The Broken Tale

Not alone

Song: am I supposed to apologize

Layla woke to warmth, that familiar scent of his strong cologne. She could see their clothes lying in piles across the floor from the corner of her eye. His heart beat was like a steady beat under her, his arm around her kept her just as warm as the sheets over them did. She looked up at Brian's glowing face, asleep peacefully with his blonde hair in a messy heap. She didn't notice that a large smile had found its way around her lips, she laid her head back on his chest with a sigh, listening to his steady heartbeat in the quietness of the room. Living with Brian for the past week had made the pain she had suffered for her entire life just fade away as if it had been merely a book she had read. Ali never came after her and Brian reassured her that he had business to attend to abroad. She tried to get out of bed but felt Brian hand grab her hand.
"Where do you think you're going?" He asked with a sleepy smile.
He pulled Layla back into his arms gently.
"I wanted to get breakfa-"
He interrupted her with a kiss on her forehead.
"Who said breakfast was your worry, babygirl?" He asked rhetorically.
"Then whose is it?"
"Mine, my darling."
"Then what am I supposed to do? Sit like a pig and you serve me?"
He laughed, "You deserve the best, Laili."
Layla sighed, "Yeah, haven't I heard that one before."
He ran his fingers through her hair, "Then you get to hear it genuinely this time, huh?"
Layla shrugged her shoulders idly, keeping silent long enough for Brian to relieze something was going around in her head.
"Is something wrong, babe?" He asked, a little concerned.
Layla let out a deep sigh, "I'm not sure."
"Tell me what you're thinking of."
Layla took in a deepbreath, as if her thoughts were too frustrating for her to face herself.
"I have to go back." She mumbled, "He'll come back and I have to go back. God knows what he'll do with me this time."
Brian sighed in irritation, "For fuck's sake, Laili, don't think-"
"He already gang raped me, beat me half to death and killed my baby, is killing me that much of a far shot at this point?"
"Layla..."
"I could kill him. I always think that you know? Maybe if I could kill him, I can be free."
"Prison isn't exactly being free, Layla." He reminded her.
"I'll be rid of Ali. That's free enough for me."
Brian sighed and got out of the bed, "Do you want to be happy or be in prison?"
He picked his black basketball shorts up from the heap of clothes on the floor and put them on.
"Anyway, I'll go and see what I can whip up for breakfast." He said, "Alex said he and Talya are coming over in an hour or something."
Layla sighed and nodded.
Layla could smell the delicious scent of waffles right from the hallway. Brian, still shirtless in just his shorts, was cooking up some scrambled eggs. Layla walked up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his chest and laid her head on his hard back. She felt him flinch under her touch.
"Wanna know a secret?" She asked playfully.
"Hm?"
"You're so handsome."
Brian cackled, "I wasn't aware that that was a secret."
"You just had to ruin the moment." Layla said in annoyance, "To think I was going to be romantic."
"You were pretty romantic last night."
Layla got off of him and grabbed a glass from a cabinet.
"Shut up, pig."
Brian laughed. Layla poured herself some wine from a bottle in the freezer. As she took a sip, the echo of the doorbell rang through the penthouse.
"I'll get it." She said, setting her glass down on the table.
She skipped across the penthouse like a child. She straightened out creases in her tiny blue dress and pulled her hair to one side before she swung the door open. Talya's face glowed almost as bright as Layla's when she saw the smile on her face.
"You look radiant." Talya said cheerfully.
Layla shrugged, "Let's thank Brian for that. Anyway come in!"
Talya chuckled to herself a little. Alexander put his hand behind her back and gently nudged her inside, following her. Layla shut the door behind them and gestured to the kitchen.
"It smells like waffles and burnt paper." Alexander commented.
"Burnt paper?"
Layla sniffed the air around her, her nostrils filled with the scent of burnt paper.
"Brian, what the fuck did you burn?" Layla yelled out.
"My bad!" He replied, "I might've burnt one of my documents."
"What's your document doing in your frying pan?" Alexander asked as they entered the kitchen.
Brian tossed the black, burnt paper into the trash, "I was reading it and left it too close to the eye."
Layla face-palmed, "Idiot."
Brian set the pain of eggs down on the table with three plates of waffles. Layla set a pot of tea down with some coffee as well while Brian added a large bowl of salad.
"Eat up, children."
Layla noticed the brown leather jacket Talya was wearing as she sat next to her.
