10. Chapter 10 - Layrin
Chapter 10
I knew I had told myself to shove last night out of my head, but it was harder said than done. This English class wasn’t enough of a distraction to keep my mind from wandering. Why did someone drug me but not take advantage? Did they want to scare me? Did someone find out that I wasn't some rich kid and wanted me gone? I hadn’t been here long enough to make an enemy. None of it made any sense.
Elio kept trying to catch my attention, but after the fifth shhhh, he settled in his seat, crossed his arms, and pouted like a child. I didn’t want to bring attention to myself.
The fact of the matter was that I didn't feel safe anymore.
I wasn't kidding myself; I had never truly felt safe anywhere, but I was always confident in my abilities and instincts to get myself out of situations that could be harmful. I prided myself on knowing who to hang around and what not to do while around other people, but look where I was now—missing memories like any other girl, feeling lost and alone, feeling like I couldn’t trust myself.
I already didn’t trust others, so if I could no longer trust myself, how was I going to get through all this? How was I going to survive this place and set up a better life for myself?
These thoughts plagued me until the end of the class. I was on autopilot when I started to pick up my stuff, and it was only when the professor spoke louder that I finally heard him.
“Before class is over today, I wanted to assign partners for your semester project.” The room collectively groaned, but the professor only spoke louder. “Yes, yes. Group projects are not usually fun or enlightening, but it is a precursor to working in the real world. You may have to work with someone you don’t like, someone who is the opposite of you, or someone who doesn't think or agree with your way of life, but guess what? That's your problem!” He aimed his gaze at everyone like we were to blame for the state of the world.
“Now, for this assignment, you will need to meet up outside of class to discuss. I want you and your partner to come up with a business, but I don’t want anything to do with numbers or schematics or anything about the regular day-to-day operations of a business. No, I want this to be a fantasy, a dream. I want you to explain your business—how you thought of it, how it makes your customers feel, and how, in the end, it enriches your life.” He went to the chalkboard, and everyone remained quiet as we wrote down what he’d said.
“I want it to be three pages, turned in before the end of the semester. If you are a superstar and want to turn it in early, you go and do that, but the firm deadline is December fifth. There will be no extensions, exceptions, or late submissions. Get it done, and do your best.” He paused and looked around again as if to drive that point into those who’d smirked at the project.
Then he flipped the script, his sudden smile jarring. “I have done a lottery to pick your partners for you.” Sliding on some reading glasses, he picked up a sheet of paper and belted out, “I will call out your last names, and you will be partners. Avelin and Brown. Becket and Callen.” He continued to name people one by one.
“So, what kind of business do you want to start, my sweet and sassy nectar?”
Not wanting to draw any attention to us, I whispered out the side of my mouth, “We don’t even know if we’re going to be partnered together.”
He huffed as he slouched in his chair, and I quickly flicked my eyes around when he made more noise than I wanted him to. “Oh ye of little faith.”
Something about his exasperation made me face him. “And you, Mr. Head-in-the-clouds, need to live in reality. Life doesn't always go your way.”
He surged forward, inches from my face, gearing up to argue with me, but a loud voice interrupted. “Ricci and Smith.” We turned to our professor, who grumbled, “You're working together. Stupid random generator.” Dread filled me, but it wasn't because I was scared to work with Elio… I mean, maybe I was a little, but it had more to do with having to deal with the fact that he was right. I had a sneaky suspicion he would never let me forget it.
Slowly turning his neck, a shit-eating grin plastered on his face, his eyes bubbled with excitement. Before he could say a word, I slapped my hand over his mouth and got in his face.
“Let's get one thing straight, crazy man. We are going to work on this project together, but you are not going to use this project as a way to get into my pants.” He tried to talk, but my hand muffled his words. “And we are most definitely not talking about how you were right about this one-in-five-million chance . Got it?”
He nodded, and I sighed, ready to take my hand off, before wetness slid along the palm of my hand. Did this psycho just lick me? I yanked my hand away, shaking it before rubbing his saliva off on my jeans. What the fuck? I’d dealt with a lot of different unsavory types in my life, like druggies, drunks, assholes, and even murderers, but not once did I have to put up with someone licking my hand. I didn’t know how to deal with a person like Elio, and it was throwing me off.
Propping his elbows on the table, hands up, he rested his chin between them and giggled. “I licked it. Now, I own it.”
Instead of fighting back, I felt all of my resolve, all of my hard-earned strength, melt away. I slumped my head onto my desk with a bang, already exhausted by just the thought of corralling Elio for this project. I’d just started the day, gone to one class, and now I was done.
“Oh, sweets, I don’t think banging your head is going to make anything better. I tried it, and all I got was a knot on my head when I woke up on the floor.” His concerned voice had me glaring at him. His response was to wink and blow me a kiss as he got up and offered his hand.
