"Money, Money, Money" [2] G. Hawthorne

20 - drunk phone calls and another bestie

Grayson

It wasn't my intention to land up in a hotel room, drunk with the love of my life's best friend but oh well.

Sheffield Grayson- my father was in summary or rather in Kayla's words a dickhead.

"Your turn Hawthorne, ask away."

"What was Kayleigh's mothers name?"

He let out a dry laugh and then answered.

"Sophia" (ive mentioned her name but can't remember so yuh)

"drink or dare?" He asked.

"dare"

"Call Kayla and tell her what you feel for her."

Normally I'd look at him like he was a madman but I was drunk and figured also in Kayla's words 

Why the fuck not?

*******************

Kayla's pov

My phone rang and when I checked the caller-id I sighed.

"Yes Grayson?"

"Kayla." He pretty much groaned into the phone.

Something happened to me whenever he said my name.

It was like an adrenaline rush, it was a bucket of cold water being dumped on my head.

"What's wrong silver?" I asked.

"I miss you"

""uhm-"

"I wish you were here."

"Grayson I~"

"you have no clue how much I want to kiss you right now. I love you so damn much."

"Are you drunk?" I asked.

he was slurring with his words.

"No what on Earth would make you think that?"

Then I heard Luke's voice in the background of the call.

Then there was chattering with another voice.

then, it went silent.

******************

It took me longer than it should have to piece together that when Rebecca had said earlier in the week that Emily's birthday was Friday—today—she hadn't been lying. Neither had Thea when she'd said that there was a memorial fundraiser.

The same fundraiser that Alisa was planning that I would attend.

"I booked you a session with Landon for this afternoon. She had limited availability, so we may have to double up with hair and makeup."

I buckled my seat belt and narrowed my eyes at Alisa as Isaac settled into the front passenger seat and the two of us exchanged a glance. 

"You failed to mention that tonight's memorial was for Emily Laughlin."

"Did I?" Alisa didn't sound even the least bit guilty. "Country Day is building a new chapel in her honor."

"You wouldn't happen to know why Jameson and Grayson took one of your jets, would you?"

Back at Hawthorne House, we found Oren and~

"Lena?" I was stunned to see her. We hadn't been together in person in more than a year, but there Lena was, her brunette tied up in messy buns on either side of her head.

Lena was to me what Max was to Avery. 

She was my friend back in middle school but moved away.

She beamed at me, then shot the world's most aggrieved look in Oren's direction. "Finally! Kayla, will you tell Monsieur Bodyguard over here that I'm not a security risk?"

My shock started to wear off. "Lena" I took a step toward her, and that was all Lena needed to launch herself at me. She hugged me. Hard. "What are you doing here?" I asked.

She shrugged. "I told you that I was considering a mission trip. I am here to bring the love of God to these poor, backward billionaires. It's an ugly job, but someone's got to do it."

"She's joking," I told Oren and Isaac. "Probably." I studied Lena a little more closely. As glad as I was to see her, I also knew her parents wouldn't have approved this trip. She was already on thin ice with them.

And that was when I realized: "Today's your birthday, too."

"Too?" For a split second, I saw raw emotion behind Lena's eyes, but then she shook it off. "I'm nineteen." Lena was legally an adult. Had her parents kicked her out, or had she left on her own? "Got a spare bedroom?" she asked me, all bravado.

I squeezed her hand. "I probably have forty."

Lena offered me her brashest, most invincible Lena Chase smile. "So what does a girl have to do around here to get a tour?"

"So this guy you wanna fuck~"

 " I don't want to fuck anyone."

"Only in your mind and only with your eyes," Max said solemnly.

"Lena!" I said, and then I turned the tables on her. "You want to tell me what you're doing here? We both know you're not okay."

Max looked up at the twenty-foot ceiling. "Maybe I'm not. But I am standing in the middle of a bowling alley in your house. This place is unbelievable!"

If she wanted a distraction, she'd come to the right place.

"Now, is there anything else about the Bonkers Life of Billionaire Avery that you left out?"

I knew better than to press her if she didn't want to talk. "There is one more thing," I said. "Remember Emily?"

"Died and left a thousand broken pieces in her wake?" Lena said immediately. "Loss reverberates through all the players in her tragedy to  this day? Yes, I remember Emily."

"Tonight, I'm going to a fundraiser in her honor."

"Bitch your fucking with me?"

"unfortunately no."

"Okay three things. Firstly, what the fuck? Second where's Luke? Third your bodyguard is totally fuck-able."

I had introduced Lena and Luke a year ago and they hit it off pretty quick.

"You mean Isaac?"

"Damn thought his name would be something like... what's that Italian dude's name?"

"who?"

"the one in the smut book."

"There are a lot of hot Italians in smut book Lena."

We both burst out laughing.

"So does he have a girlfriend?"

"OMG you little minx you wanna get with my bodyguard!"

I tried to say that quietly and failed dismally.

Isaac popped his head in.

"Oh Isaac this is my friend Elenor Chase, Lena this is Isaac Haart."

"Call me Lena." She said shaking his hand.

"Pleasure Lena," He replied shaking it.

He looked her up and down and she did the same with him before she smirked.

He smiled back at her.

"So do you guys mind eye fucking each other later?" I asked them

"Fuck off" They both said at the same time.

They looked at each other and smirked.

well, this'd be fun

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WC: 955

New character alert!!!