In Her Sleep

A Blessing In Disguise

Layla can't decide what scares her the most between falling for the man beside her or knowing he has fallen for her too. For the second time now she couldn't bear hearing him say it. It's foolish yes, but she can't help not wanting to know. She wants him but after Simon, she doesn't really know where she stands with relationships.

She sighs mentally as she tries to sort out the mess in her head. Finding out about Simon no doubt left her broken and she can't deny that the whole ordeal has also made her more guarded. And if it was just cheating maybe she would have been fine, but to hear it from Simon's own mouth that she was just a means to an end has made her think twice about her decisions. No matter how much she thinks about the budding of her relationship with Simon, she can't seem to find any clue to suggest it was all a lie. And she knows that whatever is blossoming between her and Caleb is obviously suffering because of it, but she figures it's better to be safe than sorry. If there is one thing she knows though, it's that she would die if the same thing happened between her and her doctor. To some extent she is aware that it's because of Caleb that this break up feels like a lighter burden to bear.

"A penny for your thoughts?"
Caleb reaches for her hand and her breath hitches. For a moment she avoids his gaze afraid of giving herself away. There is little she can hide from him though when her body keeps reacting on its own accord. Even as she sits next to him watching him drive, has her feeling all woozy. She is glad this ride has them in their shades, which saves her from his piercing gaze even though his smile is right there blazing like the sun and kissing her soul.

"What's got you all quiet all of the sudden?" 
Caleb's question and his soft squeeze on her hand softly makes her look at him with a smile.

"Nothing really. I guess I kind of just shutdown a little back there." She replies.

"Doesn't look like nothing to me." He replies while his gaze switches between her and the road.

"Nothing to worry about." She replies when she picks a hint of worry in his voice and feels his doctor side coming out.
"Really…" she smiles before giving his hand a squeeze and he just nods her way. For someone who has wanted someone to care for her, she can't help but enjoy all these moments when he wants to make sure she is alright.

"So where would you like to go?" He suddenly asks and she frowns at his question.

"I...uh thought you are the one with the destination." She replies nervously. 

"Doesn't mean you can't have another destination in mind." He chuckles before dropping his hand on the gear lever and changing a gear, an action that makes her enjoy watching his muscles flex.

"Well in that case...you did say I get some fresh air so anywhere we can find that will be just fine." She turns to him and she is met with his breathtaking smile.

"Then you are definitely going to like where we happen to be going." He says excitedly, making her look forward to it even though she has no idea where they are going exactly.

"I can't wait." She replies before turning away from him and looking out of the window. The scanty brick buildings and the appearance of open grassland let's her know they are heading out of the city. 
"I can't say I am familiar with this part of the world." She smiles at him.

"I promise you will like it and we are almost there." He replies with excitement as he keeps his eyes on the road.

"And where exactly is there?" She asks amused with how excited he sounds. 

"Just a little spot we foun..I found not so long ago."
She hears him clear his throat mid sentence, making her look at him thoughtfully. He looks a bit uncomfortable and she wonders why but chooses not to ask.

"Oh yeah?" She tries to match his earlier excitement and it seems to work when he looks back at her with a smile.

"Oh yeah…" His hand takes hers again and she relaxes this time. 

Before long a winding road comes into view, revealing some hilly terrain and they ascend it while he opens the canopy for his car. Immediately her hair flies with the wind making her smile. It will probably be messed up by the time they stop but the feeling of the strong air pressure on her face is exhilarating making her not care so much about it. She already feels like the wind is blowing away her grim start to this day and leaving behind her happy self. She wonders how he knew she would like it before turning to him. 

"Let's just say I am obsessed with the little things," he replies to her unspoken question a little too loud.

To that she just smiles with satisfaction before closing her eyes and just let the air flow over her face. She is glad he chose the outdoors for their outing. For some reason she just doesn't think she would have enjoyed a crowded place as much.
Her mind wanders a little to the man seated beside her. It's only been a couple of weeks since she has known him and yet she feels like she has known him longer than that. She wonders how her life would have turned out if she hadn't met him, or if she hadn't been in that accident. She wonders how long it would have been in her marriage before Simon would decide to show his true colours, or maybe she would have never known his true intentions at all. So many questions flood her head and in the end she comes to one conclusion… Her accident was a blessing in disguise.

She smiles oblivious to the pair of eyes that are watching her intently as she thinks away with her eyes still closed. She finds herself truly grateful at least for one tragedy in her life. It's weird, but if it were not for that particular accident she would have probably gone on and married Simon and who knows where she would have ended up. A subtle sting pricks her heart when that thought crosses her mind.  Maybe it's better this way. She smiles before Caleb's voice sounds in her ears.

"Much better." 
Her eyes fly open and just then she realizes that they have stopped.

"Sorry...I didn't realize we had stopped. Her first thought is her hair and she tries to comb through it with her fingers hoping to bring some sanity to it.

"You look fine." Caleb says, sounding amused at her attempts to straighten her hair which she has no idea the state it's in. 

"Are you sure?" She asks him honestly before trying to bend down and check herself in the car's side mirror.

"Trust me you are perfect." He holds her back and hands her a pair of hiking boots.

"This is as far as the car can go." He answers her unspoken question again.
"But don't worry, it's just a little walk from here." He adds before she can say anything else.

"Okay." She replies before taking the boots and opening the car door to get changed.

"Let me."
Caleb is out his door before she can say no and before she knows it, he's got a knee down changing her shoes. It takes everything in her to try to stay calm and not to react to his touch that feels extra warm on her skin.

"These are a nice pair." He says teasingly before giving her slender feet a squeeze and she gives him a soft bump on his head.

"Focus!" She retorts but instead of having shoes slipping onto her feet, she feels a pair of strong hands squeezing their way towards her knee on one of her legs.

"W...what are you doing?" She bites her lips wondering what her good doctor is up to now.

"Final check up before letting you hike of course."
His answer makes her relax and just then she realizes his hands were indeed up her leg that was injured in her accident. She slaps herself mentally for thinking otherwise and she finds him looking at her amused.

"So?" She asks hastily before looking away from him avoiding him seeing her obviously flushed face.

"Good as new." He replies while he finishes up with her laces.
"Shall we?" He holds out his hand for her to take as he invites her out of the car.

"Of course." She can't help but feel like a princess and he was her prince helping her down their carriage. She places her hand in his while she chuckles at her thoughts. 
It seems with Caleb, she can't stop dreaming.