“We don’t want you to be late for your next class. Cin will skin me alive.” His eyes closed as he shivered. I felt marginally bad for him, so I got up.
Elio kept his promise and walked me to my next class, doing a good job of keeping my mind from wandering into that dark cycle of no answers. He offered to get me a coffee, and I took him up on it, telling him I would get the next one. I didn’t like owing people things, but I really needed something to pick me up.
Something clicked inside of me, and I realized that I’d asked him to get me a coffee without telling him what I wanted. My chest started to pound, and my breathing quickened. I moved around, watching Elio order the drinks and pay for them. My eyes narrowed on him with laser focus when the barista passed him the two drinks.
With each step he took in my direction, I felt better and better. It wasn't until he handed me my drink, when I curled my hands around the warm paper cup, that my muscles unclenched, and my mind felt more at ease.
“Layrin?”
I shook my head and looked at Elio. His face pinched as his eyes moved from my face to the cup I was clenching, then back to my face with a frown. Did he know? Did Cin tell him what happened? How could he know already?
“Do you want me to throw it away? No hurt feelings if you do.”
His kind words stopped all my thoughts. Why was I like this? I’d just watched him like a hawk, and he’d done nothing other than bring it to me. Why are you making a big deal out of nothing? I looked down, embarrassed by myself and what was going on with me. Elio was a bit weird, sure, and he seemed a bit extra, but he had done nothing truly ungentlemanly when it came down to it.
His hand snatched my chin, tilting it up as my vision blurred with tears. “Hey, hey. You're going to be okay. No harm, no foul. It's just coffee.” He looked around as I wiped my tears away. “Look, if I set the coffee shop on fire right now, would that make you happy or earn me a smile?”
My only excuse was that I was experiencing a bit of emotional overload, but I laughed. I laughed so hard that my tears probably looked like happy ones to passersby, and that was enough for me. He’d just saved me from a really emotional and traumatic event by being his psycho ass.
I lifted my drink, pausing for a second while I told myself to do it, to drink something given to me by someone else. Finally, I pushed past the barrier. Taking a long sip, I finished and looped my arm through his. “Come on. Cin will kill you if I’m late.”
“Don’t I know it.” Elio beamed at me and patted the hand that was in his as we walked down the sidewalk past the next few buildings.
We were laughing as we turned the corner, but then Elio stiffened up. Cin stood in a dark corner near the stairs, looking up at Luca with venom in her eyes. She was pointing at him, poking him in the chest. It looked like Luca was practically vibrating with the need to retaliate, but he didn't.
Elio tugged on my arm. “I know another way around—”
“No.” I tugged back. Feeling myself going into overprotective mode, I let go of him and marched over to the arguing siblings.
I couldn't hear all of their conversation, but as I got closer, I made out Luca’s words. “And maybe we could’ve if you were better than him .” Whoever this “him” was, Luca did not like them very much… but why was he comparing Cin to this guy?
Before I could hear anything more, Elio cleared his throat, making the siblings look our way. I wanted to yell at him for ruining this, but I waved instead, giving a small smile that I hoped said “sorry for trying to eavesdrop on your conversation.”
Cin’s face transformed with a smile, while Luca’s stayed exactly the same, almost like he was daring me to say something. Yeah, I was not about to do that. While Cin and even Elio seemed like they were hiding things, I could feel somewhat settled around them. Now, Luca, on the other hand, gave me the chills. That laidback, cool guy image was just a mask he wore when it suited him, and right now, it didn't suit him.
“Lay! Are you ready for class?” Cin ran up to me, her eyes excited. Then her gaze flicked to Elio, and her nose crunched up as she reached out for me. “All right, I got it from here. Bye, Elio.”
Elio was closer, so he snagged my backpack and yanked me toward him, just out of her grip. Her eyes narrowed on him when he whispered in my ear, “We need to meet up for the project. Tell Cin to give you my number.”
I nodded, and he let go of me. Cin’s gaze bounced between us, mouth open, before she asked, “Lay, what project is he talking about?”
Elio walked off, turning around to give me a wave and a wink. “Don’t worry if you forget, cuz. I’ll find her even if you do.”
His normally reddish-blond hair sparkled like golden strawberries in the sunlight. It was quite unique, but then again, everything about Elio seemed to be unique. Cin snapped her fingers in my face, stealing back my attention, and I looked at her. “What?”
Cin glanced at her phone. “Shit! We gotta get to class. Come on. Afterward, you will tell me why you need that psycho’s phone number.”
I let her tug me to our class. We went right past Luca, whose face looked cool as stone. His arms were crossed, and he glared at me like I was somehow the root of all his problems. I raised my brow in his direction, trying to figure him out, but he didn’t take the bait. Instead, he walked off, leaving me feeling like this wasn't the last I was going to see of his sourpuss face.
