by Jordan Ford
“But…” I point at Derek, then glance around the table, desperately searching for backup. Mom’s now red with embarrassment while Martin’s face is bunched with confusion. Mack won’t even look at me, and all I can do is sit there wishing for Finn to show up with my proof.
Yes, I’m actually wishing for that! I must be on freaking desperation overload!
Derek gives me a pitying look. “Maybe you’ve been spending a little too much time with that new boyfriend of yours.”
“Boyfriend? What boyfriend?” Mom tips her head. “There’s yet another guy?”
“I saw them making out in the driveway yesterday, Celia.” Derek bulges his eyes at her, his eyebrows rising. “It was kind of full-on for a public street, if you ask me.”
“Layla.” Mom admonishes me right away. “What have you been up to? I know you’ve been struggling to find your way, but this behavior is ridiculous.”
“That’s not true.” I sit forward. “We were just kissing goodbye.”
“And he’s black,” Derek mutters, then makes this grimacing face that stops me short.
My voice drops low as I glare at him. “What’s that got to do with it?”
Derek’s lips dip and he throws his father a derogatory look that I just cannot handle. I can sit here and cope with a few insults, but he is not getting away with treating Finn like a second-rate citizen.
I don’t know what comes over me, but I lurch out of my chair, stomp around my brother, and lay a fist right into Derek’s cheek.
It’s not a very hard hit. It doesn’t even make him fall out of his chair. If anything, the only thing it scores me is a horrified gasp from the surrounding patrons and a row of aching knuckles.
“Layla!” Mom screeches before throwing Martin a look of apology.
Derek pops out of his chair, towering over me with a murderous snarl. His nostrils are flaring just like they did the last time he hit me. I lean away from him, bumping into Mack, who is rising from his chair. He steadies me against him, ready to push me out of the way as Derek raises his fist.
“Derek!” Martin shouts. It’s a loud, thunderous sound that freezes everyone in the restaurant. Even the waiter to my right who’s about to refill a glass of water pauses to gape at us.
Derek’s chest heaves as he casts a look at his father, his cheeks tinging a hot red. His body is practically vibrating as he resists the urge to pound me.
I can’t help a soft snigger. “That’s right, Derek. Wouldn’t want to let those true colors show.”
“You little bitch,” he whispers so quietly I’m sure only Mack and I can hear him.
Pushing off Mack, I stand tall on my own and glare up at Derek. “You can’t hold this over me anymore. They may not believe me right now, but they will. And if you ever touch me again, I’m going to the police.”
“Oh please, who the hell’s going to believe a slut like you?”
“I am.” Finn’s voice cuts across the table. Just hearing his deep timbre makes me body sag with relief. His expression is hard and intense as he glares at Derek. If murderous looks could compete, Finn would win hands-down.
With a little flick of his wrist, he drops the photos onto the table. The glossy images slide into a haphazard line and my stomach hitches. Mom reaches forward first, her eyes bulging as she collects the first image.
Martin leans toward her, his eyebrows dipping into a sharp V while he absorbs the harrowing shot. Then Mack reaches down and gathers up a few. The way his face bunches in disgust breaks me, and I let out a little whimper before covering my mouth and sobbing into it.
Tears blind me as I stand there quivering. Finn moves around to me but Mack blocks his way, shaking his head and muttering, “You gave me your word nothing bad would happen. How could you not tell me about this?”
Finn has no reply.
Everything around goes still and quiet. I’m the only one making any noise. My pitiful crying echoes throughout the horrified cafe for what feels like ages. Until finally, my mother drops the photos in her hands and jerks from the table. Shuffling past Derek, she nudges him out of the way and stands beside me.
“Martin, I think you need to have a word with your son. I’m taking my daughter home.” Wrapping her arm around me, she raises her chin and guides me out of the restaurant with the grace and dignity of a queen.
I don’t know how long she’ll keep the act going, but it’s the best move my mom’s made in a really long time.
