Chapter 4- Breathe

I see your face in my mind as I drive away,

'Cause none of us thought it was gonna end that way

People are people,

And sometimes we change our minds

But it's killing me to see you go after all this time

Music starts playin' like the end of a sad movie,

It's the kinda ending you don't really wanna see

'Cause it's tragedy and it'll only bring you down,

Now I don't know what to be without you around

And we know it's never simple,

Never easy

Never a clean break, no one here to save me

You're the only thing I know like the back of my hand,

Breathe by Taylor Swift

I opened my eyes groggily, sunlight blinding me for I second before my eyes focused. I got out of bed, giving Happy one last look before going into the bathroom and having a shower. Trying to let the hot water wash away all my doubts and worries, but it didn't. After I got out and put my clothes on I walked into the kitchen. Happy was sitting at the table, patting Killer. I leant against the doorway, smiling to myself. I shouldn't worry about the future, I should just live in the present. When I walked past him, he grabbed me around the waist and pulled me onto his lap. He pushed a strand of my ebony black hair behind my ear.

"What's up?" I asked, he never could fool me.

"I have to head to Charming, they need me down there" he said without looking at me.

I got up off of his lap and walked to the sink, refusing to look at him.

"You were just gone for a week. You've been back for a couple days and now you're leaving again" I say, all the doubts and worries flooding back into my mind.

"I know but they really need me there, I'll visit my mum on the way"

"How long will you be gone?" I asked sternly

"I don't know, a week maybe longer" he says as he gets up and walks over to me.

He puts his hand up against my cheek. I lean into his hand. He was trying to comfort me but it wasn't making me feel any better.

"You're leaving me again. To go on another run, one that you may never come back from. When is this going to stop? When can I stop worrying about whether or not you'll end up in jail or dead" I said as I turned around, leaning into his chest.

"I'll be fine, I'll come back I promise" he say hugging me to him.

"I need some time to think about this Happy. Maybe we should take a break just while you're on the run" I said as he walked away

His eyes that usually filled me with warmth now scared me because of the anger they held. He picked up a plate from the table and through it across the room, it smashed into pieces when it hit the wall, I jumped at the sound. We had fought before but he never got this angry, even with me provoking him he stayed calm.

"Is this about the stupid marriage and kids crap. I wouldn't have put that God damn tattoo on you if I wasn't serious about this" he yelled

"Its not that I don't think you're commited, it's just that maybe I want more out of this than just being with you" I said softly

"Well what do you want? You want to get married then come on let's go. You want to have kids well lets do it" he yelled at me

"Thats not what I want" I yelled

"What do you want? You're so confusing" he yelled

"I want you, I want all of that and I want it with you. But you have to want it to. I don't want to end up a divorced single mother whose kid never sees his father because she forced him to live a life he didn't want" I said, in what started out as a scream but then lowered to normal.

"What I want doesn't matter?" He said calmly turning away from me.

"Yes it does" I whispered "You should go, wouldn't want you to be late" I said looking away from him.

He walks up to me and gives me a kiss, it was bittersweet, almost felt like a goodbye kiss.

"We'll talk when I get back. Love you" he whispers in my ear

"Love you too" I whisper, I only knowing that he heard me because he paused at the door.

I held it together until I heard the motorbike pull out of the driveway. I finally burst out into tears sliding down and leaning against the cabinet.

I wasn't sure how long I had sat in the kitchen for. The tears has stopped falling, now I was just sitting there silently. I was woken from my thoughts when the phone rang. I got up and answered it.

"Hello, who is it?" I said shakily

"Layla, it's Roxy?" She said hurridly

"What's wrong Roxy?" I asked in a stern voice

"Its Oliver, he's in trouble" she said sounding scared

"What kind of trouble?" I asked

"He could be going to jail" She said in between what sounded like cries

"Shit, that's bad. Where are you?"

"In Charming, Califronia" she says regaining some composure

"I'll be there as soon as I can. Now hold it together until I get there" I said calmly, taking on my older sister persona.

I hung up the phone. Looks like Happy's problems were going to follow him to Charming.

I stood in front of my bathroom mirror. I was staring at what seemed like another person. They looked like me, same long curly ebony hair, same green eyes. But it wasn't me. I had never broken down like this before over one of our breakups. It just seemed so final this time. I grabbed my duffel bag off of my bed and walked outside, locking up the house. Bo and Killer were in the car waiting for me, seeing as how Oliver needed me to get him out of this mess the least he could do was let my dogs stay at his house. I started the car, pulling out of the driveway. This was going to bring trouble but I couldn't help it, family comes first.

