All American: Winter Break

Chapter Forty-One: "It's Not a Goodbye...It's a See You Later," (Part One)

Her heart pounded muffling the world around her hearing the beat of her own heart in her ears. Letting out a controlled breath, Layla gripped the steering wheel tighter. The palms of her hands felt damp gently sliding off the wheel. Her fingers were cramped in agony from how tight she held on. Layla's mind raced consumed by the thoughts of the girl that sat beside her. Leaving an eerie tension to fill the silence in the car as she drove out of Beverly Hills with Carrie in the passenger seat.

Layla focused on the road going over the plan Carrie's parents and her had discussed a few days prior. Carefully executing the plan, without causing Carrie to grow suspicious and do something to harm Layla. With what Carrie's parents had told Layla, she knew she had to tread lightly knowing the blonde was a loose cannon, and unpredictable in many ways.

If Layla would raise an alarm, the whole plan would crumble, and Layla did not want to see what would happen if the plan would go south. There was no plan other than the one that she was perfectly executing. Although she didn't trust Carrie's parents either, she didn't have anyone else to go to leaving her to trust two strangers she didn't know much about.

Going over the plan in her head, she carefully analyzed the next steps making sure to not cause Carrie any more suspicion than she already was. All Carrie knew was that she was heading to her parent's house to talk with them, before the both of them would be heading to Denver in the morning. At least that was the plan that was discussed, but Layla had a very different plan of her own.

She kept the conversation short and made sure to not go into much detail knowing that Carrie would pick up on her queues and know that something was off. Carrie had already almost caught Layla twice before. Leaving Layla to walk on eggshells around her, and take notice of the little details hoping the blonde wasn't picking up anymore.

Her hands slid down the steering wheel slapping her thighs causing her to shake from her thoughts. Clearing her throat, Carrie looked over to Layla as she patted her thighs when her mind raced to her phone. She was waiting for a message from Carrie's parents. If she didn't have her phone, she wouldn't be able to contact Carrie's parents which only made the fear she had already bubbling in the pit of her stomach to become prominent.

When she didn't feel her phone in her pockets, her heart picked up its pace frantically looking around the center console and grabbing her purse to look inside. " Oh no-" Layla trailed. She pressed her foot against the brake. The stoplight had still been red letting her have enough time to search for her phone.

"Looking for something?" Carrie asked. A slow devious smirk spread on her lips. Looking at herself in the mirror, she reapplied her lipstick. Layla hadn't noticed the growing smirk on her friend's face. She grunted re-searching her purse trying to remember where she had left her phone. "Yeah-" Layla shook her head confused. "I can't seem to find my phone. I swear I put it in the front pocket of my purse when we were leaving. But it's not there. Have you seen it?" she asked. Carrie slightly shook her head as her face was now filled with worry.

"No, I haven't seen it. I should've sworn you had put it in your purse too. I clearly remember you grabbing it off the kitchen counter before you left. You sure it's not in there? Try checking again," Carrie reassured. "I did!" Layla grunted in frustration causing Carrie to shake at the anger that ensued. Layla quickly softened her gaze, rubbing Carrie's arm. She deeply sighed pulling her mouth to the side seeing how shaken up Carrie had been. 

"Sorry...I shouldn't have raised my voice at you. I just need my phone,". Layla nervously shook her head looking at the time and noticing that it was too late to turn back now,". Carrie met Layla's gaze giving her the smallest of pouts. "I was just trying to help-". Carrie trailed. Layla groaned while a hint of a smile spread on her lips. "I know, and I'm sorry. It's just...been a lot you know-". Layla trailed the second Carrie squinted her eyes narrowing her gaze at her friend. "What has?" she asked tilting her head. Layla quickly replied.