Always You

Chapter 5

{Meg}

"What are you laughing at?" I ask with a smile, as Abby chuckles happily in my arms. We'd popped into the local corner shop to get some food. Gracie had taken to cooking me and Abby meals and refused to take money off me for rent so I made sure to buy food for the house whenever I could.

I try to continue looking for the next item on my list but the sound of Abby laughing has me curious. Something behind me has to be entertaining her.

"What is it, Abby?" I ask spinning around.

My breath catches in my throat. Layla. A soft smile forms on my lips as Layla pretends to be engrossed in the tin of peas in her hand. She is such a bad actor.

"Layla?"

She turns around as if surprised. "Oh Meg, I didn't see you there." She exclaims, a glint in her eye that takes me straight back to my youth.

"Yeah right." I chuckle nervously. She smiles that half smile that always made my knees weak. I'd be lying if I said it didn't still have some potency. Reminding myself that at nearly twenty-eight and with a child I need to stop acting like a teenager.

"Lay lay." Abby says, surprising me.

Layla reacts, instantly charming my daughter. "Hello Abby. Are you and your mummy shopping?"

"We get sweeties." She says cheerfully.

"Whoa, no we don't missy." I jump in. "Where did that come from?"

"She's a smart kid." Layla laughs. "You got to try or you won't get anything. High five Abby." She says holding her hand up. Abby throws her hand at Layla's. "Yes." Layla chuckles.

I remember the first time she held my hand.

{Twelve years earlier}

Exams were over and while I was nervously waiting for results, I found I had a big distraction to focus on instead. The kiss I shared with Layla was still very much on my mind. We hadn't talked about it since. Nobody else had brought it up either. Really that should have been the end of it. They all had a laugh together and have moved on. Yet I can't move on.

Any time my mind was left to wonder it went straight back to that day. I think in time I could move past it but something else, or I should say someone else, confuses things in my mind.

Layla seems to be finding ways to be alone with me.

I could just be reading into things. Maybe we're just hanging out as normal but I'm more sensitive to her now. All we do is talk after all. Yet there seems to be an underline current between us. My body is buzzing when she looks at me. For the past few weeks, I've had exams to focus on. Can't try to process the fact I seem to be attracted to a girl because of exams. Now GCSE's are over and I have no excuse for my pondering mind. I think if I knew how she felt it would help but then I would have to admit things to myself and we're back to square one.

Jada had called a girl's day; the boys were firmly instructed to leave us for the day. The plan being town then all over Jada's house for a sleepover. She had the biggest house which worked out best for when the five of us got together like this.

We'd all dropped off our overnight bags at her house this morning and were now heading into the cinema screen. Somehow, I was leading the group so ended up against the wall. I sat down to find Layla in the seat next to me.

My heart raced.

I'm stuck. With the wall on one side and Layla on the other, what do I do? And what does the smile she just gave me mean?