28. Layla

I wake up to my phone vibrating on the nightstand.

What now?

With a yawn, I unlock the screen to check for any messages or notifications that might have come in overnight. My heart skips a beat when I see a message from Lula, accompanied by a link to an article and a video.

I quickly tap on the link and watch as the page loads, revealing the headline: "Supermodel and Lawyer Deception Exposed: Lies Unraveled in Shocking Video Confession." My breath catches in my throat as I read the accompanying summary, my eyes widening in disbelief at the words on the screen.

Without hesitation, I click on the video link, my pulse racing with anticipation as the footage begins to play. My heart sinks as I watch Tierney and Randy, their faces twisted with deceit as they admit to their lies and manipulation.

I should have known.

How can someone do this?

Just as the video comes to an end, there's a sharp knock on the door, pulling me out of my reverie. I glance at the clock, furrowing my brow in confusion. Who could be knocking at this hour?

I make my way to the front door, my heart pounding in my chest as I try to brace myself for whatever confrontation awaits on the other side. With a deep breath, I pull open the door, only to be met with the sight of Randy standing on the porch, a smug smirk playing at the corners of his lips.

"Where's my son?" he demands, his voice dripping with arrogance as he looks past me into the house.

I feel a surge of anger bubbling up inside me at his audacity, the weight of his lies and manipulation pressing down on me like a suffocating blanket. Without a word, I hold up my phone, the video still playing on the screen for him to see.

Randy's smirk fades, replaced by a look of panic as he stammers for a response. "That... that video is fake. Tierney and I never said any of those things. It's just... it's just a misunderstanding."

I narrow my eyes at him, my patience wearing thin as I shake my head in disbelief. "Save it, Randy. I know the truth now, and so does everyone else. You can't lie your way out of this one."

With that, I slam the door shut in his face, feeling a sense of satisfaction wash over me as I shut out the toxicity of his presence.

My phone rings, jolting me out of my daze. With a curious frown, I glance at the caller ID and see it's Lula. I answer quickly, a tinge of excitement in my voice.

"Lula, hey! What's up?"

"Layla," Lula's voice is urgent, and I can hear the tension in her tone. "You need to hear this."

"What is it?"

"I know why Randy was suddenly so obsessed with you."

"Why? What did you find out?"

"Randy lost his job," Lula says, her words hitting me like a ton of bricks. "He was apparently taking bribes from clients. But no one knew about it because it is a closed investigation. He's broke, Layla. He was looking to latch onto someone who could support him."

The pieces of the puzzle begin to fall into place, and suddenly, everything makes sense. Randy's desperation, his sudden interest in me and Breckin — it was all a ploy to manipulate and deceive.

I feel a surge of anger rising within me, hot and fierce as it burns through my veins. "So, he was just using me. Why me? I'm a single mom, I'm not loaded."

"I think maybe because of your parents and Eric. He knows that they'll pay millions to make sure Breckin and you are safe."

"He was just using me?"

Lula"s voice is sympathetic. "I"m afraid so, Layla. But now that we know the truth, we can focus on moving forward and leaving him behind."

I take a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart. "You"re right, Lula. Thank you for uncovering this. It"s a relief to finally understand what"s been going on."

"That explains why he is talking to Tierney now. He's just looking for a sugar mama."

"He's a snake, so pathetic."

"How are things with Brock?"

There's a knock on the door. "Good, I think. But my house is like Grand Central Station today. I'll call you back. Someone's at the door."

I open the front door and see Brock standing outside.

"Hey," he smiles.

"Hey," I repeat as I open the door and allow him to come inside.

"Get dressed. We're going for a drive."

"A drive? Brock… I can't there's too much for me to do and Breckin has a game this evening."

"I'm aware. We'll be back in time. I promise."

I cock an eyebrow and look at him. I let out a sigh.

"Fine."

I rummage through my wardrobe, searching for something light and breezy. The simple sundress hanging at the back catches my eye. It"s perfect for a day like today, with its flowing fabric and vibrant floral pattern. I slip it on, feeling the soft material cascade around me, and I can"t help but smile at my reflection in the mirror. Simple, yet elegant.

We hop into Brock's car, the engine purring to life beneath us. As we pull out of the driveway, the radio springs to life, filling the car with music. We sing along at the top of our lungs, our laughter mingling with the melody.

"Oh my goodness, I love this song," I breathe as "Like I"m Gonna Lose You" by Meghan Trainor filters through the radio. "I haven't heard it in forever."

"I remembered it's your favorite."

"Wait, is this a radio station?"

He shakes his head and smiles. "It's a playlist."

"But it's all… how did you know?"

"I realize that we didn't really have a lot of time together before the accident. Maybe it was creepy, but I paid attention to the songs that your eyes lit up with, or that you closed your eyes to sing on the car ride to Maine. And then what you were listening to when we ran into each other on the beach. I made a mental note and made the playlist for our car ride home… which never happened."

"Brock," I gasp. "That's… that's amazing."

Tears roll down my cheeks.

I've never had anyone do something so sweet and thoughtful for me before.

Brock drives with purpose, his eyes sparkling with excitement. I watch the scenery pass by in a blur of colors and shapes, the wind tousling my hair as we speed down the highway with his car"s top down. With each mile that disappears beneath us, I feel myself growing more alive, more free.

Eventually, we veer off the main road, onto a winding path that leads us towards the coast. The salty scent of the ocean fills the air, and I can feel the anticipation building within me. Where is he taking me?

As we round the final bend, the sight before us takes my breath away. A stretch of golden sand stretches out before us, the waves crashing gently against the shore. It"s beautiful, serene, and strangely familiar.

"Why does this place look so familiar?" I ask, my brow furrowing in confusion.

Brock"s smile widens, his eyes twinkling with mischief. "Because, my beloved Layla, this is where it all began."

