“So if Ira is behind it, do you think he planned to trot you in front of the courtroom at the last minute so my case would be dismissed? You think that’s his big reveal?” Aster stared at Madison as though she had the answer. When Madison failed to reply, Aster frowned and slumped low in her seat. “I know, it sounds insane—like the worst sort of magical thinking. But at this point, it’s all I’ve got. Ira controls my whole life! And the worst part is, I went along with it.”
They all fell quiet, until Layla said, “While I’m not saying Ira isn’t behind it, I’m not sure how he’s connected to Madison’s past. And clearly, whatever’s going on here, it’s connected to the night her parents died. We need a better strategy.”
“I wasn’t aware you had a strategy.” Madison frowned.
“Last time we came up with a plan, it didn’t turn out so well,” Tommy said.
“Meaning . . .” Layla narrowed in on him, and Tommy couldn’t help but cringe.
“Meaning we ended up charged with a crime we didn’t commit! What do you think he means?” Aster rolled her eyes and shook her head.
Yep, the band was back together again.
“Well, we can’t just sit back and do nothing.” Layla refused to give in. “Or actually, I guess we can. One phone call to Larsen and we can all walk away and be done with it. Let the LAPD unravel this mess.”
Madison looked terrified. Layla looked like she was about to make good on her word, and Tommy had no idea whether or not she was bluffing but knew he had to stop it from happening.
“No one’s suggesting that.” The second it was out, Tommy knew it was the final death knell of whatever he had with Layla, but it was the right thing to do. Madison was scared, and whoever had harmed her the first time was still out there. He couldn’t live with himself if he didn’t at least try to help. “But whatever we do from here, we have to be smart. I can’t take another night in jail, curled up in the fetal position on the top bunk, breathing through my mouth in order to avoid all the foul smells. Or maybe that was just me.” It was a lame attempt to add a little levity, and he instantly regretted it.
“No competing over which of us had the nastiest cell,” Aster said. “Because I win. Hands down, I win. I won the first time I was locked up.”
“Jeez, you’re competitive.” Layla rolled her eyes, but the smile that followed smoothed away all the snark.
Madison glared. “You guys are ridiculous. Seriously. Do you even hear yourselves? So sorry you spent a few nights in jail. A smelly bunk sounds like a luxury compared to what I went through.”
Unable to put words to what he was feeling, Tommy rose from his seat and headed out to the terrace in search of fresh air and a break from the tension. He’d rejoin them soon enough, but he needed a quiet moment to decide what to do about the fact that his dad was looking guiltier by the moment.
If it turned out Ira was responsible, what then? What did it mean for Tommy and all the plans he’d made?
“Hey—you okay?”
Tommy turned. “Are you?” He watched Layla’s cheeks flush a lovely shade of rose as she forced her gaze to meet his.
“I’m sorry,” she said.
Tommy shrugged, unsure where this was going. Though when she tucked her hair behind her ear in the way she did when she was about to be really earnest, he knew he needed to take her seriously.
“I jumped to conclusions, and . . .” She stared down at her shoes. “I guess I kind of lost it.” He started to speak, but before he could get to the words, she stopped him. “But it’s not you. It’s—it’s just that everything has changed and not necessarily for the better, and sometimes I just want to rewind, you know? I miss riding my motorcycle. I miss the person I thought I was at the beginning of the summer. I . . .”
She fluttered a hand before her face and scrunched her nose in a way so adorable he had to fight the urge to grab her and kiss her and never let go.
“You know what?” Her blue-gray eyes met his. “That’s a lie. Truth is—it was about you.”
Tommy forced himself not to speak. He knew how much a moment like this cost a girl like Layla, who equated vulnerability with weakness.
“I messed up the night I kissed you and didn’t tell Mateo.”
“You messed up because you kissed me, or because you didn’t tell Mateo?” He inched closer. He’d been drawn to her from the beginning, and though so much had changed since then, his attraction to her had never once wavered.
Without hesitation she said, “I messed up because I wanted to kiss you and I liked kissing you, and that’s the moment I should’ve known it was over with Mateo and I should’ve come clean and told him as much. I don’t fall easily. And I’m certainly not the type who’s attracted to every cute boy I see.”
Tommy was flattered, but he knew better than to let on. “And now?” His voice was hoarse. He’d already talked himself out of being with her. But now, he wasn’t sure what she was offering, and he had no firm idea how to respond.
“Madison is lovely.” She tilted her chin toward the den. “Even when she’s battered and bruised and traumatized, she’s the most beautiful girl in the room.”
Tommy knew better than to comment. If Layla was baiting him, he was too smart to bite.
“Funny how she turned to you for help.”