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...
Julian didn't say anything for a while as he contemplated whether it was worth telling her or not. This could potentially result in the best moment of his life, but it could also result in his biggest fear, which was losing her. He didn't know if he was willing to face the risk of losing her all over again.
"You need to trust me with this, Jules," Layla spoke again. "What was written in the letter?" she asked softly.
This time as Layla reached out to take a hold of his hand once more, Julian didn't have to think twice about it. He kept his eyes firmly locked on hers as he said, "Will you be my girlfriend?"
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The Royal Mark : CHAPTER FIFTEEN
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Layla's lips parted once those five words registered in her mind as she rose from the hay stack and took a few steps back from Julian. The young boy rose from his seat as well, but took a step towards her instead, his hand reaching for her.
"Layla, I didn't mean to scare you away," he quickly added seeing the several emotions that sparked in her eyes.
She simply shook her head, her eyes never leaving his. "I-I can't do this, Julian," she spoke, her voice merely above a whisper.
"It's okay. I wasn't expecting you to say yes," Julian added. He gave her a small smile, which was meant to comfort himself as well as her. "I just had to let it out. We hung out together every single day, and every time I looked at you, the only thing I could think about was how much I liked you and wanted you to know how much you meant to me."
Layla squeezed her eyes shut and pressed her lips into a thin line. "Stop. I can't deal with this right now. I-I'm going home," she said, turning around to walk away from him.
"No! Layla, wait!" Julian shouted, taking a step towards her. As he watched her move away from him, he felt his heart fill with regret; he shouldn't have told her about the letter. It was obvious that she didn't feel the same way about him, and now, he'd scared her away.
