✨✨Prequel to Loathing Logan✨✨
🌺Layla🌺I went back towards the room, but I was pulled back again. Daniel seemed reluctant to bug me today."Ah, hey! Daniel, let go!" I say, irritated, but he just wouldn't budge. He pulls me by my arm and drags me into a different room. The place was empty and dark, but I could still see the lights coming in through the glass wall on the other side.He closed the door after him and ran his hands through his hair. He looked absolutely charming; I won't lie. He wore black dress pants and a fitted buttoned-up dress shirt in gray. His hair was slick back like always. One thing that had never changed was his haircut.I remember when I met him, he was going through his bad-boy greaser look; with the denim jeans, the leather jacket, and t-shirts. He was much more sophisticated now. It was rare to see him in anything else other than business clothes."Why are you still being so complicated with me, Layla? How many times do I have to apologize to you for what happened five years ago?" he says, making me back up to the wall as he places his right hand on the wall over my shoulder."What? This has nothing to do with five years ago, Daniel. I'm over it. I'm over you." I say, looking sternly in his eyes. The dark room made his grey eyes seem darker, but they still made me feel intimidated.I don't know what the hell is it about his eyes. They had a way of making me feel vulnerable. "Really? Because you sure as hell tend to run the other way each time you see me." he clenches his jaw as he gets closer to me."I'm not running. But I have nothing to talk to you about either. Now, if you excuse me, I'd like to leave." I say, looking up and squinting my eyes.He gazes down at my lips and sighs. "Layla, I mean it. I'm really sorry. I never meant to hurt you." he gets closer, tilting his head to the side as he gets closer and closer. His words almost came out in a whisper, making me shiver as my stomach filled with butterflies.He closes the gap between us, and our lips meet in a soft kiss. I don't know how I lose myself, but his tongue swiftly invades my mouth; in seconds, we're making out, and it's as if I'm nineteen again, allowing him to take control over me.His hands grip my waist, pulling me against him as he lifts me up and makes me wrap my legs around his waist. He sits me gently on a tabletop and parts my legs. He feels like the perfect fit for me, but I can't. This can't be happening.My breath is erratic, and he's turning me on. His hands grip my waist, pulling me closer as he presses himself against me. I can feel he's aroused, and I need to stop before I'm stupid enough to go any further.I push him away. I'm left panting, breathing heavily as he is. Our lips are swollen, and his eyes look dark, filled with lust."No. No, Daniel. This... I can't. It's not gonna happen, understand? Not today, not ever." I say through each breath as I'm staggering to breathe.I get off the table, fix my dress and fight back my tears. I just got out of a relationship, for fucks sake. What was I thinking?"Layla," he whispers my name in a pain-filled voice. He tries to reach out to me, but I move away."No! Daniel. I can't do this. I'm sorry." my voice breaks as I say the last words.I'm so confused right now. A part of me feels like going back into his arms to give in. I mean, I'm not with Trevor anymore, right? But I know Daniel far too well. He has never been serious with a girl, and though a part of me sometimes wished I was the one, I know it will never...ever happen.He's dated supermodels, girls far more beautiful, wealthier, and girls with more power than me. Why would he ever want to date me? I was nothing but a one-night stand. That's all I will ever be.This time, I make it to the bathroom. I'm glad the bathroom upstairs was empty. I wipe away my tears, holding back the rest of my tears as I wipe my eyes and cheeks. I take a long deep sigh and hold my head up high.The last I need is to let my friends see that I was crying. I take one last look in the mirror and sigh, "Suck it up, Layla. You've gone through worse shit than this. We got this." I say to myself. I throw my hair back, straighten myself up and walk around.The whole night felt awkward. Daniel kept glancing my way, and I tried my hardest to avoid him. By around midnight, everyone was beginning to get intoxicated except me. I wouldn't say I liked drinking much, so I pretty much kept myself under three drinks.Daniel, on the other hand, was utterly intoxicated. He kept taking shots and drinking beer as if it was