#30:
Payback’s Coming
Finn
I want to follow Layla and her mom, but a dark look from Mack holds me in my place. He shakes his head and storms out of the restaurant, leaving a red-faced Derek with his father. I’ve only met Martin a couple of times, but he’s always been the friendliest guy. Right now, he looks about ready to explode.
“What pictures? Is that what you asked, Derek?” He slaps the photos down. “I think she was referring to these!”
“I don’t know anything about these,” Derek mutters.
Martin lets out a disgusted scoff. “I highly doubt that.”
His hands are shaking as he pulls a couple of hundreds out of his wallet and drops them on the table.
Snatching up the photos, he gives the top one a disgusted glare before slapping them against my chest and barking at his son. “Let’s go!”
Derek shuffles after his father, turning at the door to glower at me. I don’t know if he’s figured out I broke into his house or not, but that scowl he’s throwing me is filled with all kinds of warning.
Payback’s coming.
I stand tall, puffing out my chest and glaring right back at him.
Challenge accepted, asshole.
It’s not until he disappears out of the cafe that I let my true emotions show. Making a fist, I crumple the images and stalk out of the restaurant. I dump the photos into the first trashcan I can find, taking the time to stop and rip them up before throwing the pieces away.
Tyler has them all on his flash drive if we need proof. Standing there while they printed out of his machine was torture. Colt kept glancing down as each new one came out, his face bunching with disgust and then outrage.
I didn’t want him hating on Layla for any of this. He saw firsthand what Quaid tried to do to Tori, but it was different for Layla. The photos show she’s not exactly putting up much of a fight. It’s easy to defend sweet little Pixie Girl, but my Layla’s got a reputation.
I want that image to change, dammit.
She’s not that girl anymore, and hopefully with me around, she won’t turn into her again.
I’m going to do everything in my power to make her understand how lovely and beautiful she is. That partying shit is in the past. I’m here now, and I’m not letting anyone touch her again.
I want to drive over to her place and make sure she’s okay, make sure Mack’s not giving her too hard of a time, but I force myself to turn towards Tyler’s instead.
Layla’s strong enough to fight this battle, and as much as I want to take the hits for her, I won’t be doing her any favors by letting her hide from her family. Mack’s a reasonable guy—most of the time. I have to trust that he cares enough about his sister to actually hear her…and I have to trust the way Layla’s mother walked her out of the restaurant with her arm tight around her shoulders.
Although Layla’s not a hundred percent sure about it, I know her mother loves her. She’s just been too caught up in her own love story to notice the tragedy Layla’s life has become.
#31:
Justifiable
Layla
Mom won’t talk.
The drive home is so eerily quiet I’m actually starting to sweat. Mack took the backseat. He’s sitting behind me with his arms crossed and a steely look on his face. The angry waves pulsing out of him can be felt throughout the car.
I’m pretty sure he’s mad at me, and he’s definitely mad at Derek. He looked pretty pissed with Finn too, which just isn’t fair.
“Finn
wasn’t at that party.” I turn my head so that my voice carries into the back seat. “It happened before you even left for New Zealand.”
A muscle in Mack’s jaw clenches.
I try to pretend like Mom’s not sitting right next to me, listening to everything I’m saying.
“I was drunk, okay? I didn’t know what I was doing.”
Mom flinches, but refuses to look at me when I glance her way.
Mack lets out a disgusted scoff. “Layla, you’ve got to stop this! Getting drunk off your ass? Partying all the time? I can’t always be there to pull you out of trouble! When are going to start taking care of yourself?”
“What do you think I’m trying to do? I’m not going to be like that anymore, okay? Seeing those photos made me sick, literally. I spent all of spring break throwing up and fighting a fever.”
“What?” Mom jerks into the driveway, punching the brakes and bringing the car to an abrupt stop.
“I was at Finn’s place. His mom looked after me.”
“You told me you were going to Boise with Tori and Colt!”
“And you believed me!”
