What was she doing up there? Why did Nathan call her ‘mummy’? I watched as the expression on her face slowly grew dim to a look of indifference. She went up the stage.“That’s my mummy!” Nathan repeated as he pointed towards her.“What the hell is going on here?” I heard Ethan Brooks curse out beside me.This was the least expected place to bump into my ex-girlfriend. And mummy? She was a mother.“Good morning, everyone,” her sonorous voice pierced through the microphone. Layla Carter. What was she doing up there? Could she perhaps be an employee of Laynat?“Let’s hear what she has to say.” Ethan Brooks took his seat. Cameras were flashing here and there. The lights that came from them even worsened the state of my mind.“My name is Layla Carter.” She introduced me to everyone. “And as much as most people are concerned, I might be an existence unheard of before that moment.”Ethan Brooks chuckled.“She has grown quite bold.” He commented, more to himself.“Do you know her? I mean…”

Layla Nathan, out of the blue, grew dull and fell ill. He wouldn’t even take a bite of his favorite peanut butter sandwich, and he became averse to ice cream. On Saturday, the day Henry and I were supposed to attend the wedding at the Chapel, his health worsened, and I was forced to take him to the hospital. The doctor put him on the drip as he lay on the hospital bed, his glum face staring into nothingness. He was awfully quiet and it made me uneasy. “Hey…” Henry came in, stroking my back as I clutched Nathan’s hands. “Are you okay?” He was worried. I nodded. I was grateful I always had him to lean on. He kissed my forehead, brushing back my hair affectionately. “It’s going to be fine,” he assured me. “Nathan’s a strong boy. Aren’t you Nathan?” He smiled at Nathan. But Nathan wouldn’t budge or say a word. I feared he must have become irrevocably reticent about the way he had been behaving since he fell ill.

Tuesday morning set a phase in my life. A phase that seemed like it was revisiting me from my past. My past. Coincidentally, Henry went out of the country even while I struggled to tell him about Leo.He came. Indeed, he came, not like the thief at night. He knocked on my door and yes, a part of me had been expecting him.“Hi.” He was holding a large bouquet and a food basket. A cool smile which I found awkward was on his face.“Do you think I will let you in?” I asked, a shocked look on my face with the gifts he brought with him.He was a joker. A silly joker, in fact.“I do not think, I know, so.” He confidently replied.I bit my lip, he was trying his best to annoy me, I won't give grounds for it.“I'm going to call the cops on you.” I threatened.“You can go ahead…” His sharp gaze bored into mine, and I knew where his confidence was coming from. His affluence. Which cop would be cold for Leo Cooper? I wasn't taking this in the right direction. The look on his face was giving th

LeoI got there as soon as I got the call. My mind was displaced and I was unsettled. At some point, I began to feel guilty for not keeping to my promise to him. Where could he be? Layla was inconsolable as the cops queried the Proprietor and the staff. I didn't know what to do or say to console her, but I approached her nevertheless.“It's going to be fine…" I wanted to stroke her hair, but I restrained myself. She looked up at me, with eyes teary and sorrowful. She opened her mouth to speak, but her phone rang.“Henry?” Her voice shook, and her fingers trembled while holding the phone.“Henry, Henry…" She kept on saying and whimpering. I stepped back.“Yes, yes…" Her voice choked with tears. I decided to ask the cops whether there was a new development or not.“We are still unable to access the CCTV. It is quite a professionally orchestrated plan.” The Sergeant responded.“Please, try harder. This boy is important to me.” I said and ran my fingers through my hair in frustration.He

LeoI deepened the kiss, ignoring her gasp of excitement as I parted her lips with my tongue. I wanted even more, I wanted to feel her, her warmth. I slid my hands around her, settling one on her upper back, while my other hand reached for the luscious curve of her bottom. I pressed her hard against me. It had been so long. Damn long and I felt her so soft in my arms. “Oh Leo,” She moaned.I wanted more of her, and I could remain hypnotized by her. Passion clouded my reason, and I was determined to have the best of her. To feel the sensation of her in my arms and beneath me. The heat of her tickled my skin as she spread out her legs…The chiming of my phone startled me out of my reverie. I immediately switched off the shower and slipped out of the bathroom. I toweled my hair, reaching for my phone. It was a strange number…who could be calling late at night? I tossed away the phone and settled on the bed, my mind wandering back to Layla. This was the first time in many years I wou