(This chapter has been edited and rewritten for plot & pacing purposes. Sorry for the inconvenience.)
Layla's Pov
"I'm going to call Ms. Mckenzie by noon. You better see her before then, or I'll be driving you to the doctor myself." Syd reminded me as I was leaving.
"Okay, I planned on going anyway. So don't panic if I get home late." I called over my shoulder.
"Wait-" Syd had toppled over my purse when trying to pass it to me.
"What's this?" My heart dropped when he uncrumpled Jacob's flyer in his weathered hands.
My grandpa already didn't like the guys, especially Jake, after the cliff-diving incident.
"I don't want to see Billie's kid over here again," Syd seethed. "You don't understand...I'm sure it's all a misunderstanding."
His cold, hawk-like grey eyes scrutinized me into silence.
I couldn't defend Jake because I didn't know why he ran away all those months ago.
I didn't think it was my place to know, and I didn't think to ask yesterday when he was over.
"Please-" "Find better friends." Syd slammed the door behind me.
At School
Syd's response plagued me. He was unnecessarily overprotective, so maybe his response was a little extreme.
Jake and I were good now, so I didn't want to take him seriously.
"How's your ankle?" Jacob's concern was evident as he escorted me to the nurse's office.
My injury was gradually shrinking in size despite its grotesque color botching around it.
His arm wrapped around me firmly and kept my feet from sweeping the ground as we moved forward.
The infirmary was locked, and the lights were off.
I sighed at the setback. Jake gently set me down as he looked around.
"The nurse is attending a medical seminar at Forks Hospital. I wouldn't expect her here until after lunch hour, but with Dr. Cullen speaking, who knows when that will be?" The secretary giggled, shuffling past us.
"Great," Jacob mumbled with a scowl. "It'll be okay; I can wait," I reassured him, using the same excuse I gave Syd.
I'd see a doctor either way by the end of the day.
In the hall between classes, I noticed more eyes watching Jacob and me walking side by side.
It wasn't abnormal for us to walk together, but maybe it was the closeness that kept the weight off my foot.
I dodged harsh glances from girls I didn't know and caught sight of some I did. I was surprised to see them whispering, too.
Then I caught sight of a frisky couple making out by the lockers; I frowned, clinging to Jake's core.
"What is it?" Jacob asked, referring to my sudden gloom. "It's nothing." The mood was hard to ignore.
"Clearly, it's something." Jake held me close, but we weren't moving like before.
The couple happened to be April and Collins parting from a passionate kiss, sparkling with an aura of palpable love.
It made me feel anxious and ugly, knowing I had never been loved, let alone like that.
Liam showed me who he really was, and I was sure he only wanted to use me. I also knew now that I never liked him the way I was supposed to.
A growing sense of distrust tainted my tongue, and I was quiet for far too long.
"Layla." Jacob shifted me in front of him in a loose embrace.
In previous conversations, Brianna wanted me to confront him. I didn't see the point.
''He's a wanna-be Logan. You dodged a bullet, girl.' Ashley settled on bashing him, but I didn't bite.
The lack of reaction and zero investment must have worried them because they'd never seen me like this.
I was the one who always cared. Now that I was emotionally spent and physically broken, It was hard to care about anything—almost anything.
I finally looked up at Jake. A lump gathered in my throat.
"Sorry, I went down a rabbit trail," I mumbled, about to limp off alone.
"What trail? I'm sure I can track it." His warm arms locked around me, both immobilizing and distracting me.
"I'm not sure." "Are you going to make me waste my question?" Jacob sounded hurt when I lightly pushed him away.
"What? No, but class isn't the time for it." I excused myself when the bell rang conveniently.
"It's okay; I won't forget." He released me.
And Jacob didn't forget. We sat in the corner of the cafeteria, just the two of us.
Jacob's Pov
"You said you didn't want to waste your question. So what did you want to ask?" Layla observed the guys monitoring us with a little too much enthusiasm.
