“You’re such an asshole,” I hiss, completely fed up with his shit. “You’ve known what I’ve wanted to do for years, and you used to be supportive. What happened?”
“I assumed you would grow out of it.”
“Grow out of it? It’s my passion, my livelihood. My dream is to make music videos, film documentaries, and photograph musicians. That’s never going to change.”
During the years I was friends with Camden, I would record them, edit the footage, and post it on YouTube. It was then I realized I wanted to do that on a larger scale one day. The summer before our junior and senior year, Easton, Camden’s dad, even let me hang around the studio and learn from one of their videographers. He told me after I finished school, I would always be welcome if I wanted to intern with them. Maybe I should talk to Easton. It would piss off David, but at this point, I don’t even care.
“I need to get going,” David says, snapping me from my thoughts.
“Of course you do.” I roll my eyes.
He ignores my annoyance, gathering his stuff and heading to the front door. Before he walks out, he turns back to me, eyeing me one last time. “Do you think that dress is appropriate for a mom to wear?”
My jaw drops—literally drops. “You just said I looked beautiful.”
“And you do. When you’re at home or with your husband. I’m just not sure about the kind of message it will send if you’re wearing it to a concert, surrounded by drunken men.”
“It’s a charity event, and I don’t care if I show up naked. Nothing I wear should send any message to any man, drunk or not. Have a great night at work,” I sneer, turning my back on him, done with this asinine conversation.
“Are you sure you don’t mind watching him?” I ask as my mom pushes me out the door, even though she told me several times she has absolutely no problem with watching her grandson. In fact, she insisted on keeping him for the night to make up for all the time they’ve missed out on while we were living apart and told me not to pick him up until at least after breakfast tomorrow.
“Layla Isabella, if you ask me that one more time…”
“Okay, okay.” I throw my hands up, waving the white flag. “I’m going.”
“Have fun, Mommy!” Felix yells from the living room, not even bothering to come over and properly say goodbye since he’s too busy checking out all the toys my mom bought for him once she found out she’d be watching him tonight.
“Bye, love you.”
I close the door behind me and walk down the steps and over to the Blackwoods, where Bailey told me to meet her. When her mom found out we were going out tonight, she insisted I stop by to see her before we went out.
“Oh my God, Layla!” Sophia wraps me up in a motherly hug. “Seeing pictures of you online is not the same thing. I swear, when you left here, you were still a little girl, but now”—she backs up and drags her gaze up and down, taking me in—“you’re a beautiful woman.” She hugs me again. “We missed you so much.”
“Okay, Mom, we get it,” Bailey says, sauntering into the room, dressed in a pair of dark-wash skinny jeans and a black wraparound halter top, complete with tall lace-up stiletto boots. “Now give her some breathing room before you scare her away.”
Sophia rolls her eyes lovingly at her daughter and kisses her cheek. “Have a good time tonight and give my boys some lovin’ from me. Tell them I expect to see them before they take off back to the other side of the country.”
Her words have me freezing in my place. “The guys are going to be there?”
Bailey and Sophia both eye me curiously, and I make it a point to school my features, not wanting them to know just how much I’ve missed Camden. Hell, how much I’ve missed them all.
“They’re playing at the event,” Bailey says, a cautious smile on her face. “I assumed you knew. I’m technically working tonight. I’m sorry. I should’ve mentioned that. If you don’t want to go—”
“What? No! It’s all good.” I cringe when I hear the false cheer in my voice. “It’s just been forever since I’ve seen them play live,” I add, trying to play it off.
Sophia and Bailey both frown, but thankfully, neither one comments on how awkward I sound, like I’m talking about a band and not my once best friend.
“You sure?” Bailey asks.
“Yeah, I can’t wait to see them play in person.” I should’ve known the event wasn’t just for pleasure. Bailey works for Blackwood, so it only makes sense.
The ride to the concert is long in the city traffic, but Bailey and I use the time to catch up. I learn she’s dating someone new—her name is Cynthia, and she works in marketing at Blackwood. She’s the first woman Bailey’s dated who she can see a future with, so they’re taking it slow. Bailey graduated last year and is using her marketing degree to run Blackwood’s media department, and when she asks me if I’m still planning to do something in videography, I tell her I’ve been researching possible internships and jobs.