To Brooklyn, With Love (Completed) - Finding You Book 2

Harrison

"Just call her already," Layla's smile is so wide and her eyes are so big, I feel like if I don't call, I'll be disappointing her.

I made the mistake of telling my baby sister that I met a girl. Now she won't leave me alone.

"Linds would want you to be happy," she says softly and I rub my hands over my face. I know she's right. Lindsey would never want me to be lonely, but it doesn't make it any easier to take that first step.

"Brooklyn is a friend," I clarify. "She likes baseball. I like baseball. She helped Sophie. End of story,"

"That's not how it sounded last night," she teases. "'She's gorgeous, Lay. And she's cool. So cool...'" she says in the voice she uses to pretend she's me. "You like her,"

"Thats just it. What if I really do? That's...I haven't...." I stop and spin it in a less serious direction. "I've had a solid night's sleep. I'm a different person now," I tell her and she shoves me.

"So she's not gorgeous anymore? You don't like her?"

"Oh, she is," I smile. "And I do. I'm just thinking more realistically," I smile. "I don't even know her,"

"You didn't always know Lindsey," she says softly. "Look how that turned out,"

"Yeah. Really awesome," I say with a frown and she cringes.

"That's not what I meant, but I'm sorry," her head falls on my shoulder. "I miss her, too. I'd do anything to bring her back,"

"Me too," I swallow. If I didn't have Layla, I don't know what I'd do.

"And I'll do anything to help you make this better," she says sweetly. "More than anything, I want you to be happy,"

"I know that, too," I tell her wrapping my arm around her shoulder for a second before she sits back up. I let out a long breath as the heavy moment passes.

It's late. Sophie's in bed. We're eating cereal at the island in my kitchen, because even though I'm 30 and she's 24, cereal is still one of our favorite meals.

"Besides. I'm on the cusp of taking over an empire," I tease, raising my eyebrows. "I can't drag her into all that,"

"An empire you don't even want," she reminds me. "Why don't you give it to Jack?"

"Because. Dad wants me to run it. He expects me to," I tell her. "And he's sacrificed a lot over the years, building that company. I would be an idiot to turn it down. It will give Sophie financial freedom someday,"

"She'd have it anyway," she tells me. "Sounds to me like, you're looking for excuses not to call her."

"Maybe. She's not even into me. I gave her season tickets in our row and she looked at me like I was crazy," I say.

"You're Harrison fucking Reid. She'd be crazy to turn you down. I bet she thinks you're trying to pay her back for saving Soph," she says, bringing her bowl to her lips. She looks me right in the eyes. "You're kind of an idiot," she says before drinking it.

"What?" I frown and the milk drips from my spoon as it's halfway to my mouth.

"Just call her," she says again, hopping off the stool to set her bowl in the sink. "Even if you only want to be her friend. The banquet is in two days. Are you really going to show up without a date?"

"I was planning on it," I frown.

"Well don't," she warns. "All you can do is ask. What's the worst that can happen? She says no and you're back to where you were a few days ago," she says, grabbing her keys from the counter. "You've got to get back out there, Harry," she says sadly. "You're so lonely it's kind of breaking my heart,"