Mom’s expression crumples. “What is that supposed to mean?”
“I tried to tell you that Derek was a jerk, but you wouldn’t listen. I figured if I told you about the photos you wouldn’t believe me anyway. So I ran.” I look down, tears flooding my eyes. “If I hadn’t been sick… If Finn hadn’t found me…I would have gotten on a bus and disappeared.” I sniff. “And I don’t even know if you would have cared.”
I suck in a breath and wrestle with the latch, kicking the door open and jumping out of the car.
“Layla!” Mom calls after me. “Layla, stop!”
Spinning on my platform heels, I whirl around to face her. “I’m sorry, am I being too dramatic for you?”
Mom closes her eyes, shaking her head like I’m a lost cause.
“Do you know how much courage it took to tell you the truth today? Do you have any idea how disgusting I feel, knowing that guy laid his hands on me?” I slap my chest. “I was terrified. And so I did what Derek told me to, but I never wanted to hurt you. I’m sorry, okay? I’m sorry for not being the good little girl you want me to be. I’m sorry that I was missing Dad so much that I couldn’t accept Martin into our lives. I have been so lost. And you and Martin always make me feel invisible…insignificant! Oh, here we go again. Layla’s in a mood.” I put on a voice, rolling my aching eyes. “The only person who ever really sees me is Mack.” I point to my brother. “And he’s leaving! So, I get Finn, right?” I throw them this wild, tear-drenched smile. “Which makes me the luckiest girl on the planet.” I turn my gaze on Mack, not even caring that I’m screaming like a crazy person. “And all you can do is be pissed off about it!”
Mack’s thunderous glare softens at the edges, but he’s still riled. The tense set of his shoulders and the curl in his upper lip gives him away. Just like I thought, he’ll never look at me the same. I’m not his redeemable little Lay-lay anymore. I’m just the girl who crossed a line.
Mom’s leaning against the hood of the car, covering her mouth as tears stream down her face.
I don’t know what she’s thinking or if she’s even heard me.
She’s probably stressing that this will break up her and Martin. How can they possibly stay together now that they know their kids got it on?
It’s gross on so many levels.
I stand there for a few more quaking minutes, waiting for someone to say something to me, to acknowledge my raw outburst, but their eyes are locked on the ground.
“Forget it,” I mutter and stomp past them.
“Layla!” Mack calls after me as I storm down the footpath.
“Just leave me alone!” I scream then break into a run.
There’s only one safe place left to go.
#32:
The Black Beast
Finn
Dad called me as soon as Layla arrived on our doorstep in tears. I left Tyler’s place immediately and hauled ass back home. When I get there, Layla is sitting on the couch, snuggled against my mother as she blubbers out the truth.
I mean, she really goes for it.
It’s like sitting in on a counseling session. Mom’s really good about it, doesn’t flinch or grimace when Layla tells her all she’s been up to. I even find out little nuggets I didn’t know before, like the fact that Roxy promised not to let her drink too much at the party but then lost sight of her.
My face dips into a tight frown as I think about how useless her two best friends can be. But I somehow manage to track that emotion back to me, and I’m stunted by an overpowering guilt. I should have kept a better eye on Layla at that New Year’s Eve party. I should have been there the night Derek took advantage of her. And hell, maybe I should have told Mack the truth, as well.
I kind of hate that he’s mad at me. I want to call and smooth things over but he won’t be ready to listen yet. I could list a string of valid reasons for keeping him in the dark, but it won’t change the fact that he found out something shocking about his sister and the guy he hates most, and the one guy he’d asked to watch out for Layla hadn’t prepped him for the big reveal. He needs time to process that shit, and I just have to wait it out.
“And so I ran here.” Layla sucks in a breath. “This place was like a safe haven when I was sick, and I just feel like I’m home here.”
“But we’re not your home,” Mom murmurs gently. “You have one of those already, and I don’t care what lies you’re thinking right now, your mother loves you.” Mom pats her on the back.