I spent the rest of the day with Cin as my shadow, making sure I got everywhere safe and sound. When I told her that I didn't want her to get in trouble with any of her professors, she simply said it wouldn’t be a problem then changed the subject. After a while, I didn't fight it anymore, reminding myself that she was a big girl who could make her own decisions.
She eventually had to take off for the weekend, going to some kind of family event, but she promised she would check up with me despite my assurances not to worry. I wasn't planning on leaving my dorm room any time soon.
I didn't tell her I just wanted to get myself comfortable with all the classes and online applications. Then I would make good use of the calendar on my phone by scheduling out all of the things I had due. This way I wouldn't forget.
Then there were the nightmares that I also didn't tell her about. I would wrestle in my sleep, feeling darkness closing in on me. With no way out and no light in the dark, I was stuck in a pitch-black space all alone. I just hoped that this didn't continue when she got back. I didn't want to see her pity or concern.
Before she left, she gave me Elio’s number. After some texts back and forth, we finally settled on Tuesday for lunch. When he mentioned some place that had a unique but quaint atmosphere, I agreed on the condition that he let me pay for his coffee. I had to take my victories where I could get them.
Then just like that, Cin returned to our room Sunday night, complaining about her siblings, cousin, and mom. Apparently, her father had died about five years ago in an accident. My heart tugged, pushing me to tell her my background and make it even between us, but I didn't. The fear that she would look at me differently, treat me differently, was still too strong.
Her gaze would land on me expectantly, but I would smile and change the subject. After a few times, she played along with my diversions. I just needed time, I told myself, but my mind whispered that that was just an excuse, a lie. What I really needed was trust. I wouldn't tell anyone anything real until I trusted them completely. I thought I was getting there with Cin because she had this way of making me want to tell her everything, but I just wasn’t totally there yet.
Before I knew it, Monday blew by. Elio wasn’t in English class, but Cin assured me he’d be finished wrapping up his family stuff in time to work on our project. She asked me several times if this was a date, and I vehemently told her no.
I was genuinely starting to enjoy Elio, but more as a funny, eccentric friend. He didn't make me feel pressured and knew my boundaries even though he tried to push them. He was the only male Ricci that I felt mildly comfortable with, not that my sample size was all that large.
That seemed to settle Cin’s concerns, and we had a girls movie night. She somehow hacked into a local movie theater, so we watched the newest release on her laptop while sharing two bags of popcorn. We laughed, booed the hero, and championed the villain, both of us having soft spots for people that had gotten the raw end of the deal in life. It was the most normal I’d felt in a while.
Cin woke up Tuesday, grumbling about having to go to class while I stayed cozy in my bed, laughing at her whining. My phone buzzed the moment she closed the door, and a couple texts later, Elio and I settled on meeting in front of my dorm at eleven AM.
I checked my email, packed my bag with my laptop, and took a shower. With my jeans and leggings being dirty, the only clean clothing I had was my black skater skirt and a blue v-neck t-shirt that said ‘I woke up this way’. Making a mental note to go to the laundry room, I put on my clothes.
Even with all of that, I had a couple of hours left, so I pulled out my laptop and worked out some ideas for the project. I was so engrossed in my ideas that I didn’t pull away from it until my phone started buzzing.
I shot up, furiously packing everything as I picked up the phone. “I’m so sorry, Elio. I was working on the project, and I lost track of time. I’m coming down now.”
“Hey! That's not fair! We’re supposed to work on that together.” I flew out my door, backpack over my shoulder, and locked the room.
“I didn't do the whole thing! I was just thinking of some ideas. Nothing major. You’ll still have a lot of your ideas and work in this paper, promise.” I took the stairs, wanting to get down as fast as possible.
He grumbled into the phone, “That's not what I'm talking about. I don't care if you want me to write the whole thing or if you do. I just don't want you cutting our time together short. It's irresponsible.”
Pushing my way out the front door, I fought back. “Elio, I told you that this wasn't—” I stopped short, mouth open and flapping. Elio’s shit-eating grin widened as the idling Aston Martin revved up while he winked at me. I thought it was the exact make, model, and color from the last James Bond movie. I was too underdressed to even sit in his damn car.
He made a show of hanging up his phone before he rolled down his window. “Come on, my fruity booty!” Cocking my head, I slowly made my way to his car with pinched brows.
“Seriously?! Did you need all this?” I motioned to the beast of a car in front of me. Its taillight was more expensive than everything I’d owned my entire life.
He blinked at me a few times before reaching over to pop open the door. “What do you mean? This is the junk car. Luca wouldn't let me touch any of the nicer ones. He says I don’t understand how much money I have in my hands. I remind him that it's just a pile of metal with four wheels, but he begs to differ.” He shrugged then patted the leather seat like he was enticing a kitten to come play.
