Layla – Present #2
He lifts my chin, searching my face.
“What do you mean he scared you?”
“I’m okay,” I repeat.
“Layla.”
I force a smile. “I’m just being stupid.”
He touches the side of my face gently. “What did he do?”
I look down at our joined hands, at his steadying grip on my shaking fingers.
“I was walking to my car and he… he stopped me from opening my door.”
I look up at Jacob. Even in the dark, I can see the anger in his face.
“He pushed me against it. I think he was going to try to kiss me, but Rhett walked out and he stopped. I got in my car and I was scared, and I wanted to go home, so I-I drove. And for some reason, I ended up here. I’m sorry.
I shouldn’t have come. It’s late, and you need sleep, you have work tomorrow, and–”
He pulls me into his chest and kisses the top of my head.
“I’m glad you came here. To me.”
Then he starts to step away.
“Go inside. I’ll be back soon.”
He starts walking toward his car.
“What are you doing?” I catch up to him.
“Stay here until I get back, okay?” He looks furious, though his voice is steady.
“No.” I grab his arm. “Please, just leave it.”
“I can’t.”
This time, the anger breaks through.
“It’s not worth it.”
“Yes, it is.”
I close the gap between us. “I’m fine, Jacob.”
“And what if you weren’t? What then, Layla?”
I put my hand on his chest. “I don’t know.” I admit. “But I am okay. And I don’t want to be alone. Please.”
I press my lips to his, because I need to, and because I hope it’ll stop him from doing whatever he’s thinking.
He’s still at first.
Then he kisses me back.
He pulls me closer, until our bodies touch, and then he pushes his hands into my hair. He kisses me long and hard, and it feels like he’s in every part of me when he does, like he’s chipped away at every bit of fear and guilt and everything that held me back, and it’s just me and him.
And then he pulls away.
He steps back from me, rubs the back of his neck, then holds his hand there and sighs.
“What are we doing?”
I know what he’s really asking. He’s asking if I’m going to push him away again. If I’ll wake up tomorrow and regret this.
“Can we go inside?”
He nods, then leads the way.
I follow him into the kitchen. He stands at one side of the island while I’m at the other, and I can’t help but wonder if he put distance between us on purpose.
I don’t know if I’m ready to open up and have the conversation I intended to leave until tomorrow, so I ask him for some water instead.
He pulls open his fridge, then slides a bottled water across to me. Then he twists the cap off his own and takes a long drink.
“Rhett and Alex were having a meeting with that guy you told me about, the one that owns the construction company.”
I unscrew the lid off the bottle and take a sip. He doesn’t say anything. His hands are out in front of him, gripping the edge of the counter top.
“I heard them mention your name and Keith’s when I first went to their table.
” I’m careful to watch Jacob’s reaction as I tell him the last part.
“When my shift ended and Alex…” I stop because I already see his jaw harden.
He’s gripping the edge of the counter top so hard I can see his muscles flexing.
“Alex said his brother has big plans to bring down your company. Can he do that?”
He shakes his head, still not speaking, and his silence is annoying.
I look around his kitchen. I look at the white walls that are also annoying me. Why hasn’t he painted? Why is everything so clinical?
“Why are your walls white?”
“What?”
“Your walls are white. Your floor is white. Why don’t you have personal things? Why isn’t there any clutter?”
He shrugs, finally letting go of the counter top. But he doesn’t answer me.
I run my hands through my hair and let out a breath
“Why did you buy this house, Jacob?”
“What do you mean?”
I start to walk around the island, fed up with the distance it’s put between us. When I make it to his side, I stop.
My green stand mixer is sitting on a shelf under the counter top.
“You kept it,” I say. “I asked you to throw it away.”
“I know.”
“Then why did you keep it?”
“Because I knew one day, you’d want it back. You said Ben gave you it the day he proposed. That’s big, Layla. It’s important to you, and I couldn’t give it away knowing one day you’d get upset because you didn’t have it anymore.”
“You kept it,” I whisper. “And you were going to keep it until–”
“You needed it,” he finishes.
“Jacob.”
I say his name slowly, the way he always says mine. “I’m sorry I hurt you. For the second time.”
He nods, then looks defeated, as if that’s all I came to say.
“I get it, Layla, you–”
“No.” I step closer. “You don’t.”
“You should go home.” He turns away from me, but before he does, his eyes lock with mine and there’s a storm inside them.
“I don’t want to go home.”
I grab hold of his arm and he stops, stepping toward me.
“What do you want from me, Layla?”
He sounds torn.
“I’m sorry.”
He clenches his jaw and nods.
“We can talk about this another time. It’s late.”
He’s walking away from me, and there’s something about the way he just spoke that terrifies me, like there won’t be another time.
“Why did you buy this house?” I shout after him.
“Because I promised you, I would.”
That sentence completely unravels me.
“I didn’t come here just to tell you how sorry I am for the day we got home.
I came here to tell you that I love you.
” I release a breath. “I love you, and I know I’m complicated, even if you say I’m not.
I know it’s not going to be easy. I have so much still to work through.
You don’t have to say anything. I just needed to tell you, because this month has been torture without you, and I needed you to know that I want this. But I understand if you don’t.”
He closes the distance between us.
“Layla.”
He’s saying my name the way he does when he’s about to say something I won’t want to hear.
I stop him.
I stand on my toes and press my lips to his.
He doesn’t kiss me back, instead, he whispers against my mouth, “I don’t want you to regret this tomorrow. Please don’t say it unless you mean it.”
“I love you,” I say again. And again. Until his lips are back on mine, and I’m certain he believes me.