Layla was ignoring the pair of wolves as she threw her clothes into her bags and prepared to get back in her car for the third time that day.
"Layla, would you just stop and listen to me for a minute!" Alcide was yelling. Layla ignored him and continued packing, stone faced.
"Layla, I'm real sorry. I didn't mean-" Debbie tried to speak.
"You'd better not say a fucking word to me." Layla warned her.
"Hey!" Alcide barked. "There's no need to talk to her like that."
Layla fought back to urge to swing. "Really? Then please explain to me why there is a pile of dead vampire in my house and her nasty ass perfume on my sheets?"
Alcide looked at Debbie. "You didn't clean it up?" he asked.
"I just drove right here." she said. Alcide sighed.
"Look, Debbie's detoxing off of V. She doesn't have anywhere to go. I've been helping her out-"
"How? By letting her stay in my house without telling me? By fucking her behind my back?" Layla said.
"No!" Alcide argued. Layla just rolled her eyes and threw her bag over her shoulder.
"You know I really don't care. I don't know why I'm surprised that I chose yet another guy who put another woman before me." Layla snapped.
"I was trying to protect you." Alcide tried.
"From what? The psycho, v-addicted werewolf who the last time I saw her was waving a fucking gun around? Good idea letting her into not just one but both of my homes. Well done, Alcide." Layla said sarcastically. She went to leave and he grabbed her arm.
"Will you just wait and here me out for one damn minute?" he asked.
"No." Layla said, trying to shake her arm.
"Please?"
"No!"
"Layla!" Alcide tried again.
"LET THE FUCK GO OF ME!" Layla screamed. The door to the apartment blasted off of it's hinges and Eric stood there, fangs bared. Debbie yelped and ducked behind the couch. Alcide growled.
"Let go of her." Eric said very deliberately. Alcide glared down at Layla.
"So you want to give me shit for helping Debbie while meanwhile you've been hanging out with Eric fucking Northman?" Alcide said caustically, letting her arm drop.
"I haven't been 'hanging out' with him, you asshole. I called him when I found evidence of a dead vampire in my bedroom." Layla said. "Speaking of which, Debbie, I'd love to hear how the fuck that happened." the brunette rounded on the woman squatting by the couch.
"Alcide's been letting me crash there for a while since I been trying to clean my act up. I fucked up and invited this Vamp in so I could score some V, and then I changed my mind but he got pissed and came at me. So I staked him. Then I called Alcide and drove straight out here. I'm real sorry, Layla. I didn't mean to-"
"-to what? Use my house like your fucking crash pad and then leave me a dead body to come home to? Fuck it. Alcide, you have fun with your new damsel in distress, okay? I'm sure you'll both wind up fucking miserable." Layla said.
"Let's go, Layla." Eric said, waiting patiently in the hallway.
"I may have fucked up, Layla, but that doesn't mean you should go back to him." Alcide warned. "He doesn't give a shit about you."
"Watch what you say, wolf." Eric warned.
"He's just going to fucking use you and lie to you again!" Alcide said. Layla laughed.
"You think I give a shit what you think right now?" she asked and walked out with Eric's arm over her shoulder.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXX
As soon as they were in the stairwell Layla shrugged off Eric's arm and rushed outside, fumbling for her car keys. Eric suddenly dangled them in front of her face.
"You forgot them. I was coming to return them and heard you yelling." he explained. Layla nodded, trying hard not to cry.
Eric could see the tears welling up in her eyes and held his arms open cautiously in case it pissed her off and she hit him. Instead Layla wrapped her arms around him and began sobbing into his chest. Eric suddenly had the overwhelming urge to kill Alcide. Her could feel Layla's emotions clearly. She was heartbroken, furious and embarrassed. She'd been made a fool out of. Making such a show of leaving the company of a man who was obsessed with another woman only to begin a relationship with a man who couldn't stay away from his toxic ex-fiancee.
"Will you take me home now?" Layla sobbed quietly. "Please."