With a grumble, I gingerly sat down, keeping my bag on my lap. “I guess that's the only thing that me and Luca can agree on.”
“Hey! No mention of Luca in Gretchen.” He pet the dashboard lovingly before whispering to me, “She knows that she’s his least favorite. It hurts her feelings, so I like to take her out for a spin every once in a while. Let the old girl sing.”
He revved up the engine. The rumble beneath me vibrated, my bare thighs feeling every purr. I ran my hand along the buttery soft leather, letting Gretchen know that I believed she was a stellar car. He shifted gears without a word, and we zoomed off.
Just like the guard said on my first day, Elio used the back exit. With just a click of a button, the impenetrable gates opened to their master.
It was a windy way down a paved single-lane road until we hit one of the major roads, then off we went. Elio said it would only take about thirty minutes to get to the closest major city, so I settled back in my seat to enjoy the ride.
It was true what they said. When you rode in style, it felt like life was just passing you by, like you were in a bubble, watching how the others lived. It was surreal for me to feel this way even just once.
He finally drove off the freeway and down a couple of side streets before we stopped in front of a quaint house that was overgrown with trees, vines, and flower bushes. If you searched for it, you could see small two-person patio tables with white linens. The only things that gave this place away as a restaurant were the valet and the sign above the door that said, in gold cursive, Fruits of Nature.
Elio jogged out of the car and gave the valet his keys before he opened my door. “Come on, project buddy. We need to get in so you can buy me that coffee.”
My eyes were glued to how beautiful and romantic this place was until I looked down at my clothes again. Could I even afford a coffee here? “Elio.” My tone came out like a warning.
“Layrin.” Giving me the same tone back, he tugged on my backpack to get me out of the car. “I promise it's nothing weird. I just know the head chef here, and I like his burgers. That's it. No big deal.” He shook his open hand at me again, and I glared at him even though I accepted his offering.
“Fine, Elio, but the second we sit down, I am buying you that coffee, and that's it. We are just friends who are working on a paper together. Got it?”
“Of course. Cin would scalp my balls if it were more.” I let him guide me up the steps and into the small house. There were already a few people seated at tables both inside and outside. All the windows were open. Birds were singing, and bright natural light flowed through the room.
We sat down in the corner, and the hostess was about to place the menus down when Elio scooped them up and gave them back. “Oh, we're fine.” The hostess nodded and walked off.
I clenched my teeth. “Elio, I don't know what they serve here. I would like a damn menu.”
He waved me off. “Don't worry about that. He’ll make whatever you want, just, you know, better.”
Someone set two glasses of water at our table, and I gave them a tight smile before I whispered, “I don't think that's how restaurants work, Elio.”
“This one does.”
This was infuriating. I didn’t know why he didn't want me to see a menu, but I was going to goddamn see it whether he wanted me to or not.
I shrugged it off, making sure it looked like I had given up, but that was the last thing on my mind. “I guess we should start working.” I made a move to reach for my bag but hit the full glass of water my way. With fast reflexes, Elio caught the glass, but not before a small amount splashed in my lap. “Oh no! I’m sorry.” I looked around before I whispered, embarrassed, “Do you know where the bathroom is?”
He pointed me in the right direction, and I excused myself, excited that I was getting one over on him. I was going to go to the damn bathroom, grab one of the menus, and find out what he was trying to hide from me because I had a hunch it had something to do with the cost.
When I passed a waiter, I asked them to bring Elio a coffee and bill me for it separately. He thought he was going to get away with his sneaky shit? Well, I could play that way too. The waiter gave me a weird look, with his tipped up nose and slicked back hair, but he nodded and scurried back to the kitchen to make it happen.
I made a show of actually going to the bathroom, cleaning myself up before I carefully came out and went around the other way to see if I could find a menu. There was one on an empty table. Jackpot!
As soon as my hands closed around my prize, I heard a voice that stopped me dead in my tracks. It held the same notes as it had in their youth, but it was smoother, deeper, more cultured.
“Rin, is that you?”
I slowly turned around, my heart pumping in my chest like it was kicking its way out. My eyes collided with a tall, stunningly gorgeous man that took my breath away in more ways than one.
My eyes roamed over him like they could get sustenance just by feasting on him. His broad shoulders were so much more massive than I remembered, his hair just a tad longer than it should be, giving him a devil-may-care look. Rays of sun-golden blond sliced through the light caramel locks, making him look unnatural, unreal. His luscious lips curved as his honey brown eyes turned a shade of green right before my eyes, twinkling with mirth just like I remembered, and my breath stopped.
It was Ravi Ambros, someone I’d thought I would never see again.