water. It was bothering me to see him this way, to be honest.We all decided to dance for a while until we left the club and walked toward the beach. It was only five minutes of walking distance, so we walked there, leaving the cars where they were parked.There was a full moon in the sky, illuminating the night so beautifully. We decide to take our shoes off and walk barefooted on the sand.Brenda and I walked together with our hands looped together. Nico and Daniel decided to take their shoes off and their shirts and splash in the water like little kids. My sister and her boyfriend walked together all lovey-dovey.I couldn't help but laugh as I saw them play. Grown-ass men still having fun like kids."Come on, get in the water, guys. The water is warm." Nico yells out for us. Brenda and I look at each other, nodding in disagreement, and look back at them with our noses scrunched up. "Nope. We're good right here, thank you."Before I knew it, my sister us was thrown into the water by her boyfriend, Shawn, who ideally happens to be Daniel's best friend."Shawn! That's it, you asked for it!" she yells as she gets up completely soaked and pulls him down with him. They both chuckle as they hug each other and play in the water. Brenda and I can't help but laugh along, but it serves them as a distraction.Nico grabs Brendan, dragging her in and making her fall in the water as well, and Daniel comes behind me, pulling me into his arms as he holds me bridal style and launches himself with me into the water.I can't help but brace myself for it; I wrap my arms tightly around his neck and close my eyes as I take a deep breath right before we hit the water.We come back up, and he's still holding me right. I gasp for air, but he is thrilled as he throws his head back, laughing. "Danny!" I yell his name out, holding him tightly. The water feels a little cold at first, bet then it feels warm.He pauses for a second and smiles, "I love when you call me like that. You don't sound so pissed off at me." he says, making me feel bad."I'm not pissed off, Danny," I answer, making him put me down slowly and holding my waist as the water moves around us in small waves."But you do hate me, don't you?""No," I reply, closing my eyes."Danny, I don't hate you. It's just that I'm going through a lot right now, ok? It had nothing to do with you.""Is it because of what he did you?" my eyes widen as I look into his eyes. They go from pity to merciless.He clenches his jaw, and his hands tighten on my waist. "Trevor, I mean. Shawn told me what happened. I'm really sorry, ladybug." he adds, calling me by his nickname for me.I close my eyes and sigh, pushing myself away. "Is there anyone in all of California that doesn't know?" I ask, irritated, as I get out of the water. "Ladybug, wait.""And don't call me ladybug. It's Layla." I respond in an annoyed tone. I grabbed my shoes and began walking away. Daniel runs after me, holding my waist and making us both fall to the ground.I squeal as I fall down, Daniel hovering over me. My body and hair were covered in sand. "Layla, I'm so...so sorry," he whispers the last words as he closes the gap between us, claiming my lips."Danny, no. Not now. Please." I whisper as I push slightly on his chest.He sighs, closing his eyes and slowly getting up. "Ok. Sorry, lady-, I mean, Layla." he holds his hand out and pulls me up.We sit in silence until everyone gets out of the water. Nico, out of nowhere, runs off and comes back with another bottle of tequila. Everyone joined in, taking turns to drink, but I waved it off.If anything, someone needs to make sure everyone gets home safely, and by the looks, it'll have to be me. Daniel downs the rest of the bottle as if he's drinking water, and he has a hard time getting up by the time we decide to call it a night.Shawn and Nico help him walk to his car, but since Shawn had arrived in Danny's car, he was also unable to drive. They had both drained a lot, even if he could walk more than Danny."Well, I can drive you guys home, but if you guys leave his car here, it can get impounded. Someone needs to drive it home." Nico says as I stand with my arms crossed over my chest, looking at a sleeping Danny.Brenda and Karla both look at me. They know I haven't drank more than one drink. I uncross my hands, looking between everyone."No. No.""Oh, come on, Layla. Be a sport, will you? Danny is passed out, and the only two that can drive right now are you and me." Nico begs, making me whine."Please? Layla." Shawn says, giving me his big brown puppy eyes.I