It had been hours since I left Tacoma, I had called Happy's mum and told her I was coming, she was a lovely woman. She was sick but that didn't stop her. We got along very well; I think she liked me because Happy had never brought another girl home. I pulled into her driveway. She was waiting outside her door for me. As I got out of the car she came to greet me. We shared a hug before I got my stuff out and took the dogs around the side before she led me inside.

"How have you been Layla?" she asked

"Good Isabella, how have you been?" I said, looking around the kitchen, it hadn't changed since I had last been here, which was 3 months ago

"I'm feeling much better, the medication is working." she said

"Did Happy stop by, he said he would on his way to Charming" I ask

"No he didn't" he said sounding surprised that I had asked

"He must have gone straight to Charming" I said quietly, trying to soothe myself

"Is that why you're here, chasing after my son?" she asked curiously

"No, actually I have family business to take care of in Charming. Ironically enough when Happy's there" I said, she nodded, not really believing me

"Look I'm really tired and I have to leave early in the morning so I'm just going to go bed" I said, trying to avoid any more questions

"Okay, goodnight then" she replied

"Goodnight"

I walked into the spare bedroom she had set out for me. I was so exhausted from lack of sleep that none of my thoughts could stop sleep from taking over.

I left early in the morning, said goodbye to a reluctant Isabella and left. It wasn't a very long drive to Charming; I followed the directions Roxy gave me to drop my stuff off. The house was nice, small, two bedroom but Oliver didn't need a big house, it was just him. Roxy had obviously been cleaning because Oliver could never be bothered to clean up after himself.

There was a note on the table telling me to go to the Teller-Morrow Garage. I got back in the car and started driving. I was pretty sure I knew what Oliver was caught up in, Happy had told me enough about the club to know where the mother charter was. Oliver always was the one to get caught up in illegal stuff, but then again who was I to talk, I was with Happy. As I pulled into the garage I saw Roxy waiting on top of a bench. I parked the car and got out, seeing the Sons Of Anarchy sign. This was definitely going to be interesting.

"Roxy, how have you been?" I asked as I walk closer to her

"I'm fine, Oliver not so much" she said

"We'll fix this, don't worry, just hold it together, you seem much better than before" I said calmly

"Thanks for coming, I couldn't deal with this all by myself" she said gratefully

"If I'm guessing right Oliver is somehow caught up with this club, am I right?" I said, as more of a statement then a question

"You would be correct, he won't say much about it. I just came here last week when he called. It seemed urgent so I came, he wouldn't tell me why but then he got arrested" she said shakily

"Hey, don't worry. I'm here now." I said while hugging her.

She was shorter then me by about an inch; she really didn't look related to me. It makes sense, seeing as were only half-sisters. She had long straight reddish brown hair, deep blue eyes and creamy pale skin. My biological mother was half Cherokee and half Hispanic, odd mix I know, and that explains my dark copper skin. I let go of her when a door opened and men started coming outside. They walked up to us.

"You must be Layla, I'm Clay" said a man; he looked to be in about his late 50s, early 60s. His cut said that he was President.

"That's me" I replied

"You here to help your brother?" asked another man, he looked to be about the same age, he had long hair and a big belly

"Yes I am, and you are?" I said

"Bobby" he replied

"Layla, what are you doing here?" asked a familiar raspy voice.

This was it, the moment I had been dreading since I got Roxy's call. Happy stood in front of me, I was frozen on the spot, unable to do anything but stand there. Everyone was looking at the both of us in shock.

"So you two know each other?" asked Clay

"Yeah we do." I finally said firmly

"This won't be a problem, right?" he asked

"Of course not" I said, tearing my eyes away from Happy to look at Clay.

"Good, then we gotta go and help out your brother." he said

"We'll be here when you get back" said Roxy

They all got on their bikes, Happy looking back one last time before riding out. Roxy led me into the clubhouse.

"What was that?" she asked

"What was what?" I ask back, trying to avoid her questions

"You know what I'm talking about, how do you know him?" she yelled

"We're together, or we were, I'm not sure what we are but it doesn't matter right now"

"Doesn't matter, how come I never knew this, all the phone calls and you never thought once to tell me about your boyfriend. I knew you had one but why didn't you say anything about him" she yelled

"At first I didn't think it was serious and then when it was, I was just never sure where it was going, and now I don't even think we're together anymore" I yelled back

"What do you mean you think?" she asked unsure of what I meant

"I mean that I said I wanted to take a break." I said

"When?" she asked

"A couple of hours before you called"

"Why?"

"Because I wasn't sure where it was going, or what I wanted" I said

"So what do you want?" she asked

"I don't know, I haven't exactly had time to think about it. I know I definitely love him and want to be with him but"

"You don't know if he wants all the same things you do" she said, she always was wise beyond her years

"I just need to put this behind me and focus on helping Oliver"