"Really, guys?" I grumbled under my breath, and in unison, they all turned inward on their table.
I moved my body to block Layla's view of the lunchroom, relieving her of the stares of other students.
"Will you tell me what's wrong afterward?"
"Maybe. It's no big thing." Layla gestured for me to continue, leaning toward me with her full attention.
I decided, awkward and hesitant, to pull out the picture I took from her bedroom.
Layla's round brown eyes widened offensively when I smoothed out the rough fold in the center.
She assessed the fissure at the top, where I debated on tearing the image. I explained how I found it, yet she didn't mind.
"What was your last relationship like?" I chose my question carefully to gain more information.
"Liam Hemmingway." Layla breathed an exasperated sigh. I waited patiently.
I could tell this wasn't easy for her to talk about, yet I didn't regret asking.
"Promise not to judge me too hard, okay?" I nodded in sincere agreement.
"You could say he was my first 'official' boyfriend. We started dating in May. My friends sort of set us up. I don't know why, but I agreed to it. I guess… since I'd never dated anyone before, and everyone else had, I felt like I had to or something was wrong with me."
She jabbed her cup of ice cream until the remaining bits pooled into a milky mess.
"That doesn't sound too bad." I allowed.
"I was fifteen; Liam was nineteen, turning twenty," She confessed deliberately, not looking at me.
"How—" "He was in my brother's friend group. Zach was frequently in charge of me while my mom was working. Of course, I could have just stayed home alone, but that was boring. My friends would come along when they could, and they enjoyed access to Liam's house and parties…"
She moved to fidgeting with her napkin under the table, unsure if she should continue.
"How serious was it?" My voice was rough and dry. "Did you love him?" I gripped the table to keep from trembling.
"Hardly. I don't think I was ever good enough for him." Her dulcet voice wavered unnecessarily, and her face heated up shamefully.
A swell of pity spread in my chest, along with the heated irritation I had with this guy.
"I wasn't willing to do much or go so far, so Liam sought out what he demanded in other girls. He'd always blame me and told me he'd stop playing the field if I just... but it never felt right to me." After finishing her rushed explanation, she gauged my reaction.
"Demanded? How could you stay with a guy like that?" I scoffed, unable to hide my frustration.
"Couples are supposed to be romantically involved. I thought it was my fault for refusing, and I thought he was generous for giving me time." Her voice shrunk with the explanation.
"You know that's wrong, right? You should never force yourself to be with someone you don't want."
"I know, I know. It was wrong." She winced at my tone.
"What did your mom and brother think about this?" I pressed, knowing if one of my sisters was in a situation like this, I would have intervened for them.
"They don't know. My brother was sent off to boarding school around that time." Layla admitted, unveiling another layer to her situation.
"I'm just surprised. I thought you were too stubborn for peer pressure."
"Perhaps I also stayed because when Liam was around, he didn't make me feel invisible or undesirable," She whispered in realization, more so for herself.
I suppressed the next grumble in my chest.
"What? You wanted an answer, and I was more than generous with the details." Layla defended her vulnerability.
"You're not undesirable or invisible." I reached for my imprint, who was naturally suspicious.
"I'm not just saying that," I said, reading between the lines. "Sure." She pulled away, disheartened.
"Then tell me why it seems almost every guy here is interested in you," I retorted, annoyed.
She had to have noticed all the wandering eyes by now.
"They're not, really. Even if that were the case, they will be over their curiosity in the next week or so," Layla groaned.
Standing up, she stretched and left to stash her lunch tray away. I turned in my seat to watch my imprint limp across the room.
I should've taken it for her. Because immediately, it was Elu looking to make himself useful.
I couldn't believe Layla didn't think she was desirable. Whatever Liam lied to her about, with words or actions, stole her confidence.
Elu glared my way, returning to his seat when Layla turned him away. I gave him a smug smirk.
Layla looked at me, confused. I shook my head.
