The food's actually decent, Law," Lai is unsurprisingly the first to end the stillness. He shoots me a large grin and applauds for me.

I smile widely, accepting the compliment. "Thanks, Lai."

"You're not eating?" Grey quirks an eyebrow at me. "You always stuff your face."

"I don't have an appetite," I reply, taking a sip of my water.

"You're still sick, aren't you?" he asks knowingly. "There's no way you'd willingly be drinking water if you weren't."

"No," I lie, denying it. I already know what he's plotting.

"As soon as I'm done eating, I'm going to get dressed and then I'm taking you to the doctor," he tells me like it's a fact.

I frown and open my mouth to argue but then quickly close it, choosing against my normal reactions. "Okay," I agree, but only because Jay asked me to.

Grey inspects me closely, furrowing his brows in confusion. "Why are you acting like a tranquil wave in the ocean? What's happening? Where's the tsunami? Are you hopped up on something?" he fires questions my way, bewildered by my lack of fight.

Elle giggles, finding our interactions to be comical.

"You're going to be hopped up on my fist if you don't shut it," I remark, letting him get the better of me.

He grins, satisfied. "There she is."

"As entertaining as this has been, I should get going," Elle says while getting up from her seat. "Thanks for the breakfast, Aqueela. I owe you one." She glances over her shoulder at Laiken. "And maybe I'll call you?"

Laiken eagerly nods and hands her his phone so that she can put her number in. I hand her my phone too, wanting to stay in contact with her. She will be added to the female group-chat.

Grey glares at the two of us in disbelief. "Why are you befriending her? You guys are making things weird. Elle and I had a perfect setup before you two—"

"Pool-party time!"

We all turn around to see Troy and Jezel entering the house with a baby on each of their hips. Unfortunately, Ramos enters after them.

"Oh, come on!" Grey complains, slamming his fist on the counter. "It's not even 8 AM yet and the house is already crowded."

Jezel immediately floats over to me with an apologetic expression on her face. She's holding the girls – Melby and Blanche. "I'm so sorry, babe. I didn't even have time to give you a heads-up. You know my husband...he's spontaneous, to put it lightly. He gets an idea and then there's no stopping him."

I'm just shocked that he got an idea...

"Babe," I reply, speaking in a language that she understands best, "it's totes cool. I'm always happy to see you guys. I'm just sick so I shouldn't get too close to the little ones, even though I have the urge to squish their adorable faces."

Jezel smiles brightly, looking as stunning as ever. "I've missed you, doll. You still look fab even if you're under the weather." She blows me a kiss before flouncing off to greet Laiken next. "Stud!" she kisses his cheek in a friendly manner.

Of course, Laiken's eyes light up when he sees her. I mentally roll my eyes. He's invested in too many women to ever settle. At this rate, Luce will be married with children before him.

"Babe!" Laiken greets her all too excitedly. "Looking as gorg as ever!"

"You're the one to talk, hon," she waves him off.

Everyone deserves a Jezel in their life. She's almost always in a good mood. Her energy can lift an entire room and her laugh is contagious. She also loves giving compliments. She makes for a great hype-woman and personal cheerleader.

"Squirt!" I hear his irritating voice before I feel myself being squashed against his chest. "I thought you'd honor me by at least rolling out The Red Carpet or something but never mind that now, let's not make a fuss."

"Split-ends zis a humongous zisappointment to mankind," Ramos has the audacity to flip his hair at me.

I'd hit him if he wasn't holding Riosh and Rhys...

I frown up at Troy, ignoring the other excuse for a human being. "But you didn't even tell me you were coming?"

"You should always be prepared for me," he replies as if it's that simple. "How do you not know this by now? Are you new here?"

I roll my eyes. "My bad. Forgive me?"

"We'll see," he pats me on my shoulder, as if I'm not worth anymore of his time, before moving along to Elle. He holds his hand out to her, expecting a kiss. "It's a pleasure for you to meet me. What gift have you chosen to bestow upon me on this fine morning?"

Elle's eyes widen in confusion. "Uhm...my goodbye?"

Troy shakes his head at her. "You are not worthy of me," he brushes her off in a distasteful manner.

"You want a gift? How about a fist to the face?" Grey asks him, pulling a 'Lan' in order to swoop in and save the day. "Leave her alone."

