Status: Formerly 'The Path of Self Destruction.' Sorry, I changed the name again ;p
Even the Sun Sets in Paradise
'You Make Me Sound Like Such An Asshole'
The next day, I woke up at a reasonable hour and got showered and dressed. I tried to look nice since I knew everyone would be coming round to see Brooklyn today. Silently, I crept into Brooklyn’s room and crouched down next to her cot. She was fast asleep, her chest rising and falling as she breathed softly. I couldn’t help but smile. For a short while, I watched her quietly, but then she started to squirm and woke up.
“Hello gorgeous, did you have a good sleep?” I asked her as she began to cry. I picked her up carefully and laid her down on the changing mat, changing her nappy before dressing her in a pink floral onesie that Mel had bought. She looked adorable. I sat with her for a few more minutes before carrying her downstairs.
“Good morning honey, how are my two favourite girls?” Julie asked, putting down the magazine she was reading and enveloping us both in a warm embrace, careful not to suffocate Brooklyn.
“Good. Brooklyn didn’t keep you up too much did she?” I checked.
“No, she was really good. She only woke up two, maybe three times.”
“That’s not too bad.” Julie prepared some formula milk for Brooklyn and I sat down on the sofa as I fed it to her. It wasn’t long until the guys and Mel arrived. Layton’s face lit up the moment he saw his daughter, and he carefully picked her up, rocking her in his arms. It gave me butterflies seeing how much he cared about her.
“I never thought I’d see this day but my god is she cute. Can I hold her?” Cyrus asked.
“Depends. Have you been drinking today?” I joked, eyeing Cyrus suspiciously.
“You make me sound like such an asshole,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes as he snaked his arms around my waist from behind.
“Watch your language,” I demanded, motioning to the baby.
“Relax, she’s a fucking baby, she’s not gonna understand,” he smirked, carefully taking Brooklyn in his arms. I watched carefully as everyone fought over holding her. I had no problem with people holding her; I just felt very protective and had to make sure she was safe. We got some fish and chips for lunch since poor Julie had cooked for us all more than enough times and deserved a break. Layton barely left Brooklyn alone the whole day. Of course, it was the best thing in the world seeing how much he cared about her, but it only made me fall in love with him more. I wished more than anything he would stop with the drugs and then we could be together like a proper family. A part of me knew that was never going to happen; he had a new girlfriend now anyway, but it was hard to accept. I still thought of him as mine, even though I had no right to anymore.
At about 4:00, Layton randomly announced he was leaving.
“Already? Where are you off to?” Cyrus asked. We all looked at him expectantly as he stared at the ground.
“I’m just…going to see Alice…for a bit,” he mumbled, running his hand nervously through his hair. I’d never met Alice, but it pissed me off that he was giving up time with his daughter to go and see her. She was only born yesterday so you’d have thought he’d be desperate to spend time with her. In fairness, I probably only felt like that because I was jealous. Maybe this Alice was a nice girl; she couldn’t be worse than Maci. That was for sure.
“Can I see Brooke again soon?” Layton asked, turning his attention to me.
“Of course,” I told him, “You can come over whenever you’d like.” He smiled his signature smile that gave me butterflies. Whilst I wasn’t going to be one of those selfish mothers that stopped their child from seeing their dad without a good reason, I also wasn’t sure I felt comfortable with Layton spending time alone with Brooke. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t for one second think that Layton would hurt her; I just didn’t want Brooklyn in an environment with drugs. I was determined to protect her from that.
Cyrus and Rowan left soon after Layton, leaving just the family and Mel. Mel and I decided to go for a walk with Brooklyn and take her into work to meet Sally and Brianne. Brianne in particular had not stopped nagging me.
“I see you still like Layton then,” Mel observed as we walked along the sea front.
“Is it that obvious?” I sighed, my cheeks turning red.
“Yes. You blush every time he even speaks to you. You’re doing it now,” she smirked.
“Do you think he knows?” I panicked.
“God knows. Layton’s not exactly the most observant person. I think he still likes you though.”
“Don’t be silly. He’s going out with that Alice girl.”
“I reckon she’s just a rebound. Think of all those things he said to you in Paris. He can’t have gotten over you in that quickly,” she reasoned.
“Paris was nearly four months ago.”
“Yeah, but he started going out with Alice less than a month after you two broke up. There is no way in hell he was over you by that time.”
“They wouldn’t have lasted this long if he still liked me,” I argued. Whilst it would be nice to believe Layton was in love with me, I knew it was best not to get my hopes up only to be disappointed.