Okay, maybe she was naïve. The awkwardness of her tween years wasn't long ago, I reminded myself. But it waned her into the beauty of today.
The once mid-length dark hair I saw in pictures now reached her mid back, untouched by dyes.
No more blemishes broke her smooth, tan skin, and her former toothpick frame was now graced with curves—something she tried to hide but couldn't cover up even sheathed in jeans or loose-fitting tees.
If only Layla would stop wearing so much makeup.
Not that she wore a lot; I could tell she was trying to counteract her baby face. Rounded cheeks like hers would melt with age.
Distracted, my soulmate tripped over the legs of a chair.
She stumbled into Ahote, who reached out his arm to conveniently catch her.
Layla's Pov
"Hey, are you okay?" Ahote caught my arm loosely when I went to return to Jacob. "Yeah, I'm good. Why?"
The bell rang, and a mob of students blocked my path. I saw that it would be easier to leave for my next class instead of backtracking.
"I'll walk you to class," he said, looping his arm in mine like Jake had done all morning.
I looked around for him, unable to see with so many people around me. I gave up focusing on my feet.
"It seems like you and Black were having an intense conversation." "Really?"
"Yes, one of us was about to intervene before you stood up." He said.
I laughed nervously. Although he was smiling, Ahote was serious.
"Has he convinced you to join his cult yet?" "What? No." I blinked.
Ahote shook his head as if he didn't believe me. "Is it a secret then?" he asked.
"I don't know anything about that. We're just getting to know each other." I shrugged into his arm.
"You know they rarely take in outsiders, let alone their own tribe." He reminded me, just like everyone else here had.
"I know." My brows pulled together in contemplation. Ahote seemed content that I was heading the warning.
"Have you had any change of plans from Seatle this weekend?" he asked, changing topics.
"I'm still going to see my dad," I answered. "Well, when you return, I'd like the opportunity to get to know you too."
I lifted my head in surprise."It might be better than joining a cult." His smile was smooth with practiced charm.
"See you around, Moon. Let me know if you need anything." I hoped Jake wasn't right about the attention thing.
"What was that about?" Jacob approached, glowering in his senior's direction.
"You know I'm winging it right now. I have to receive whatever help I can get," I said, referring to my injured limb.
"Oh, good. You're receiving help now." He smiled, taking my bag, and we fell into our new formation with me tucked under his arm.
"Sure, you've worn me down." I cracked a smile, and leaning into him, I enjoyed his warmth as we walked into biology.
"Good." He mumbled, giving me a gentle squeeze.
"What was the other thing? That was bothering you this morning." Jacob whispered to me during the lab lecture.
"Why?" I whispered back, wondering why he was so persistent. "Because I can tell it's still bothering you."
So, gathering all this personal information wasn't just to report back to his peers after all. Maybe he really cared.
"It seems like I have to ask the correct questions to crack open the safe."
"What if you don't like what's inside?" I half teased, also worried he'd lose interest soon.
"I think the treasure is worth the trouble." His black eyes held mine, captivating me for a long moment.
"Syd found a flyer with you on it," I confessed, measured and awkward. Jake's casual cadence shifted to his sometimes stoic mask.
"He won't let you in the house anytime soon," I said apologetically. "He won't stop me from seeing you." His sincere declaration was reaffirming.
"Thanks, Jake, but where else will I go?" "You can come to Emily's with us or my place if you don't mind the cramped space."
I hoped my smile was convincing. His omission of the flyer's contents reignited my worry and burned me with curiosity I struggled to smother.
Author's Note:
Hey guys, This is just a PSA. This story is meant to be a slow-burn action thriller. In order for that to happen, tension and misunderstandings between the main characters within the story are inevitable. Otherwise, it would be a boring one-shot dopamine hit of instantaneous love at first sight. The imprinting is partially that, but I would like there to be some build-up and more substance in Jacob and Layla's relationship. A fated mate scenario is also arguably harder to write than Friends to lovers.