Chapter 4 - Laila
She frantically wiped the enormous block counter in the middle of the kitchen as she muttered. “The nerve of him to show up here.” It irked her to the bone that Tolliver waltzed back into her life as if he hadn’t ripped out her heart and stepped on it.
“That bastard.” That handsome bastard. Why did he still look so amazing? Damn him.
It figured that her ex-boyfriend would show up out of the blue on a night when she looked like a hot mess. She’d spent the entire day in the kitchen, and her curls, which she’d piled on top of her head, resembled a bird’s nest. She didn’t have a stitch of makeup on, and her clothes were stained with food coloring. There were probably dustings of flour and confectionery sugar all over her.
Why couldn’t ex-lovers have the decency to show up when a girl looked well put together, smelled great, and had a new boyfriend to give the illusion of living a fabulous life? That was the reunion she’d hoped to have with Tolliver if she ever saw him again.
Instead, how had he found her after five years? Drab, sweaty, smelling like this morning’s breakfast, and single . “Argh…” She scrubbed the counter harder. It was an unspoken rule never to let exes know how miserable your life had been without them.
“Uh-oh, you’re violently cleaning. You’re really upset.”
Laila’s head snapped up at the sound of Cora’s voice. “Oh, good. You’re done making friends with the enemy,” she accused. “Now you can do your job. Get over here and help me so we can close up, and I can go upstairs to take a bath and drown my resurfaced sorrows with a bottle of wine.”
“Now, Laila. There’s no real solace in alcohol.”
“You’ll be singing a different tune when you reach twenty-eight and have man trouble, kiddo.”
Cora rolled her eyes and walked over to take the dishcloth from Laila. “Speaking of trouble…”
“Is the trouble gone?”
“Erm… no.”
Laila scoffed and folded her arms over her chest to glare at the closed door. “What the hell is he still doing here?”
“Actually, he has a surprise for you,” Cora announced.
“Excuse me?”
“And you’re going to let me close up so you can leave with him.”
“Excuse me?” Laila gawked at Cora, too stunned to even move.
“I think he-who-should-not-be… I mean, Tolliver isn’t so bad after all.”
“And you’ve deduced that in five minutes in his presence?”
“Uh-huh. He seems sweet.”
“Unbelievable.” It seemed the Tolliver charm was still working well. That man could charm the habit off a nun if given a chance. “What do you mean so I can leave with him?”
Cora ignored the question. “You know, Laila, you could have told me you were back together.”
Laila’s jaw nearly brushed the floor. She was so shocked that she had no words.
“I’ve learned that he’s been calling you non-stop, trying to get you to talk to him, and you won’t give him a chance. Give the man a chance, Laila.”
“Cora, I have no idea what you’re talking—”
Laila was moving toward the door before she even realized what was happening. Her feet carried her toward Tolliver as if on autopilot. Her own body was betraying her mind’s determination to stay put.
“Cora,” she said slowly, her voice tinged with suspicion. “What did you just do? Are you using magic on me?”
Cora gave an innocent shrug, but the mischievous spark in her eyes said otherwise. “Just a smidge to give you a little nudge. You’re being stubborn, and honestly, he’s way too cute to keep out in the cold. You deserve a romantic getaway with your long-lost love.”
“He’s not my—” She pulled in a breath as a strange heaviness pushed against her mind, and her feet started to move again. Although livid, Laila couldn’t help glancing back at Cora with amazement. She had to give the young woman props for her skill. It seemed Cora was more powerful than she thought. No wonder why her father was afraid of her using magic. After her moment of admiration and pride, she went back to being furious.
“Cora, I can’t believe you. Whatever Tolliver said to you is a lie. He never called me! There is no romantic getaway. He manipulated you.” She gasped as her palm slammed against the door, pushing it open. She shot a withering look over her shoulder. “Release me from whatever magic you’re using now, or else…”
Cora winced. “I’m sorry, Laila. You’ll thank me later after you get your surprise.”
What surprise? “Cora—”
“Laila, you’re ready,” Tolliver said, appearing in front of her. “Great.” He wrapped an arm around her waist. “Let’s go, babe.”
“Don’t call me that,” she spat. “I’m not going anywhere with you.” Yet her feet kept moving toward the door, and Tolliver walked right along with her, keeping her in his hold. She couldn’t believe what was happening. “Cora, you are fired, missy!”
Cora, who was following the duo with a wide grin, stopped in her tracks. “Wait… Am I really? Laila, I’m just trying to help…”
“She didn’t mean that,” Tolliver reassured. “Your job is fine.” He then winked at her. “Thanks, Cora. I owe you.”
Returning to her excitement about her boss’s impending engagement, Cora gave Tolliver a beaming smile and two thumbs up. All the while, through her haze of confusion and disbelief, Laila wondered about their interaction.
