Chapter Thirty
Tyler
I told myself to stay away. Ease into this slowly. I mean, we’re talking about Layla “Faye” Valentine. Most of the time I can’t believe they’re one and the same. The girl in those texts and phone calls is sweet and funny, and doesn’t hate me. The girl sitting across from me in her pink and white room looks like she’s about to freak out and run for the hills any second now. Like she’s waiting for me to be an absolute asshole or something.
“Layla, you need to relax.”
“I am relaxed,” she says with her brows bunching up in the middle.
I shake my head. “You’re really not. If you grip that pencil any tighter it’s going to snap.”
She looks down at her pencil and drops it with a frown. “We can take a minute if you need it,” I say.
“I don’t.” Layla flexes her hand and I can’t take the space between us anymore. I get up out of the chair and move next to her. She starts to scoot away but I grab her hand and massage it.
“W-what are you doing?” she asks.
I crack a smile. “I’m giving your hand a rubdown. You need to relax.”
“I um … mmmhmmm.”
“Yeah?”
“Shut up and keep … oh yeah.”
I almost laugh but keep massaging her hand. Her eyes flutter shut. I move my fingers gently up her arm and then knead her shoulders. She moans softly.
She leans forward. I want to keep working her muscles until she melts into me but I can’t. I have to stop this.
I pull my hands back and smile at her. She’s not smiling back though. She looks annoyed, or shocked. I’m not really sure which it is but neither is good. Layla tugs at the hem of her shirt and inches away from me. She does it so casually, like she’s trying to hide the fact she’s putting space between us. It’s almost amusing.
“Thanks for the, uh … yeah. What’s number ten say again?”
I snatch her book from her and begin reading, “Y plus ten. Minus eight Y plus B to the fifth power equals six minus Y to the third power. Plus Y minus twenty B.”
Her pencil sketches out the problem then she taps her eraser against her chin. It’s one of her tics; I want to label it her thinking tic. She pauses and I stare like a creep. A knock on her door helps break my attention from her.
Juliet enters the room before Layla tells her to come in. “Layla, I have a huge problem and I … oh … uh … I didn’t know you had company.”
“It’s cool,” I say and stand up. “I can step out for a second. Do you mind if I get something to drink?”
Juliet smiles at me. Layla answers, “Sure. Can you bring me back a bottle of water please?”
“Sure. As long as you promise not to dump it on my head.”
Layla blushes. “I s-said I was s-sorry.”
When she’s nervous and stammering it’s cute as hell. I’m not about to tell her this though. I just nod and glance over at her sister. She looks perplexed, as if she’s trying to figure out what exactly is going on between Layla and myself. “Juliet, would you like anything?” I ask.
“I’m good. Thanks, Tyler.”
I walk past her and leave the room. I probably shouldn’t do it but I have a feeling whatever is happening is about Jared or Mark. If that’s the case, I want to know what’s up beforehand so I at least have a game plan on how to handle it. I lean against the door.
“Juliet, why are you so upset?”
“I’m probably crazy. I think Mark might break up with me.”
“Why would he break up with you?”
I hear sobs and then Juliet whimpers, “There was some girl hanging all over him after school. He wasn’t pushing her away. He didn’t even notice I was even there until I said ‘hey’ to him.”
Ah, shit. I make my way downstairs and pull out my cell.
“Hey,” I say as soon as he answers.
“I can’t talk long, man. My dad is making us run drills.”
“Jared, screw your dad’s drills for like three seconds. Listen, you might be getting your wish.”
He huffs. “And what the hell would that be?”
“The one where Mark messes up and breaks Juliet’s heart and you get the girl.”
“Wait. What? Dude, I hate Mark right now. I do. But if she’s happy that’s all that matters. I want her happy. What did he do?”
“What doesn’t Mark do? He flirted with a girl.”
“Shit! I got to go.” Before I can say another word, he hangs up.
I snatch some drinks from the Valentines’ fridge and head upstairs.
As I’m about to enter Layla’s room the doorbell rings. I press my ear to the door and the girls seem to be still talking and haven’t heard the bell. I set down the drinks and head down to the front room.
I swing open the door and Chase raises a brow at me. “Uh, hey Tyler. What are you doing here?”
“Hanging out with Layla. What are you doing here?”
“Going to play some Wrath of Death with Juliet. Like usual.”
I take a step back and eye Chase. “Whoa, Juliet is into video games?”
“Uh, yeah. Kind of our thing. She also likes Harry Potter, and doing those mud runs.” He steps around me and makes his way upstairs.
“So are you, like, into her?” I ask. I know my question and tone make me sound like a total asshole, but I need to know how much competition might be out there for Jared.
Chase whips around on the steps and says, “Just friends. More like brother and sister.”
“Ew. Okay. So no banging there at all.”
“What the hell, Tyler? No. And if Mark is asking you to do recon, ask him to do it himself. I don’t appreciate the acts on and off the field. He can swear to Juliet he’s cool with her and I being friends, but the prick has found every way possible to have me injured. It’s bullshit!”
I nod, even though I’m pretty sure if things are as bad as they sound Chase isn’t going to have to worry about Mark. We head upstairs and Juliet steps out of Layla’s room and startles. “Chase! Hey! Who let you in?”
“I did,” I grin. I walk into the bedroom with the drinks.
Layla stares at her work and doesn’t seem to notice I even entered the room.
“Here you go,” I say, plopping down beside her with a bottle of water.
“Oh, thanks. Sorry about that. Girl stuff.”
“Right. So, you going to Kelly’s party this weekend?”
She shrugs. “Probably not.”
“Why?”
“I just … I don’t want to.”
“Because of Adam, or Rachel?”
She shrugs again. “Both, probably. Plus, I just don’t want to go.”
I know it’s both. We’ve texted about it. Why is she closing me off in person, but on the phone, she’s an open book? I don’t get it.