Mixed Signals (Lovelight, #3)

by B.K. Borison

“You’ll find someone, Layla.” “Everyone keeps saying that, but I’m not so sure,” I confess. “I’d like something to be mine. Someone, maybe.” Mine and mine alone. Secret smiles and easy touches and lips pressed against the back of my neck. Easy affection and comfort in the mundane.

Come over, I want to say. We’ll eat the cupcakes that I stress baked last week when I thought you were avoiding me and we’ll drink this champagne. We’ll watch something stupid on TV and I won’t have to be alone.

You keep showing me pieces of yourself that I want to collect like seashells. I can’t stop thinking about kissing you and I have no idea how you’d feel about blurring those lines. I don’t want to scare you. I don’t want to get myself in too deep.

I want to be enough.”

It’s my parents, who feigned interest when I called and told them about the interview, but then asked me if I planned on going back to school to get my Master’s degree.

“You deserve good things, sweetheart.” He swallows hard, eyes searching mine. “Why can’t you see yourself? Why can’t you see how incredible you are?” “Because,” I say, my voice cracking at the edges. “Because no one else has bothered to.”