Protecting Love (LarssonSiblingSeries #3)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Betty

I stare down at the text message in an almost trance. I need to see you. Trev. The words blur into one when I realise I've been looking for ages, pressing the home button, so the screen doesn't die. I had managed to dodge Trevor most of the stay apart from when he collared me in my parent's driveway. In all honesty, I forgot about him, having too much fun in Finn's company. It's amazing how you can go from the deepest depths of hell to bright sunshine in the space of a week.

"Betty, you home?" Edward's voice echoes into my bedroom.

I jump out of my skin, dropping my phone on to my bed. "Yeah, in here."

Edward appears looking stressed out. "I know this isn't easy for you, but Laine needs you right now, kid."

My stomach swirls nervously. "Is everything okay?"

"No, Laine and Trevor broke up. Laine's in pieces."

I glance back at my phone with a sickness in my stomach. Trevor doesn't want to see me, not really. He wants to wallow in his own self-pity. What did I expect? An explanation? A genuine apology?

Yeah, right.

I'm so done with his shit.

I stand up. "Will you take me to her?"

I've never seen Edward look so proud. "Yeah, kid, I'll take you."

I send a quick text to Finn to let him know I'm going out with Edward and ask how his shopping trip with his mum is going. I get a reply of Torture and laugh. It's our last day in Yorkshire before we travel down to London where I have interviews and recording time scheduled for a few days before flying out to Italy where I'm singing at Fashion Week.

"Is Delilah at the office?" I say when we ride down in the lift.

Edward hums. "Yeah, she's doing some paperwork. It's about all I want her doing."

I shake my head. "Ed, you can't wrap her in cotton wool."

"I know," he winks, leading the way to the underground garages. "But, I can try. I'd have her off on maternity leave now if she let me."

"I can't imagine DeDe enjoying sitting around all day."

"You and me both. I was told before I left that if I let her catch up on her work in peace, she would let me into a secret she's been keeping."

I try to hide my smile. "I wonder what that is."

"God only knows. If I'm lucky, it's a full nights rest without being woken up for other things than sleep. Pregnancy is exhausting."

I pull a face. "Edward, do you have to tell me stuff like that? I'm not one of the boys."

Edward tips his head back and chuckles, opening his Range Rover. "Sorry, kid. Blame the four hours of sleep."

I'm officially traumatised.

I press the button on the stereo and turn the station up, not knowing how to reply to him. Edward laughs while starting the engine, pulling out of the parking space with ease. I buckle into my seat and look out of the window, waving at Gerard, the guard who keeps watch over the cars, smiling when he blows a kiss.

Gerard is sixty-two and refuses to stop working as he says you always end up dying when you do.

A little bit of an over exaggeration if you ask me, but he's happy, and that's all that matters.

I recognise the first cord in an instant as my song Regret plays out the speakers. A surreal feeling comes over me as I realise how far I've come in such a short space of time. Edward switches it up by the buttons on his steering wheel and starts to sing moving his shoulders up and down.