Savior

The Girl with Froyo

Her left dimple is deeper than her right one. She scrunches up her nose when she laughs at something really hard. Flecks of gold shimmer in her eyes when the sun hits them at just the right angle. She keeps her head down while walking through the streets and only looks up at me to reply to something I've said. Her only topping of choice in her frozen yogurt are gummy bears.

These are superficial observations of Layla, but at least they are something tangible.

"That looks like diabetes in a cup." Her face is set in a grimace as she eyes my cup of frozen yogurt that is filled to the brim with every topping known to man.

"Diabetes has never tasted so good." I tease while shoving a spoonful into my mouth and watching as her face twists into playful disgust. She laughs lightly before gingerly taking a bite of her own delicious dessert.

I try not to stare too long as I watch her eat and observe her surroundings, but I genuinely can't help it.

It seems like the more time that I spend with her, the more at ease and comfortable she seems. Her hands are still shaking ever so slightly, any sudden movements from me causes her to flinch, and she tenses up when a lot of people walk by our seat on a bench, but it seems that she has come quite far from the girl in 26B that wouldn't leave her apartment.

The fact that she is even spending the day with me is testimony of that and I know that I am lucky to have her sitting in front of me willingly.

But, my curiosity is killing me.

"So, Layla, where are you from?" I know I have to tread lightly and be as impersonal as possible, considering what happened on our balconies just two weeks ago.

Layla tenses slightly at my question and I am afraid I have already asked too much, but when her eyes lift from her cup she doesn't look angry. Her soft gaze dances across my features for a bit, causing me to squirm slightly, before she answers in a cautious voice.

"New York. What about you?"

I know she is flipping the conversation to me and I decide I am okay with that for now because New York. A place much more populated than Cheshire, yet she is still jumpy in crowds, "Holmes Chapel not born, but raised. But, I moved closer to the city with Niall when we were sixteen."

"That's young," She nods thoughtfully before her face brightens as she remembers something, "How old are you by the way?"

"Just turned twenty-one February 1st. What about you?"

"Twenty. Twenty-one in September."

"Awh to be young and naïve again."

"What?" Layla scoffs, chuckling lightly, "You're only older than me by like eight months."

"No need to throw a tantrum. Do you need a time out?" I pout lightly and Layla shoots me a playful glare.

"At least we know who's older in maturity. You're like a really tall man-child."

"Ouch. You wound me, Scott." I laugh lightly, while placing my palm to my chest as if offended. This only causes her to giggle sweetly and the sound makes my heart pump fiercely in my chest.

Our banter comes so easily despite her initial inhibitions and the grin on my lips probably has people thinking I'm insane, but I don't care. New York. Twenty. Birthday in September. My mind is creating an automatic list of things I am learning about Layla and adding them to the small list of things I already know.

We fall into a comfortable silence soon after that and I finish off my cup of heaven while watching Layla observe the people walk by curiously. It's only when she lifts her spoon to take another bite that I see something that causes my stomach to churn.