Layla shakes her head, pressing the heel of her hand into her eye and sniffing.
“Come on now, you know it’s the truth.”
“I guess it just kind of feels like a default setting rather than a genuine emotion. Like she has to love me because she’s my mom. I mean, she did stand up for me at the restaurant, but…” Layla lets out a shuddering breath and her face bunches with tears.
I can’t watch her cry again, so I lurch out of my chair. I make it to her in two long strides, crouching down and resting my hand on her knee. Tucking a lock of long dark hair behind her ear, I cup her damp cheek and swipe the tears with my thumb.
“You were so brave today, and Derek’s in deep trouble now. He dug his own grave by spinning all those lies before I got there. He played right into your hands. I know it was really hard, and there’s still gonna be the aftermath to deal with, but you stood up to him, baby. You did it.”
Layla nods and tries to smile, but her lips are weak and wobbly. I press my own against them, lightly gripping her neck as I do. She gives into my touch, curling her fingers into my jacket collar. I pull back and brush my nose against hers, pleased to see a small smile.
“Okay, you two lovebirds. Get out of my house.”
Layla gasps, her head snapping left to face my mother.
Mom flicks her finger toward the door. “Go for a walk. Hold hands. Kiss. You guys need a sweet, quiet moment to finish off this day. I’ll call your mother to let her know you’re safe, and then you can stay for dinner if you like.”
She pats Layla’s knee and gives me a little wink before standing up from the couch and straightening her shirt.
Layla and I stay where we are, still locked in our little moment until my mother tuts and points at the door again.
“Go on! Dad and I don’t want to be seeing those gooey looks. Now get your butts outside.”
With a light chuckle, I stand tall and pull Layla up with me.
“Mom, can I borrow your—?”
“Yes,” she calls from the kitchen. I grab the keys out of the bowl and lead Layla down to Mom’s car.
“She really is bossy, isn’t she?” Layla’s nose wrinkles as I open the door for her.
I laugh. “Only ‘cuz she likes you so much.”
“Yeah. Yeah.” Layla tips her head, still looking skeptical. If only she knew. There’s no way my mother would send me to make out with a girl
if she didn’t think there was something genuine going on between us. My chest expands as I slide into my seat, my heart thrumming out a grateful tune. Once this crappy storm cloud has passed over, the rest of this year is going to be awesome.
I smile as thoughts of beyond graduation start to tickle my mind. Summer with Layla as my girlfriend—that is going to be a thing of beauty.
Pulling out of our street, I check the intersection and notice a dark blue car parked outside the Butler’s place. They’ve been living in that corner house since before I can remember. I don’t recognize the car and figure they must have family over for the weekend.
Shrugging it off, I turn left and head for the spot I first kissed Layla. I can see it becoming a regular hangout for us with its great view, beautiful landscape, and a hell of a lot of privacy. I grin as I glance over at Layla.
She’s stopped crying now, but her eyes are still kind of puffy.
“You starting to feel better?”
She shrugs. “As long as I don’t think too far ahead. I really don’t want to go back home tonight.”
Reaching over, I lay my hand on her thigh and give it a gentle squeeze. “Don’t think about it. Just enjoy this moment with me. We’ll pretend like the rest of the world doesn’t exist.”
“Okay.” She grins and wraps her fingers around mine, making sure my hand stays on her leg while I drive.
A few minutes later, she leans forward and starts the music going, and for the rest of the drive we act like a normal couple who are out on a Sunday afternoon date. I can see many more of these in my future, and it makes it kind of impossible not to smile.
Pulling onto the quiet road, we wind our way down to the dirt parking lot. I angle the car so we’re staring into the forest. The light breeches the treetops, casting magical beams onto the forest floor.
“Do you want to go for a walk down the path or just sit here for a while?”
Layla looks out my window. “Let’s walk.”
“Okay.” I push my door open then run around to open Layla’s. She beats me to it, so I have to suffice with taking her hand and holding her against me as I close her door.
