Ch. 39 – Layla
E mpty.
That’s how Layla felt.
Completely, utterly empty.
Laying on her bed, she pulled her legs up to her chest. The clock on her phone said 6:23 PM.
She’d gone straight to bed after work. It was all she had the energy to do. The only place she wanted to be. Absently, she stroked Garbo’s soft fur. The brown tabby purred happily, making lazy biscuits against her thigh.
Work had been…hell.
Layla closed her eyes, but that only made things worse. She pictured Prem’s face when he’d laid eyes on her ring, the furrow between his brows digging so deep it seemed to go right through him. She’d actually felt him shudder beneath her palm with dawning realization.
With hurt.
With pain.
Layla pressed her face into the pillow hard. Harder. So hard she couldn’t breathe.
Prem had pulled himself together quickly, his face a blank mask the rest of the day. He’d been curt. Professional. But he’d refused to meet her eyes.
This is how it’s going to be, Layla thought to herself. He’ll never forgive me. And he shouldn’t.
She turned her face and sucked in a quivering breath. I should quit.
She didn’t need the money. Not when Cal could take care of her.
But she already knew she wouldn’t leave All Paws and Claws. The only thing worse than enduring Prem’s freezing, silent rebuke, was not seeing him at all.
Her phone dinged. Layla glanced at the screen.
Cal: U coming home tonight? [heart emoji] [heart emoji] [lips emoji]. I can order from that thai place we luv
Just to torture herself a little more, Layla scrolled through the dozens of messages Cal had sent her through the day. He’d been busy.
Cal: Luv u! [Heart emoji] [Heart emoji]
Cal: Rebooked desert bloom 4 reception. still had the date open. put down another deposit. NP! Excited. [Happy face emoji]
Cal: Got the band rebooked. photographer took another gig. [Angry face emoji.] my receptionist is looking 4 another 1.
Cal: Sold 2 SUVs. We’re beating Mike’s team by 3 sales. No way he’ll catch up!!! [arm flex emoji]
Cal: Need $$ for a new dress? Ik you’ll have to get something off rack but spend as much as u want. on me. [Heart emoji.] [Heart emoji.]
Cal: Booked new photographer & videographer team. Don’t ask price. Worth it 4 u tho! [Heart emoji.]
Layla dropped the phone. What had she done?
But what other choice did she have?
Cal had threatened to take his own life. How could she live with herself if he followed through?
And if the price was her own happiness?
Layla turned her head, and a surprised squeak leaped from her throat.
Garland sat next to her shoulder. The haughty calico stared forward like a regal statue as if she’d just happened to find herself right next to Layla.
“Hi,” Layla said softly to the cat. Slowly, she reached out and slid her fingers down Garland’s glossy coat.
The calico snapped her blue gaze at Layla.
Layla froze for a second, but the cat didn’t slink away. Layla resumed petting Garland with just the barest touch of her fingertips.
“Thank you,” she whispered to the cat.
“Mrw?” Garbo whined.
“You too, my love.” Layla sat up and kissed the brown tabby.
Her phone dinged.
No, Layla thought. She couldn’t handle any more messages from Cal. Just give me one last night here, she pleaded.
Her phone chimed again. Then again. And again.
Layla groaned, grabbed the device, and let out a relieved breath when her eyes landed on the messages.
Everly: @Tess, update. How’s the [foot emoji]????
Tess: Fine. Just a minor sprain.
Alanna: You sure?
Jax: Ladies, do we need to go over and check on her?
Tess: No!
Everly: Def yes
Tess: No!
Alanna: 7 PM?
Everly: [Thumbs up emoji]
Jax: I’ll bring [wine bottle emoji]
Willow: [Happy face emoji]
Tess: Sigh. I suppose I can’t change the locks in time.
Everly: Crazy Cat Ladies unite!
Alanna: @Layla?
Layla closed her eyes. Even the thought of standing up felt impossible, much less getting into her car and driving over to Tess’s house. Then again, it could also be a plausible excuse to keep Cal at bay…at least for tonight.
She switched to the message thread with Cal.
Layla: Friend mtg tonight. C U tomorrow.
She sent the message. All she wanted to do was stay in bed, pet her cats, and pretend the outside world didn’t exist. But even now, Layla Sandoval couldn’t stand to lie.
She swiped back over to the CCLC message thread.
Layla: I’ll b there
*
Leaning back on her couch, her bandaged foot propped on the armrest, Tess beckoned to the appendage. “See? Still attached. I’m fine.”
The Crazy Cat Ladies sat around her on the floor, most munching on the gooey brownies Everly had brought with her.
“Like I already told you all, the doctor at the urgent care clinic confirmed it was just a mild sprain,” Tess continued. “I’ll need to stay off it for about two weeks and then ramp back up slowly.”
She looked sadly at the group. “That means I can’t do the relay run. I’m really sorry, ladies. I feel like shit for abandoning you.”
“Oh, Tess, don’t feel bad,” Layla said automatically. She stared down at the brownie in her hand but couldn’t find the energy to bring it to her mouth. She wasn’t hungry anyway. “It’s not your fault.”
“Well, technically, it was her fault,” Everly corrected from the couch next to Tess. “Little Miss Simone Biles here got a little carried away with the cartwheels.”
“Hey, that cartwheel was a thing of pure beauty,” Tess snapped back. “I just happened to land on a rock.”
The women snickered, and a tiny spark of warmth kindled in Layla’s battered heart. No matter what happened, she had her friends. That was something to be grateful for.