I gasp, my heart pounding in my chest as the memories come flooding back. The first time we made love, under the stars, with nothing but the sound of the waves to keep us company. It feels like a lifetime ago, and yet the emotions are still so raw, so real.

My hand goes to my mouth, it's my first memory. It's like a tidal wave as things start coming back to me, starting with that first moment I met Brock outside of the hockey rink.

Tears race down my cheeks. Brock reaches over and hugs me tightly.

"I wanted this to be special."

Brock helps me out of the car, his hand warm against mine. Together, we take our shoes off and walk towards the beach to feel the soft sand beneath our feet. The sun hangs low in the sky, casting a warm glow over everything it touches.

As he leads me towards the beach, my heart races with anticipation, wondering what surprise awaits me at the water"s edge. As we draw closer, my eyes widen in awe at the sight before us.

A white tent stands proudly against the backdrop of the setting sun, its fabric billowing gently in the breeze. Twinkling fairy lights dance around the perimeter, casting a warm glow over the scene. A table adorned with candles and delicate china sits in the center, and the two chairs are draped with flowing fabric. Everywhere I look, there are red roses, their petals glistening in the fading light.

Eric and Breckin stand nearby, dressed in tuxedos that fit them perfectly. Breckin"s usual serious expression softens into a smile as he catches my eye, and I can"t help but return it.

"What"s all this?" I ask Brock, my voice barely above a whisper as I take in the scene before me.

"I planned a little romantic dinner for us, just the two of us."

My heart swells with gratitude as I look at him, unable to comprehend the effort he"s gone to for me. "It"s amazing," I breathe, reaching out to squeeze his hand. "Thank you, Brock. For everything."

He returns my squeeze, his smile widening. "Anything for you, my love. Come, let"s take a seat."

We walk to the table, the sand warm beneath our feet. Eric and Breckin step forward, each taking their place behind a chair. They serve us dinner with practiced ease, their movements fluid and graceful. I watch in awe as they place plate after plate before us, each dish more exquisite than the last.

As they step back to give us some privacy, I turn to Brock, my eyes shining with emotion. "This is incredible," I say, my voice barely above a whisper. "I don"t know what to say."

"You don"t have to say anything, Layla. Just know that I love you, more than words can express."

Tears prick at the corners of my eyes as I look at him, overwhelmed by the depth of his love. "I love you too, Brock. More than anything in this world."

And then, just as I think the moment couldn"t get any more perfect, there"s a loud noise overhead. I look up, my heart skipping a beat as a plane flies low overhead, a banner trailing behind it.

"Layla, will you marry me?" it reads in bold, black letters, and I feel my breath catch in my throat.

I turn to Brock, my eyes wide with shock. "Is this...?"

He nods, a nervous smile playing at his lips. "I can"t wait another six years to be with you, Layla. Will you marry me?"

Tears spill down my cheeks as I nod, my heart overflowing with love. "Yes, Brock. Yes, a thousand times yes."

And as the sun sets behind us, painting the sky in hues of pink and gold, I know that this is where I"m meant to be. In Brock"s arms, by the sea, forever and always.

But our moment of bliss is interrupted by Breckin and Eric peeking around the corner, their faces lit up with excitement.

"What"s going on?" Breckin asks. "Did she say yes?"

Brock looks up at them, a smile spreading across his face. "She did."

Breckin"s eyes widen in disbelief, his face breaking into a wide grin as he starts whooping and hollering with joy. "Yes! Yes! Mom, yes!"

I can"t help but laugh at his enthusiasm, my heart swelling with love for the two most important men in my life.

"Not to be Debbie Downer," Eric interjects. "How's this going to work when the hockey season starts up."

"Oh yeah, you're looking at your newest teammate," Brock laughs.

"What?" Eric and I both gasp simultaneously.

"Yup, just found out this morning. It'll be released to the media soon."

"Bro, that's incredible."

"What does that mean?" Breckin asks.

"It means that your Uncle Eric and I are on the same team. We both play for the Bruins."

"Sweet," Breckin says with a grin.

My little man comes over and hugs Brock and me.

"Oh, there's something else" Brock adds. "I… I planned us a trip to Disney. Breckin told me once he wanted to go and so I planned a trip for us. I got tickets and reservations for our families to come with us, so you and I can have some alone time."

"Brock, that's too much I can't…"

"I have the money. I didn't want to flaunt that before. I knew you"d love me for me but I wanted your friends to know me for who I am without distractions, and so I didn't do extravagant before and… I want to do this for us though. I want to make moments and memories that we haven't got to yet."

"YES!" Breckin exclaims as he jumps up and down excitedly.

"Let me and Breckin head back to Stetson Falls and you guys can have some alone time for a bit," Eric adds.

Breckin hugs us again and then darts toward the car. Brock laughs and grins back at me.

"We don't need fancy trips."

"I know, but it's memories. It's something that Breckin will never forget because he's with us, the three of us as a family, all of us together as a family."

I sigh and smile back at him. "I didn't think about it that way."

Brock pulls me into him and brushes his lips against mine.

"I love you," he breathes.

"I love you. I didn't see the day going like this, but I'm so glad it did."

He laughs. "Me too."

He kisses me again, this time pulling me into a passionate kiss. My arms wrap around his neck and I mold myself to him.

His phone vibrates against me and we pull away from each other laughing.

"It's the alarm to tell me that we have to leave for Breckin's game."

He shows me the phone alarm and I giggle. He gestures to the car.

"Do we need to clean this up?" I ask.

He laughs this time. "No, Layla, I"ve hired someone to do that for us."

"Oh, I…"

"Hey, you don't have to do everything anymore, okay?" he asks sweetly as he crosses in front of me to open my door for me.

"Okay," I smile.