Layla's childhood was as ordinary as a daughter's whose mother had passed away early in her life could be. Growing up surrounded by a dominant presence of male figures in her life, she turned into a strong, courageous individual, prepared to tackle...
Lucy replied pushing her cousin off of her. "How are you guys not dating? He's your best friend, and he's hot. Is everything okay in here?" she asked knocking on Layla's head.
The girl just shook her head. "Was," she said.
When Lucy raised her eyebrow indicating she didn't understand, Layla repeated, "He was my best friend. We don't talk anymore."
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The Royal Mark : CHAPTER ELEVEN
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"What do you mean by that? Did something happen between the two of you?" Lucy asked her cousin.
Layla got off the floor and sighed as she plopped on her bed. "I don't even know, Luce. A few months ago, Liam came to me with blood all over his hands. He was beyond furious and when I asked him what was wrong, he shouted, saying that I should stay away from Julian. It was the first time he'd ever talked to me using that tone, so I knew it was best to leave him alone for a while.
"I tried to contact Julian once after the incident, but his father told me he was busy. It was all so odd, and I couldn't understand anything. I tried asking Liam about it a few days later, but he refused to say anything. He asked me to trust him and keep my distance from Julian, and so I did."
Lucy joined Layla on the bed. "What happened after that?" she whispered.
"We ignored each other the few times we crossed paths – until a few days ago when he decided to talk to me again."
"What changed?"
Layla simply shrugged. "Who knows? I'm pretty sure it has to do with the fact that Liam is away. I wasn't really complaining though, since I was glad that he started talking to me again; he was one of my closest friends after all."
"But?"
Layla looked up to face Lucy, before averting her gaze to the open window of her room. "But I don't know if it's the right thing to do. Liam obviously loves me and always thinks of what's best for me. If he told me to stay away from Julian, then there must be a good reason behind it.