“We’ll figure something else out,” Jax piped up. “There’s a girl on the intramural tennis team who told me she runs Spartan races. I can ask her.”
“Yeah, yeah, yeah,” Alanna agreed, waving off Jax. “But aren’t you leaving something out, Tess?”
“Uh… no?” Tess’s brows burrowed.
“I think we need to talk about Theo.” Alanna sipped from her glass of wine. “The man practically carried you to his truck like a scruffy, plaid-wearing superhero. He wouldn’t leave your side at the urgent care clinic, and he insisted on driving you home.”
Layla found herself leaning in. Now that Alanna had mentioned it, Theo had been very attentive to Tess in her time of need.
On the couch, Tess blushed fiercely and suddenly became very interested in her wine glass. “We’ve become friends since I started working at the winery. That’s it. He was just being a nice guy.”
“Bullshit! We all saw the way he was looking at you,” Everly interrupted. “He likes you. He liiiiiiikes you,” she sang.
“Did anything happen when he brought you home?” Jax asked.
“No!” Tess’s blush grew deeper.
“OH MY GOD, SOMETHING HAPPENED!” Everly screeched. She leaned forward on the couch, almost pressing her face into Tess’s. “What happened? Did he kiss you? Did he profess his undying obsession with you?” She gasped, and her eyes grew wide. “Did he make sweet, sweet love to you, Tess?”
“No!” Tess squealed, squirming away. “Stop it, all of you!”
“I’ll do it,” a small voice piped up.
All eyes turned to Willow, who sat quietly on the edge of the circle, her knees pulled to her chest.
“I’ll run Tess’s leg in the relay,” Willow clarified. “Well, I’ll have to walk most of it, but I’ll do it.”
“Really?” Jax asked. She scooched closer to Willow. “Are you sure that’s a good idea?
“What about…” Everly started, then stopped awkwardly.
“My OCD?” Willow finished the thought that hung in the room. She took a deep breath. “My therapist is helping me push past my boundaries. This will be a good…” Her brow furrowed as she struggled to find the right words, “… a good opportunity to put myself into an uncomfortable situation.”
“Hallelujah!” Everly sang.
“That’s wonderful, Willow,” Tess said. “Thank you so much for picking up my slack.”
“I’m really proud of you.” Jax put an arm around her roommate. Despite their polar opposite personalities, the two youngest members of the Crazy Cat Lady Club seemed to have bonded deeply in the short time they’d lived together.
“Aaaaand now let’s return to the point at hand,” Everly said. “Tess, I believe you were unsuccessfully trying to avoid answering our questions about Theo. Something happened last night. Dish!”
Tess shrunk against the couch.
“HOLY FUCK, LAYLA!” Alanna snatched Layla’s left hand and held it up. “Why are you wearing your engagement ring?”
Every head in the room swiveled toward Layla. She pulled her hand from Alanna’s grasp and studied the six-carat diamond twinkling in the lamplight.
“Cal and I…we got back together,” she admitted.
“WHAT?” The word seemed to echo from the lips of every woman in the room.
“Uh, correct me if I’m wrong, but didn’t he CHEAT ON YOU?” Alanna accused.
Layla flinched at the acid in her sister’s voice.
“I thought you were done with him,” Jax added.
“And the hot vet,” Everly whimpered. “What about the gorgeous, mocha-delicious veterinarian?”
Layla’s shoulders hunched. She wished she were a turtle who could retreat into her shell.
“Hey, ladies,” Tess spoke from on high. “Let’s give Layla some breathing room, shall we? I’m sure she has her reasons.”
“I can’t imagine what they are,” Alanna muttered.
Layla couldn’t meet the eyes of her friends. Instead, her gaze remained glued to her ring.
“Cal apologized,” she tried to explain. “He needs me.”
“Ugh, of course, he came crawling back begging for forgiveness,” Alanna groaned.
“We have history together,” Layla answered weakly. “He loves me.”
“But do you love him?” The gentle question came from Willow.
“No, she doesn’t,” Alanna snapped. “But she’s going to let Cal walk all over her like she’s always done.” Alanna grabbed her arm. “Layla, WAKE UP! Cal is a scumbag who would shove his grandmother into a volcano if it meant he could boost his sales numbers.”
“Alanna!” Tess protested.
“Someone has to say it,” Alanna insisted.
Layla squeezed her eyes shut. Why did Alanna always have to judge everything she did? Why couldn’t she understand that the situation was so much more complicated than love? Sometimes people couldn’t just follow their hearts. They had to make difficult decisions to help others in need.
“Layla.” Tess’s voice was soft. “If you don’t mind my saying, you seemed so happy these past few months without Cal. With this new guy in your life, you almost seemed like you were in—”
“STOP!” Layla cried. The wine glass trembled in her hand. “I’ve made my decision. I’m marrying Cal.”
“You’re making a HUGE mistake,” Alanna warned her.
Every filament of control snapped inside of Layla. “It’s my LIFE!” she screamed at Alanna. “If you don’t like it, you don’t have to come to the wedding.”
Fire crackled in Alanna’s pale blue eyes. “Fine. I don’t want to watch you throw your life away with that bastard anyway.”
“What…” Layla hiccupped, her anger vanishing as fast as it had sprung to life. “But Alanna, you’re my maid of honor.”
Her sister stood—imperious, beautiful. Cruel.
“Not anymore.”
Layla watched in horrified silence, the last pieces of her heart crumbling to dust, as her sister walked out of Tess’s front door, slamming it definitively behind her.