She was held captive in the strange magical hold until Tolliver led her a half block from the bakery. At that hour, the town was scanty, with just a few townsfolk returning home after work. There were a couple of businesses on the block with lights still on. Still, Laila didn’t make a fuss to not draw attention to them. She didn’t want her neighbors to know that anything was amiss. Her steps faltered when she spotted a tinted SUV, which Tolliver led her to. She glanced up at him with her heart in her mouth. Where on earth was he taking her? He had switched from charming to stone-faced mode and constantly swept their surroundings.
Laila found herself following his gaze. “Tolliver, what’s going on? What are you looking for?”
“ Who ,” he said.
When they reached the SUV, he opened the door and practically shoved her inside into the driver’s seat. “Move over.”
She stubbornly refused, but then she had no choice when he squeezed in beside her, crowding her with his larger frame and intoxicating scent. Laila scrambled over the center console to the passenger’s side, desperate to put distance between them. Thinking fast, she reached for the door handle, hoping to make her escape because, clearly, Tolliver had gone crazy. However, before she could open the door, the loud click of the lock echoed.
She huffed and turned to glare at him. He lifted an eyebrow and started the vehicle. Laila’s heart pounded as he swerved onto the road and took off at great speed. She looked back to see her bakery disappearing.
“This is kidnapping, you know,” she said. “You kidnapped me and made my nineteen-year-old employee your accomplice.”
“You still have a penchant for dramatics, I see,” he drawled.
Infuriated, she let out a battle cry and launched herself at him. “Pull over this instant!”
Tolliver’s eyes widened at her surprise attack, and the vehicle swerved. There was a slight scuffle before he caught her flying hands. “Jesus, woman. Are you crazy?”
Laila panted after her futile attack and struggle. Although she was a shifter, too, compared to Tolliver, she was a weakling. For one, he was twice her size. Two, her wolf hadn’t come out in years. As she thought about how she’d attacked him without thinking, embarrassment seeped in. She had never been violent or irrational. She’d never attacked anyone like that, either.
Tolliver had turned up without warning and turned her life upside down. He had almost ruined it five years ago when he abandoned her. Why would he be so cruel as to show up now when she’d gotten her life back together? Her eyes narrowed on him in contempt. “You show up out of the blue, spouting nonsense about danger, and kidnap me, and I’m the crazy one?” She snorted. “Yeah, right.”
Tolliver’s jaw clenched and unclenched. “All right, fine. I’m sorry about the kidnapping.”
She rolled her eyes.
“Don’t be too hard on the kid,” he said. “I lied to her,” he added.
“Yeah, I got that. What on earth did you tell her?” For Cora to automatically take his side, it had to be huge.
Tolliver gave her a side glance. She could see his guilty expression, and she frowned. “I sort of told her that we’ve been back to gather for a while, and I wanted to whisk you away for a surprise proposal. I’m sorry.” He shrugged. “I’m sorry about the babe thing, too. I was just trying to sell the story to Cora.”
As Laila studied his profile, her mouth hung open. She then snapped her mouth shut and reached deep to find her composure. She felt bad for lunging at him earlier because that wasn’t her, so she worked hard to keep her temper in check. “Tolliver, wherever you’ve been for five years… Did something happen to you? Did you go through something traumatic, perhaps? Better yet, were you by any chance in an insane asylum, and you escaped?”
After a beat of silence, his boom of laughter circulated the vehicle’s interior. All she could do was gawk at him because the sound of his laughter always did something to her. It was deep and smooth and seemed to touch a place deep inside her. Maybe it was because he didn’t laugh often. He was always on the serious side unless he was with her.
Laila had been the one to draw him out of his somber shell, and before she knew it, he had mellowed out and was sharing lame jokes that she always cackled at. She gazed at him with longing at the memory of how much she adored those lame jokes… Catching up on herself, she cleared her throat and looked away from him.
“I’m not crazy, Laila… even though I’m acting like it.”
She shook her head. “Tolliver, I refuse to sit here calmly and let you take me to God only knows where.” I haven’t seen you for years. I don’t trust you. If you don’t tell me what’s going on right now, I swear I’ll jump out of this moving vehicle.”
A muscle ticked in his jaw as he glanced at her. “All right, fine. I’ll explain everything if you just calm down and hear me out.”
Laila shook her head. “I refused to go any further with you in this car.”
Tolliver’s sigh was deep and slow as if he was gathering his patience.
“I’ll hear you out somewhere public,” she said.
“Laila, come on. I’m not some stranger. You know me.”
“No, I don’t,” she snapped. “ Five years, Tolliver.”
Maybe it was the pain that resonated in her voice—pain that she didn’t bother to hide—that made him give in. One glanced at her, and he folded. “Let me just get you a little further from Cedar Ridge, and I’ll find somewhere where we can talk.”
Laila exhaled loudly. “Okay.”