Harley (West Coast Rock Star #1)(55)

 

But when Cade and her father arrived later that morning, Harley noticed right away the tension between them. Or rather, the cold shoulder Cade had given Jax. What had happened? She thought they would return announcing that they were a solid item and would soon marry. That was what people in love did.

 

Cade checked on how Harley got on during the night with Juliette, then proceeded to disappear in her bedroom, taking her bags with her.

 

Harley sent her father a look, wondering if he could shed any light on the situation, but he just kissed the top of Harley's head and told her he was going to shower and change. Harley would have asked Zee for information, but the man's lips were sealed. So she turned to Juliette.

 

"Did I miss anything?" Har muttered.

 

Juliette shrugged. "Trouble in paradise or maybe they're just pretending." During breakfast, Harley and Juliette had bonded over their love for 1D music. Harley even made Juliette promise to go with her to their next concert, whenever that may be as her Uncle Bruno told her that he could pull some strings.

 

"Pretending? I don't know. I think it's the other one, which isn't good. How are they going to fall hopelessly in love if they're fighting after one night?"

 

Juliette pursed her lips, and then ruffled Harley's already messy hair. "Oh, kiddo. You watch too many Disney movies. It's not always happily ever after, you know."

 

"But they're perfect for each other!"

 

With a finger pressed on her lips, Juliette shushed Harley. "Don't worry. I'll go check on Cade and you go see your Dad. Between the two of us, we will get these two together."  

 

Zee clearing his throat caught both their attention, but Juliette was having none of it. She sent him a challenging look, a brow lifted, and her hands flew to her hips. Zee only shook his head in response then sagged back onto the couch where he'd been watching, and obviously listening to the girls at the dining table.

 

Harley watched as Juliette walked over to Zee, squeezing his cheeks between her hands before planting a kiss on his lips. It made Harley giggle. Zee was besotted by this woman. Then Juliette climbed the stairs to have a chat with Cade. Harley followed after, passing by the closed guest bedroom where Cade would be staying, went farther down the hall, and then knocked on her father's door.

 

He had just gotten off the phone. His face was in his hands and he seemed bent out of shape.

 

"Hey, sweetheart." Her father waved her in and Harley joined him on the small settee in his bedroom. "I was just coming to see you."

 

"You were?"

 

"Yup. I need your help."

 

"You do?" Harley adjusted her position so she could look into her father's eyes.

 

"I need you to help me ask Cade to marry me."

 

Harley's heart jumped. She wrapped her arms around her father and kissed him on the cheek. "Of course! Of course! When? Today? This week? When?"

 

"Hold on," Jax held his hand up to give her pause as his phone rang. When he looked at the screen, the smile on his face fell. "It's your mother," he told Harley before answering.

 

Fiona's voice was loud enough for Harley to hear. She was in hysterics, shouting and crying over the phone. It would be just like her mother to ruin the best day of her life.

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Twenty-Four

 

 

 

 

 

Just when Jax thought things were finally falling to place, he received a call from hell itself, a.k.a. his ex. He could swear Fiona had some kind of bug planted in his penthouse. It wasn't too far-fetched considering what she had done previously.

 

"You're sleeping with her!" she screamed.

 

Jax had to keep the phone an arm's length away to avoid shattering his eardrum. "Fiona, you have to stop yelling. I can't understand what you're saying," he lied, but it worked. Fiona took a deep breath and blew into the phone. "Now, what are you talking about?"

 

"TMZ has photos of you coming from the airport early this morning and heading straight to your whore's apartment. You said you weren't fucking her, Jax! You told me it wasn't true and now they have pictures? Don't even try and deny it. I'm looking right at your face!"

 

Jax tugged at his hair. It felt greasy at his fingertips. He could use a shower, preferably with Cade. "Fi, you know as well as I do how accurate those reports are."

 

Fiona continued, "Turn on your fucking computer or your TV and start watching. It's you. They have a clear shot. And they have tons of it with you going into her apartment and not coming out for hours. You're even wearing the same clothes! What the hell, Jax? Imagine what this will do to Harley."