Cradle Broken Glass

Chapter Thirty Nine

"Well thank you for coming in to talk to me today. It was really nice getting to know you even if you don't get the job." Kelly said as he reached out his hand. Layla took it and shook it firmly, smiling confidently even though inside she was terrified. She had no idea whether she was going to get it or not, and she almost felt like Kelly's reaction meant that he was letting her down gently. She said goodbye to him, while he assured her that he would get in contact with her by the end of the week to let her know if she had got it or not. She left the building in downtown Seattle and leaned up against the wall of the offices, breathing heavily as she tried not to become overcome with emotion. Although she had acted incredibly casual and nonchalant to Eddie about the whole thing, inside she really wanted to get the job. She wanted to go on tour with Pearl Jam and if she could earn while doing it then that would be amazing. Plus, she had always wanted to be part of the music industry, although not as an artist. This could be her foot in the door and she could finally do what she had always wanted to do. Being surrounded by live music and bands all the time didn't seem like the worst job in the world.

Layla breathed in and out again before she heard the exhaust of a car as one pulled up next to her on the road. She recognised it straight away and made her way over to it, getting in and leaning back in her seat as it drove away at top speeds.

"So, how did it go?" Stone asked as he tried not to crash the car in the afternoon traffic. Layla held into the side of the car with force, trying not to get thrown out of the windshield as he braked quickly at a traffic light.

"Okay I guess. Who knows whether I'll get it." She said with a hint of deflation, knowing that Kelly was probably interviewing loads of other people and that they were all more likely to get it than her.

"The world works in mysterious ways, child." Stone said in his voodoo-impression voice and Layla laughed out loud at the way Stone always seemed to give out the worst advice with the best intentions.

"Well let's hope so. There's no way you could cope without me for a couple of months." Layla said as a joke, but when Stone said nothing back, she looked to his side and noticed the fallen expression on his face.

"I did." He said solemnly, a sad smile gracing his face as an uncomfortable silence fell in the car. Layla felt terrible. She had never talked to any of the guys about the period of time in which she had completely ignored them and blocked them out of her life. She knew it was hard for her, and she couldn't cope with it, but the selfish part of her had never thought about how it had affected the rest of them. She knew it had affected Eddie, but she barely even thought about the rest of the guys, especially Stone and Jeff who had been with her since she moved to Seattle.

"Stone, I never apologised to you for that." She said, although she thought it was pointless, since he was well aware of the fact and was probably rolling his eyes internally at her right now. He sighed deeply and then flashed her a small smile, although it wasn't one of happiness, but more of acceptance.

"Layla, I know why you did it. And it wasn't your fault, it was someone else's." Stone finally said, and Layla felt like crying at that moment. How pathetic was it, that she had made herself into such a victim that even her friends had to pretend that she wasn't at fault just to not upset her?

"Don't say that. It was my fault. I cannot blame him for everything and no one else can either. I could have easily not ignored you all, but me being the fucking bitch I am, I did it anyway." Layla said, tears starting to flow from her eyes, her voice getting louder and louder as she went on. But before she had time to even feel sorry for herself, Stone braked the car and swerved off of the road, driving down an empty street where he found a parking place and parked the car, breathing in with frustration before he finally turned to her.

"Is it so hard for you to believe that people actually care about you? Because they do, you fucking idiot. Everyone around you cares. When you stopped talking to us and cut everyone out of your life I was fucking hurt, I'm not going to lie. But did I, or anyone, for one-minute blame you for it, and think that you were a bitch? Fuck no. Because it wasn't your fault. If it were your fault, then you would be the one being given a three-year fucking prison sentence, not him." Stone concluded. He was still looking at her with exasperation, but Layla barely even took any of it in, too focused on one specific piece of information that he mentioned.

"What?" She said quietly, the tears around her eyes drying as she looked at Stone in shock, and he stared back confused, not knowing what she was so shocked about.

"What do you mean 'what'? Don't tell me you didn't understand everything I just said, because I swear to God if you don't understand by now that no one blames you for everything that happened...." Layla cut him off before he could continue with his rant.

"Three years?" She clarified, and Stone's eyes finally clouded with understanding, and he sighed as he looked down and whispered a small 'shit' to himself.

"Fuck, Eddie was going to tell you when we got back." Stone said, rubbing his temples, in vexation as he realised he had let a piece of information slip when he shouldn't have had. Upon seeing her questioning look, however, he elaborated.

"Eddie got a call this morning from one of the police officers. Phil has been sentenced to three years, without bail. He's gone Layla. That's it. You don't have to worry about him anymore." He finished quietly, any tone of teasing or sarcasm that was usually found in Stone's voice completely eradicated, the only thing left was compassion and care.

"He's... gone?" Layla questioned, and Stone nodded his head with a small smile, reassuring her of everything that was going on in her mind right now. The tears started to flow down her cheeks again, but this time due to joy. She could believe it.

He was... gone.

From her life.

From her happiness.

He wasn't going to be able to affect it anymore.

"Come here." Stone said, and she turned to him to find his arms outstretched towards her. She launched herself to his side and he swept her up in a tight embrace, rubbing her back soothingly as she cried into his t-shirt.

She was free.