groan and sigh as I look at a sleeping Daniel in his passenger's seat."Fine. But only this time. Next time he takes a taxi." they all cheer as I hold my hand out for the keys."Hey, buddy. Where're your keys?" Shawn asks, patting his pants. He goes around and goes through his jacket and sees his keys and wallet, taking both out. "Here. I'll go with you in case you need help carrying him in.""Shawn! I thought you were sleeping over?" my sister whispers, but I can still hear her.I know she rarely has time to spend with him as well. I felt terrible that she had to change her plans, "I'll manage. You guys go ahead. Karly, tell dad I'll be home later, ok? I'll see you guys." I say as I hug them and get in the car.Shawn quickly fastens Danny's seatbelt and closes the door. "Thanks, Layla. I owe you one," he says, bending down by my window."Yeah, yeah. Good night, guys. Bye Nico, bye Brenda." I turn the car on and drive away.Now the question is, how the hell am I going to get this man into his damn house without having him fall or make me fall on my face?💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨💞✨Layla"To what do I owe the honor of this second call of the day?" I asked cheerfully, making dad's laughter resonate on the other side of the line. "Well, I know I called you earlier today, and you're probably busy and all, but-" "Dad, I can never get tired of talking to you, you know that," I said, sitting on my window sill. I looked out smiling as I saw kids running and playing with a soccer ball in the courtyard."Your mom begged me to call you back and remind you of your sister's birthday. You are coming home, right?" he asks, making me groan internally. I had no desire to go. We have been so busy, and I don't think taking a few days off will help our situation. My sister always goes all out for her birthday, and honestly, she deserves it since she is such a hard worker, but I hate that it gets swarmed with paparazzi and social media everywhere. Being the daughter of a big-shot fashion designer means going off the grid, like me, to avoid being harassed by the media, or being t
💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨💙✨Layla (one week later)My sister's birthday is not for another two weeks, but I can't stand to be here anymore. This morning I got up extra early and went to doctor Sherley's office.She sits in front of me with my letter of resignation in hand. "Layla, I know this whole situation is hurtful, but please consider your job. They are not worth the joy this job brings you, and...think of all the kids you have helped? They'll miss you. I'll miss you." she says as I stare out the window into the open space. The more I am here, the more fatal I feel. Trevor and Stacy have tried to talk to me numerous times, but I am too hurt and angry to speak with them. "I know... But I can't be here anymore. I need to get away before I do something I will regret in the future." I say as anger bubbles up inside of me. I wipe away my tears and look down before closing my eyes. She sighs and folds my letter. "Look, I'll tell you what? Why don't you take off earlier for your sister's b
LaylaWe all sat comfortably and ate our meals. I have to say, dad was right. The food was incredible. The service was the best. The waiter was so kind. Everything was just... Incredible.But I was still disappointed that Mr. Too busy with meetings didn't make it. God, why the hell am I acting this way? I'm over him. Plus, my heartbreak was over losing Trevor and my best friend. Not him. "I think I'm going to go with an all-white and gold dress this year. Plus, the whole idea of making it into a masquerade is going to make it so much more excited, don't you think?" my sister spoke with such enthusiasm about her birthday. She has a lot of self-love, and I praise her for that. She certainly deserved a grand birthday. "Definitely. I can't wait to see you in that dress." I smiled as I admired the dress that dad's fashion designer had created for her. She had a few snapshots on her phone and showed them to me as we talked about the details of her party.A waiter came by and sat plates
