Layla
. . .
Ithought I was making progress, but this morning I find myself back at the same dread and despair.
He’s still out there.
Reed’s arm tightens around me as I lie there, trying to steady my breathing. The gentle brush of his lips against my shoulder pulls me back to the present.
“You still awake?” he murmurs, his voice rough with sleep.
“Yeah,” I whisper.
He hums and shifts closer until his forehead rests against the curve of my back. One of his hands slides down, and his palm settles over my stomach as his thumb moves in slow circles, so gentle it almost overwhelms me.
“You hurtin’?” he asks quietly.
“Just tired,” I say, my voice barely there.
He nods, pressing a gentle kiss to my temple. “This takes time, baby, and I’ll be here every step of the way if you’ll let me,” he whispers, nuzzling his face into the crook of my neck.
His words bring tears to my eyes. I place my hand over his, feeling the roughness of his knuckles against my fingertips.
I want to believe him, but how can I when this maniac is still out there with Reed’s address? His silence is starting to scare me.
My phone buzzes for the fourth time.
Reed lifts his head slightly, brow furrowing. “You need to check that?”
I hesitate, then nod. “Yeah… just in case.”
Reaching for my phone, I click the side button, seeing the flood of messages coming in from none other than the psycho himself.
Brian
You really think I’d let you run away from me?
You dumb bitch.
His address was on those letters.
I’m coming, Layla.
My hand shakes so hard I nearly drop the phone.
He notices immediately. “What is it?” he asks, his voice low but edged with alarm.
I can’t speak, so I turn the screen toward him. He grabs his glasses from the nightstand and quickly puts them on.
His eyes darken as he focuses on reading, his jaw tightening and every muscle in his body going still.
“Layla,” he says softly, like he’s forcing himself to stay calm. “When did this come in?”
“Just now.” My voice cracks.
He exhales slowly, taking the phone from me, setting it on the nightstand, before he pulls me close.
His hand returns to my waist, protective, while the other cups the back of my head. “He’s not coming anywhere near you,” he says, “I promise you that.”
The tears come as I clutch his shirt, bury my face against his chest, and listen to his heartbeat pounding beneath my ear.
He presses another kiss to my hand, then to my forehead. “You’re safe here,” he whispers. “I swear it.”
And even with fear crawling under my skin, I believe him.
He quietly gets up, still half-dressed from sleep, and pulls on the first flannel he finds. “Come on,” he murmurs, reaching for my hand. “You need to eat somethin’. I’ll make breakfast.”
The aroma of espresso and syrup interweaves in the air.
He tiptoes through the kitchen, barefoot, hair still messy from sleep. He hasn’t said much since the messages came in, but he doesn’t have to. The way he hovers close, the way his hand occasionally grazes the small of my back as he passes, says it all.
“Sit,” he murmurs when I try to help. “You need to eat.”
I sit on one of the barstools, wrapped in his hoodie, watching him flip French toast, my favorite. His shoulders are tense, his jaw clenched, but his movements are gentle.
He slides a plate in front of me, and a few minutes later, it’s perfectly cooked. “You’ve barely eaten since yesterday.”
“I know,” I whisper. My voice sounds small in the quiet kitchen. “Thank you.”
He nods and starts pouring coffee into a glass. “You’re welcome, baby.”
Before I can answer, a loud knock rattles the front door—quick and impatient, then another.
Reed frowns, wiping his hands on a towel as he heads over. “Oh my—”
The door swings open before he finishes, and Maverick’s voice booms through the house. “Heyyy, favorite Hayes brother is here. Everyone, clap.”
I freeze, fork halfway to my mouth.
Behind him, Carter walks in, calm as always, with Leo perched on his arm and babbling happily.
Catalina follows, her belly now slightly more visible beneath a soft lavender dress.
Amelia is close behind, wearing her signature oversized band tee, tattoos on display, holding a coffee, her scowl intact.
Reed blinks. “Jesus, y’all ever heard of knockin’?”
Catalina spots me and gasps. “Heyyyy,” she says, a mischievous look on her face.
“Hey,” I manage, my voice trembling slightly. “I need to talk to you guys again.”
Amelia’s expression shifts quickly from confusion to concern. “Wait. What’s going on?”
Reed exhales, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s… a lot. Sit down.”
I shake my head. “No. I should be the one to tell all of you.”
Everyone finds a spot; Carter leans against the counter as Leo wiggles in his arms, cooing softly. Maverick paces as he always does when restless, Catalina sitting beside me, and Amelia beside her.
I take a deep breath, glancing at Reed before I begin.
They already know most of it—that Brian hurt me and that I’ve been staying here ever since, but there’s still one truth weighing heavily on my chest, and I refuse to keep it buried.
I glance up, catching Reed across the room. He’s standing by the counter with his arms crossed, pretending to listen to Carter and Maverick talk about random shit. But I can tell he’s not really paying attention. His eyes keep flicking toward me.
Catalina must feel it too, because her hand stops. “Layla?” she says softly.
I swallow hard. “There’s something else I need to say.”
Reed immediately straightens, shoving Maverick’s beefy arm off of him.