Naww. It seems he has a soft spot for Elle after all.

Troy actually backs off. He's been hit a few too many times by Grey Ferrot.

"My husband's an acquired taste," Jezel apologizes to Elle before introducing herself. "I'm Jezel but you can call me Jez if you want. And you are?"

"Elle," she replies confidently, recovering from Troy and his Troyness.

"And how do you know everyone here?" Jezel asks, attempting to befriend her. It won't be difficult; everyone loves Jezzie.

Elle shifts her stance, unsure how to approach the subject. She's walking on eggshells because she doesn't want to upset Grey any further.

"She came home with me last night," Grey answers for her, sensing her struggle. "I've known her for a while now."

Jez grins, following. She puts the girls down onto the floor to explore and then pinches Grey's cheek. "I don't blame you, Elle. He's a cutie."

Grey swats her hand away. "Stop it, Jezel."

I hide my smile before I somehow get dragged into it.

"He is," Elle agrees.

"Magnificent," Ramos murmurs to himself from within a trance-like state while running his fingers through Elle's long, thick hair. He's in awe. "My queen. I will worship you," he whispers to himself.

Elle gets a fright and angles her head to look at him. It doesn't deter him, though. She glances at Jezel for help. "Is he yours too?"

Jezel sighs and yanks Ramos away from her. "Ram, I've told you a thousand times before, look but don't touch. Not everyone is as understanding and as vain as Bell is."

Yeah...Bell's not going to be very pleased when she hears that Elle has stolen her throne...

I shake my head at Ram, disapproving of his actions. "You're such a creepy little weirdo."

He flips me off. "Zoo are more creepiest weirdo and zour hair zis a mess!"

"Don't worry, Elle, if you get past this crowd, you'll be able to tackle all the others in ease," I assure her. Unfortunately for her, she's meeting the craziest first. I didn't get enough time to train her for this. This is her defining moment where she either swims or sinks.

Grey coughs. "Oog and his people?"

"Oh, yeah..." I scratch my head in thought. "Let me rephrase, Elle, you'll be able to tackle most of the others in ease," I correct myself. "But don't worry, I'll have you ready and prepared for them before it's time for Indonesia."

Elle raises one of her perfectly plucked brows at me. "Indonesia?"

Grey elbows me in the ribs, aware of what I'm thinking. "Lawson, no, don't you dare—"

"You're going to Indonesia, Elle!" I cheer along with Jezel, unable to stop myself.

I'm doing it again...

Sorry, Xave, but you should have known better...

"I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you, I hate you," Grey mutters under his breath, making sure that I hear him.

"Sweet!" Elle exclaims, taking me seriously, as she should.

"Ideally, you would have been better off meeting Jay or Benley or Sarah first," I tell her. "But it's fine, it just means that you'll get the worst over with now. You'll be ready for just about anyone else after Troy and Ramos."

Speaking of...Ramos is currently tugging Troy back over to Elle. Troy takes one look at her hair before nodding at Ramos. "You're right. She will do."

Elle overhears them. "I will do for what?" she asks warily.

"You have good genes and have therefore been approved by me. It's been decided. Rejoice! For you will carry my sperm," Troy informs her in a nonchalant way.

Slap!

When his head whips to the side, Laiken and I laugh. He deserves it.

"I'll give credit where it's due," Lai chips in. "That was bold. Respect for the effort. Even I wouldn't have said something like that."

"You might want to start that again," Elle warns Troy, shaking out her hand, ready to smack him a second time if necessary.

"He didn't mean it like that. He wants you to be our surrogate," Jezel quickly explains, defending him.

"Wanted," Troy emphasizes, shooting Elle a glare as if she's the one in the wrong here. "You just lost that privilege, Missy! You can kiss my sperm goodbye!"

Puzzled, Elle's eyebrows knit together. She points to the four babies crawling across the floor. "It doesn't seem like you need a surrogate, though?"

When Jezel starts explaining everything to her, I decide to pull an infuriated, mumbling Grey aside. I've heard just about enough 'I hate yous' from him in this lifetime.

"Get your disease-infested claws off of me!" he snatches his arm out of my grip.

"I get it, you hate me. Would you stop?" I plead with him.

"Why did you invite her to Indonesia?!" he snaps at me.