“Jenna, guys don’t do romantic, especially not Layton. The fact he said all those things to you, in Paris for god’s sake, proves he’s completely head-over-heels for you. You’d have to be blind not to see that.”
“Well then I’m blind,” I shrugged as we neared the shop and went inside.
“Hello gorgeous, did you have a good sleep?” I asked her as she began to cry. I picked her up carefully and laid her down on the changing mat, changing her nappy before dressing her in a pink floral onesie that Mel had bought. She looked adorable. I sat with her for a few more minutes before carrying her downstairs.
“Good morning honey, how are my two favourite girls?” Julie asked, putting down the magazine she was reading and enveloping us both in a warm embrace, careful not to suffocate Brooklyn.
“Good. Brooklyn didn’t keep you up too much did she?” I checked.
“No, she was really good. She only woke up two, maybe three times.”
“That’s not too bad.” Julie prepared some formula milk for Brooklyn and I sat down on the sofa as I fed it to her. It wasn’t long until the guys and Mel arrived. Layton’s face lit up the moment he saw his daughter, and he carefully picked her up, rocking her in his arms. It gave me butterflies seeing how much he cared about her.
“I never thought I’d see this day but my god is she cute. Can I hold her?” Cyrus asked.
“Depends. Have you been drinking today?” I joked, eyeing Cyrus suspiciously.
“You make me sound like such an asshole,” he chuckled, rolling his eyes as he snaked his arms around my waist from behind.
“Watch your language,” I demanded, motioning to the baby.
“Relax, she’s a fucking baby, she’s not gonna understand,” he smirked, carefully taking Brooklyn in his arms. I watched carefully as everyone fought over holding her. I had no problem with people holding her; I just felt very protective and had to make sure she was safe. We got some fish and chips for lunch since poor Julie had cooked for us all more than enough times and deserved a break. Layton barely left Brooklyn alone the whole day. Of course, it was the best thing in the world seeing how much he cared about her, but it only made me fall in love with him more. I wished more than anything he would stop with the drugs and then we could be together like a proper family. A part of me knew that was never going to happen; he had a new girlfriend now anyway, but it was hard to accept. I still thought of him as mine, even though I had no right to anymore.
At about 4:00, Layton randomly announced he was leaving.
“Already? Where are you off to?” Cyrus asked. We all looked at him expectantly as he stared at the ground.
“I’m just…going to see Alice…for a bit,” he mumbled, running his hand nervously through his hair. I’d never met Alice, but it pissed me off that he was giving up time with his daughter to go and see her. She was only born yesterday so you’d have thought he’d be desperate to spend time with her. In fairness, I probably only felt like that because I was jealous. Maybe this Alice was a nice girl; she couldn’t be worse than Maci. That was for sure.
“Can I see Brooke again soon?” Layton asked, turning his attention to me.
“Of course,” I told him, “You can come over whenever you’d like.” He smiled his signature smile that gave me butterflies. Whilst I wasn’t going to be one of those selfish mothers that stopped their child from seeing their dad without a good reason, I also wasn’t sure I felt comfortable with Layton spending time alone with Brooke. Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t for one second think that Layton would hurt her; I just didn’t want Brooklyn in an environment with drugs. I was determined to protect her from that.
Cyrus and Rowan left soon after Layton, leaving just the family and Mel. Mel and I decided to go for a walk with Brooklyn and take her into work to meet Sally and Brianne. Brianne in particular had not stopped nagging me.
“I see you still like Layton then,” Mel observed as we walked along the sea front.
“Is it that obvious?” I sighed, my cheeks turning red.
“Yes. You blush every time he even speaks to you. You’re doing it now,” she smirked.
“Do you think he knows?” I panicked.
“God knows. Layton’s not exactly the most observant person. I think he still likes you though.”
“Don’t be silly. He’s going out with that Alice girl.”
“I reckon she’s just a rebound. Think of all those things he said to you in Paris. He can’t have gotten over you in that quickly,” she reasoned.
“Paris was nearly four months ago.”
“Yeah, but he started going out with Alice less than a month after you two broke up. There is no way in hell he was over you by that time.”
“They wouldn’t have lasted this long if he still liked me,” I argued. Whilst it would be nice to believe Layton was in love with me, I knew it was best not to get my hopes up only to be disappointed.
“Jenna, guys don’t do romantic, especially not Layton. The fact he said all those things to you, in Paris for god’s sake, proves he’s completely head-over-heels for you. You’d have to be blind not to see that.”
“Well then I’m blind,” I shrugged as we neared the shop and went inside.