Amelia tilts her head. “You can tell us anything, babe.”
My fingers knot in the sleeve of Reed’s yellow flannel, the same one I’ve been living in since I arrived. My pulse pounds so loudly I can barely hear myself.
“I wasn’t just staying here because I was scared,” I whisper. “I was here because... because I wanted to.”
Catalina blinks, her eyes flicking between us. “What do you mean?”
I force myself to look at her, at Amelia, at the sisters I’ve come to love like family. “We’ve been seeing each other,” I reply, my voice trembling. “For months, before everything happened.”
Catalina’s eyes widen, and her hand flies to her mouth in feigned surprise. Amelia’s eyebrows shoot up, but she doesn’t look surprised either.
Reed remains by the counter, jaw clenched, but his eyes soften as he looks at mine.
Catalina finally exhales, a quiet sound. “Finally, fuck, you act like we didn’t notice.”
I huff out a laugh. “Wait, what?”
Amelia’s lips twitch into the faintest smirk. “Babe, we literally figured it out, and our husbands told us.”
Catalina swats her arm lightly, still blinking through tears. “Amelia.”
“What?” Amelia says, smiling gently at me. “They did.”
Glancing at Reed, he furrows his brows at his brothers as Maverick snickers in response, and Carter pinches his brows between his fingers.
I laugh, a watery, nervous sound, and shake my head. “Oh, well, what a relief.”
Catalina’s expression softens immediately as she squeezes my hand. “You don’t ever have to explain to us for finding someone who makes you feel safe; we won’t judge you for how it happened.”
My throat burns. “It wasn’t just about safety,” I whisper. “It’s him.”
Reed then moves, crossing the room slowly until he’s standing directly in front of me as he slides his hands into his pockets.
“You don’t have to—” he starts, but I cut him off.
“I do.”
He stops, his eyes searching mine.
The tears come before I can stop them. “You’ve done everything for me, Reed.
You’ve held me together when I couldn’t even breathe.
You’ve protected me, loved me, and seen me when I didn’t want anyone to look.
” My voice cracks, and I press a hand to my chest, trying to hold it in. “I can’t hide it anymore. I love you.”
Reed’s jaw tightens, his eyes growing glassy before he finally moves. He doesn’t say anything at first, cupping my face in both hands, his touch trembling.
His forehead rests against mine, his voice low and breaking. “Say it again,” he whispers.
“I love you,” I breathe.
A tear rolls from his cheek onto mine. “God, Layla,” he says, his voice trembling. “I love you too, baby. I’ve loved you since the day you walked into my bar with your wild smile and a proposition to film it.”
Catalina is already openly crying, and Amelia is wiping at her eyes with a grin.
Maverick mutters something about the “Hayes house being a goddamn soap opera,” earning a soft elbow from Carter, who’s smiling despite himself.
But I barely hear any of it.
All I can feel is Reed’s hands cradling my face, the steady rhythm of his breathing against mine, and the quiet, unshakeable truth between us.
For the first time, I’m not afraid to say it.
For the first time, he doesn’t have to guess.
I love him.
And I’m finally free to let the world know.
Reed’s thumb circles slowly against my cheek, his forehead pressed to mine, as we share the same fragile breath.
By the time we sit down to eat, the house smells of bacon, coffee, and something more stable than fear.
The kitchen’s alive again; chairs scraping, plates clinking, and Maverick raiding the fridge as if he hasn’t eaten in days.
Catalina sits on a stool next to me, her hand casually resting on her belly as she teases Carter for oversalting his eggs. “You’re gonna give the baby high blood pressure,” she mutters.
Carter chuckles, flipping a pancake. “Darlin’, they’re my eggs, I made a special batch for you.”
Amelia snorts softly from across the counter, sipping her coffee. “Catalina, stop complaining.”
Catalina squints. “Can you not?”
“Shut up,” Amelia smirks, and Maverick nearly chokes on his toast laughing.
It’s ridiculous, warm, and perfect.
Reed slides a plate toward me and sits beside me, his knee brushing mine under the table. His small touch sends a quiet thrill through me, a reminder that it’s okay to be here now, in the open, in the light.
Catalina notices the look we exchange and smiles softly, her voice gentle amid all the noise. “I’m really happy for you, Layla.”
I blink, caught off guard. “You are?”
“Of course I am,” she says, resting her chin on her palm. “You both deserve to be loved this way.”
My throat tightens. “I didn’t think I’d ever have this again. Not after everything that happened.”
Reed’s hand finds mine beneath the table, our fingers intertwining, his thumb gently brushing my ring finger like a silent vow. “You’ve got it now,” he says softly.
The chaos persists around us—Amelia rolling her eyes at Maverick’s boasting, Leo happily babbling in Carter’s lap, and Catalina laughing so hard she almost spills her juice.
And somehow, in the middle of it, my heart finally slows.
I catch myself laughing too, really laughing, the sound light and unfamiliar to my own ears.
Reed watches me with that quiet smile, the one that shows he notices the little things and says he’s never going to let me go again.
I squeeze his hand and look around the table—my girls, their husbands, the man I love, and the life I never thought I’d get to live.