"Why are you treating her like trash?!" I snap back.

"I'm not! But she's just a hook-up! I don't want her getting all entangled in my life, OK?!" he whisper-shouts at me.

The last thing we need is Elle hearing this conversation, or argument, or whatever this is.

I blink up at him, speechless. "I don't get you," I carefully remark. "You have a nice, beautiful woman who is interested in you and you're turning her away? This is like Nancy all over again. Do you have commitment issues or something? And what about Leila? I thought—"

"I don't know!" he cuts me off, breathing sharply, visibly distressed. "I don't know! I don't have all the answers to your thousands of questions, Lawson! I don't know what I want anymore! I'm lost!"

I wait for him to breathe and calm down before I continue, "I've seen a picture of Leila on your phone screen, Grey, and Elle looks an awful lot like her."

The only difference is their eyes, both brown in color but while Leila's eyes hold pain, Elle's holds light. It's obvious, at least to me, that Leila has been through hell.

Grey actually considers my words for a moment before acknowledging it. "I'm not using Elle, if that's what you're suggesting. Maybe I was first drawn to Elle because of her physical similarities to Leila but they're both completely different people. I like Elle for Elle."

He fell for my trap.

"Well, you idiot, if you like Elle for Elle, then stop treating her badly, you buffoon!" I smack him over the head. "And make a move already!"

"And if we get Leila out and I want to start things up with her again?" he questions like a smart ass, rubbing his head. "Then I just dump Elle? Is that your suggestion, genius? I don't want to hurt anyone, myself included."

I touch my forehead, my patience wearing thin with him. He seems more conflicted than Laiken at this point, and that's saying a lot. "You need to decide who it is that you really want, Grey. Who's going to bring out the best in you? Who's going to make you the happiest? Who can you see a real future with?"

As much as I adore Elle, I'm rooting for Leila, simply because he may have a child with her. And also, because I think she finally deserves a happy ending.

Grey stares into my eyes, having nothing more to say. He sucks in a deep breath of air before finally tearing his intense gaze off of me.

"I don't know," he admits quietly. "I just don't know."

"And that's fine," I take his hand, offering support. "Not having all the answers is fine, but while you're busy figuring it all out, do me a favor and be nice to Elle."

His lips pull up into an involuntary smile. "Fine," he complies. "But for Elle, not for you."

I laugh, amused by how childish he is. "Whatever motivates you to be a civil human, Ferrot," I reply, unfazed, and walk back into the kitchen.

"So, you see, Elle, I was not suggesting anything untoward when I proposed you carry my sperm, I would never, I was only suggesting something forward, never untoward," Troy elaborates, pretending to make sense. "You've just heard that it's because my perfect wife, tragically, can't bear me a heir."

I find Jezel's eyes very quickly, but she doesn't seem as emotional as the first time she told me that she can't have kids. I think, with the surprising help of her husband, she's come to accept it and not blame herself for it.

Elle glowers up at Troy with her long lashes, unimpressed. "You could have phrased it better."

Grey shakes his head from besides me, watching the scene unfold. "It's going to be such a sad day when Troy reproduces. His gene pool is infected."

"At least the child will be half Jezel or someone else," I reply hopefully, nudging him with my shoulder. "Take refuge in that. Life isn't completely unfair."

He softly nudges me back. "Always the annoying optimist, Lawson."

*~**~*

Hey, guys :)

1. Thoughts on the evolution of Laiken and Aqueela? 

2. Would you agree that Laiken is currently Aqueela's best friend?

3. Thoughts on Mase and Aqueela's friendship? 

4. Thoughts on how Mase and Lai met? 

5. Thoughts on Mase & Lai not working together anymore? 

6. Should Jay have gotten on a flight home? Why/why not?

7. Thoughts on Elle? 

8. Thoughts on Aqueela's interactions with Elle? 

9. Thoughts on Laiken's interactions with Elle? 

10. Thoughts on Grey and Elle? 

11. Thoughts on Elle's interactions with Troy? Did he deserve the smack? 

12. Do you feel sorry for Elle?

13. Do you think Grey has commitment issues? 

14. Who do you think will make Grey the happiest? Why?  

15. Favourite part/line of this chapter? 

Thanks for reading :)

~ CJ