Chapter 34

Chapter Thirty-Four

Ainsley

Toby and I head to the music room to grab Breezy.

Ironically, it's been seventeen days since Mason erased himself from my home—but who's counting. Earlier today, I tried to fill the empty spots in my closet with my clothing, but the hollowness remains intact.

I debate what I miss the most, my friend and pretend superhero or the man I fell in love with. An almost six- month relationship. That's nothing if I compare it to the other relationship. A poor excuse to convince me it doesn't matter.

I coach myself every day when my heart cracks at the memories we created. But then, if I add the prelude, the years of friendship, and mix it all up, it makes sense that the pain I feel is excruciating.

Breezy rests on her guitar stand, lonely and dusty from the lack of use.

These days I haven't had the time or energy to play music when I'm at home. My last resource to have some company, I make a call. My parents are on the other side of the world but made me promise to call them often.

"Hey, sweetheart," Dad answers immediately.

"Hi, Dad."

Ignoring the dirt that will gather under my socks, I head to the backyard and sit on the swing. Toby leaps on my lap and curls himself to sleep. "How are you?"

"Fine, reading a few scripts for a few movies," he sighs. "Planning a couple of action movies. Ready for this? They want to make Never End Seven —and bring me back. No, don't laugh, Christian. I still have it."

"If Stallone can do it, I don't see why you can't," I tell him. "You're younger."

"And hotter," Papa yells from the background. "So much hotter I can eat you right now."

"Eww, Fathers, you better not start." I struggle as their insinuations make me laugh. Still, I seriously want to gag at the thought of my parents having sex.

"I need space, Christian," Dad blurts out. "I'm putting her on speaker, or we will end this call too soon."

We talk about the music school.

He tells me his future movie plans and the amazing view from his room. Another tactic to convince me to head down and visit them in Santa Barbara. I brush them off and concentrate on Matt and his film career. He's getting a master's degree in Cinematography and TV Production to get him started.

My brothers are planning to take over the world with their knowledge. We don't know how they'll do it, but we know they'll make it happen. Jacob wants me to help him run the record company, but I'm on the fence about that one.

"I'm off to bed," I say after a series of yawns. "I'll talk to you soon, parental units."

"We love you, baby girl," they say in unison. "Goodnight."

"Goodnight, I love you both so much."

The pitch-dark night, naked trees, and the cold breeze copycats my mind, my soul… Breaking up with him hurt, but knowing he never felt much for me is what crushes me. You fall in love, you fly, you lose your wings, and smash your entire body on the floor. I call that Ainsley's circle of life.

It has to be me. I lack something essential—common sense to choose the right man. I cuddle Toby closer, and I'm about to rise when the doorbell rings. My heart thumps because who else would come to visit me this late at night?

That grain of hope is gone faster than it arrived. My brothers wave toward the right corner of the porch where the security camera is.

I peel my socks off and place them on the staircase as I open the door for them. They're a welcomed distraction. When I open the door, Jacob inspects me from head to toe. I ruffle his shoulder-length, dark-blond hair. He rolls his blue eyes and tilts his head out of my reach. Not a difficult task as he's taller than me.

"Hello. No, I haven't been abducted by aliens, still the same person." Love them both, but I'm not sure if I want to shut the door or let them in. Why are they looking at me as if they haven't seen me before?

"She's alive," he finally says, stepping inside and kissing my cheek. "Miss Ainsley Janine doesn't look as shitty as I thought, wouldn't you say?" He looks over his shoulder and waits for Matt to agree.

"She's also sober," Matt sniffs around me.

"Yes, alive and sober," I confirm, touching my arms and pinching myself slightly. "And not dreaming that you two are here saying weird stuff. Why wouldn't I be alive and sober?"

They sprawl themselves on my leather couches, and I take a seat on the floor while resting my back on the sofa where Matt lies.

They both are in need of a nap. The circles under their eyes and the wrinkled clothes are an indication they've been partying.

"The two of you don't look sober. What happened?" I try not to imply what the two of them have been doing: partying hard.

"Why didn't you say anything about loverboy being the dumper?"

I don't have an answer to that question. When I told my brothers about the breakup, I said it had been a mutual agreement. They are good friends with Mason, and I didn't want them to lose that friendship because of me.

"How did you find out?" A stupid question, as they are friends with Mase.

"He's a fucking mess," Jacob tells me.

Matt twists his lips to the left and shrugs as if agreeing.

"He's crying like a little kid because he fucked up his life big time." Jacob shakes his head while rolling his eyes. "We warned him that he'd be the one wimping around."

"You warned him?"

I'm working hard not to show any interest in Mason, but these two are making it hard.

"Warned him about what?" I glare at both of them and wait for them to speak.

"It doesn't matter, Ainsy." Matt bats his eyelashes and grins. "You only need to know loverboy is crying for his girl. We've had to babysit him since Tuesday as he drank an entire distillery—all by himself."

Mute, I turn from one side to the other, waiting for more information about loverboy.

"So, how much groveling does he have to do?" Jacob questions.

"For what, me?" They both make kissy noises as they hug themselves—they are insane.

"Don't play with me, you two," I breathe deeply. "Didn't you hear? We're over, and that's the end of it. As for you two, you look hungry and tired. There's plenty of room here. I'll make you something to eat real quick."

"Really over?" They ask in unison.

I ignore them both because there's no way I will discuss Mason and what we once had.

"Man, he fucked up big time," Matt groans. "Well, at least she isn't in bitch mode yet."

I give them a weary shrug, push myself up, and head toward the kitchen.

"But what if…" I throw my arms up in the air, shake my head, but refrain from cussing up a storm. Jacob stops talking, and both stare at each other. They'll back off for now.

"If you want me to feed you, you better not say the M-word ," I warn them. "Whatever he's going through isn't my problem. I'm done loving him. He wore me down. He won."

"Tomorrow. We'll campaign tomorrow." Jacob sits at the kitchen table. "I owe him several favors. The least I could do is soften you for when he sobers up and crawls into your room through the window."

The corners of my lips fight against my head. I won't allow them to curl up as the image of Mason climbing through my window forms inside my mind. Like when we stayed in Baja, he'd climb to my room at night and jump out every morning.