🌺Layla🌺I went back towards the room, but I was pulled back again. Daniel seemed reluctant to bug me today."Ah, hey! Daniel, let go!" I say, irritated, but he just wouldn't budge. He pulls me by my arm and drags me into a different room. The place was empty and dark, but I could still see the lights coming in through the glass wall on the other side. He closed the door after him and ran his hands through his hair. He looked absolutely charming; I won't lie. He wore black dress pants and a fitted buttoned-up dress shirt in gray. His hair was slick back like always. One thing that had never changed was his haircut. I remember when I met him, he was going through his bad-boy greaser look; with the denim jeans, the leather jacket, and t-shirts. He was much more sophisticated now. It was rare to see him in anything else other than business clothes."Why are you still being so complicated with me, Layla? How many times do I have to apologize to you for what happened five years ago?" he
LaylaWhen I met Daniel, I had a ladybug in my hand. The cute ladybug had landed in my hand and didn't want to leave. I carried it around almost all day, making sure not to hurt it until the ladybug finally decided to fly and stay in a nearby tree outside Dad's office. Danny noticed I had been carrying the ladybug around all day. He came over and held the ladybug for a while before giving it back to me. This is why he began to call me ladybug. He said it was a cute gesture of me to take care of the ladybug. I had just turned nineteen, and when he knew my birthday had just passed, he surprised me with a necklace with a tiny ladybug pendant. I wore it from that day forth, never wanting to take it off. Until the day after we had been together, the day he broke my heart. I took it off, put it away in my jewelry box, and never wore it again.I drove toward his house; the car was too quiet. "Let's see what you listen to these days, Danny-boy," I said as I reached forward and turned the v
LaylaIt wasn't long before I fell asleep. I wanted only to be here for a few minutes so Daniel could fall asleep, and then I'd leave. Yet I ended up falling asleep.I must have woken up around nine in the morning to my phone going off. I was still drained, and my feet ached from carrying that man into his home. I looked over and saw I was lying on the bed all alone. I got up, reached for my phone, and saw my sister on the line. "Hello?" I answered with my voice still a bit groggy."Hey, sleepy head!" I groaned at her morning enthus. She was always so perky in the morning. "Karly...good morning.""You slept over Danny's!" I rubbed my eyes and yawned, causing her to laugh."Yeah, so?" "Tell me what happened? Did you guys hook up?" she says, whispering the last part."Who hooked up with who?" I hear dad and Shawn yell in the back."No one!" she yells after them. "No one hooked up, Karly. The man was gone entirely, and by the time I got him into bed, all I wanted was to rest for just
Layla When we are both ready to leave, his phone goes off and he tells me to wait as he leaves the room to answer his phone. At the same time, my phone rings and I see mom's number on the ID. "Hi, mom.""Hi, baby. Listen, Daniel, and your dad will be tied up at work today. Would you mind coming home instead? Your sister is on her way to get you, ok baby?" She sounded worried, but I didn't want to add to her distress. "Ok, I'll see you at home. Bye, mom." I responded before hanging up. He comes back into the room, and I can't help but see worriedness written all over his face. "Is everything ok, Daniel?" I say, making him turn as he goes through a briefcase, going through a bunch of papers."Uhh, yeah. Everything's fine. Listen... Change of plans." he says, scratching the top of his head. "I'm going to drop you off at home. I have an urgent meeting with your dad, so-" I nod, grabbing my purse and placing it on my shoulder. "It's ok. Karla is on her way; mom just called right now t
LaylaIt's Friday morning, the day before Karla's Birthday. Dad has been off lately, and whenever I ask him what's wrong, he changes the subject. I feel awful for him, and I wish I knew what was happening, but no one will tell me.But even if I knew, I don't think there's anything I can do. I'm leaving in a few days. I already talked to Doctor Shelley, and though I don't want to see Trevor, I need to return. I'm not sure how I'll be able to manage, though. All I want is for my life to go back to normal. I want to get over Trevor, forget about Danny, and get my best friend back.Y sister and I are headed to dad's office. She got called in to pick up her dress for tomorrow and chose one for me. I'm not fond of it, but I guess if it's a fancy masquerade, I should at least look the part. We parked the car and went to see the dress from dad's stylist. Hugo has worked with dad since the company began; he's so good. I love his designs.The dress was stunning. It was a sleeveless mermaid cu