"Of course, älskling. " Eric said, kissing the top of her head. "Of course."
XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXX
It was almost dawn when they got back to Bon Temps. Inside her apartment she found everything had been cleaned up already, including the blood pile in the bedroom. Layla raised an eyebrow.
"Tell Pam I said thank you." Layla told Eric. He nodded.
"Keep in touch." he said, touching her cheek briefly before speeding back to Fangtasia.
Layla went to bed and slept hard, not waking up until close to noon. The first thing she did when she woke up was wash her sheets and then took all of Alcide's clothes and things he'd left and put them in a box.
She showered and changed into a pair of soft shorts and a t-shirt before starting her day. She was determine not to let her failed attempt at an honest relationship ruin her. She dropped off Alcide's box at the post office and had it sent to his office. Then she headed to the graveyard, driving by Sookie's house. She stared longingly at the vacant building before putting the car in park. Shaking her head clear she headed to the graveyard to meditate.
After a few moments she began to feel better, slipping in to a peaceful state and listening to her breathing. She unfolded from her meditation pose and laid down, tucking her arms behind her head, closing her eyes against the bright sunlight.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXX
"Layla." a voice called gently. Layla opened her eyes and was immediately aware of how dark it had gotten. The sky was still streaked with faint notes of purple and pink, so the sun couldn't have set very long ago. Eric was standing above her, looking confused. "Taking a little nap?"
"I fell asleep." she said, sitting up. Eric offered his hand to her and she accepted it with a roll of her eyes.
"Why are you here?" Eric asked. Layla shrugged and dusted her butt off.
"I like it here." she said. "It's nice and quiet." she added with a small smile.
"One of the benefits of hanging around the dead." Eric noted.
"Not all of the dead are quiet." she said, shoving him lightly and heading towards her car. "What are you doing here?"
"I went to speak with you at your house but you weren't there so I tracked you here." Eric told her.
"What do you want to talk about?" Layla asked, suddenly suspicious.
"I think it's possible for us to be... friends." he said, hands clasped behind his back. Layla leaned back against her car and stared at him.
"You don't have friends." she said.
"I have Pam."
"Pam's your progeny. She doesn't count as a friend." Layla told him.
"Fine. I may not have friends, but I could still be your friend." he said with a crocodile smile spreading over his face. Layla couldn't help but smile back.
"Why would you even want to be my friend, Eric?" Layla asked.
"I find it preferable to have you in my life." he said, stepping forward and plucking a piece of grass out of her hair.
"You know I'm not going to sleep with you again, right?" Layla said, narrowing her eyes at him.
"Oh yes, you will." Eric said with a smile as he walked away from her.
Layla couldn't help but laugh at him as she got in the car and drove home.
XXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXxxXXx
It was a few weeks later when Layla was wandering around Shreveport. She had time to kill before sundown when she was due to meet Eric at Fangtasia. They had been having dinner together on sundays since she broke up with Alcide.
True to his word he'd been a friend to her. He had finally opened up a bit and told her what Russell had actually done to his family a thousand years ago. He told her about meeting Godric and their adventures together. He told her how he had met Pam and about becoming Sheriff of Area 5. Layla would listen enraptured as he talked about the renaissance, both World Wars, prohibition, all the things she had learned about in school he had lived through.
What was even more surprising was that he listened to her ramble on about her tiny slice of life. Experiences she'd had as a child and in high school. He asked a lot of questions about her writing and what inspired her. They usually would go for a walk after dinner.
Layla had to agree with him. No matter if he was being just a wonderful friend, or a seriously painful thorn in her side, things felt better with Eric Northman in her life.
As she walked through Shreveport she spotted a store with gorgeous candles and glassware in it's windows and walked in. There were books all over the walls. The place had a musty, herbal smell to it that she couldn't decide if she liked or not. A thin woman with short, slightly frizzy brown hair came out from behind a beaded curtain.
"Welcome to the Moon Goddess Emporium." she said. "I'm Marnie.