"Is that the jacket I got you?" She asked.
Talya nodded, "Yep."
"It looks great."
"Yeah, well you have a little taste every now and then."
Layla snorted, "Bitch, I'd pick out all your clothes back in high school."
"Speaking of which, Laili, when are you going back to college?" Alexander asked, taking a sip of his coffee.
"When Ali's buried six feet underground."
Talya and Brian exchanged a worried look.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Talya asked.
Layla sipped her coffee calmly, "I can't do college while dealing with that animal, Talya."
"Layla, if you get away, do you want to wipe tables for the rest of your life or actually get a good job?"
"I need to focus on getting away from him, Talya, trust me that's way harder than passing a few college classes." Layla insisted, "I will go back to school someday but not now."
Talya shook her head with a sigh.
"Her situation isn't something we get to make choices in, Babe." Alexander added, "She knows what's best for her own shoes."
"Anyway." Brian said, changing the subject, "What do you say we go out later?"
"Where to?"
"No idea. How about some shopping?"
Layla laughed, "What do we shop for?"
Brian shrugged his shoulders, "We'll just buy anything you like."
"Alex's paying for it!" Layla cut in.
Alexander laughed and nodded, "Judt stick to a budget alright?"
"Yeah because Alexander McCaurthur needs to stick to a budget, huh?" Talya asked.
"Whoever goes shopping with Brian will go bankrupt."
Brian kept his hands intertwined in Layla's as they walked down the busy streets, Alexander and Talya were walking by their side hand in hand. Layla felt the warmth and safety of love for the first time in her life. It was a wonder that someone she had known for merely a few months, someone who was friends with her abuser could become her one true reason for living now, could become the one who made her feel safe and...happy?
"Hey, Layla, check out that dress." Brian said.
He stopped and pointed at a beautiful blue gown with a v-shaped neckline.
"Brian, I have way too many dresses already." She replied, "I don't need anymore."
"Why not?" Talya cut in, "I think it'll look amazing on you."
Layla shook her head, "I don't need any more revealing dress to show more bruises."
Brian sighed, "If you say so, Baby."
The sea roared on their left, people rushed in and out of stores on their right. Layla's hand squeezed Brian's, he smiled down at her, his blue eyes locked in hers. She could see her own reflection in them, she could see the whole world's reflection in his blue eyes. Everything seemed more beautiful through his eyes, the city around her, the people, even the skies and birds chirping in the skies were more beautiful...her own face was too. For the first time ever since she was a child of merely six years old, her eyes were twinkling with a small spark in them, her face was smiling, a skill she thought she had long forgotten. For a moment, she felt as if she was living in a surreal fairytale. She had long gotten used to having these dreams, dreaming that she was free, dreaming that she could be a normal girl her age, but then she would wake up drenched in sweat and reliezed that that was all it was, a dream...and that was all it would be perhaps.
"What do you say we go down there?" Alexander suggested as they were walking close by the beach.
Layla and Talya shrugged.
"I wouldn't mind."
"Where are we supposed to get swimsuits though?" Talya asked.
"Your clothes look fine." Alexander answered, "Doesn't always have to be lingerie, you know."
Layla looked down at their clothes. Her little black romper was short and tiny enough to be a beach dress, Talya's skimpy white shorts matched Alexander's white shorts, both were wearing red tops, Brian too was wearing shorts and a green t-shirt.
"Let's go then?"
Layla nodded. She tightened her grip on Brian's hand and ran down towards the sand and ocean lining. She could hear him laughing as he ran behind her, trying to catch up with her. Talya and Alexander quickly caught up with her and surpassed them, they tossed off their shoes, allowing their feet to sink in the sand. Layla threw her arms around Brian's neck, wrapping her legs around his waist, both laughing at the top of their lungs. Brian spun her around, placing kisses on her cheeks. She could see some people staring at them from their blankets but ignored them.
"You'll drop me!" She shouted excitedly.
He pressed his lips up against her neck, "Not in a million years."
Layla and Talya hopped into the white sand, laughing as the grains of sand seeped into her hair.
"Who can beat me to the water?" Talya asked.
"Oh no, I won't-"
Talya ignored Alexander's protests. She pulled him to her feet and pulled him behind her towards the ocean blue water sparkling in the sunlight. Brian sighed and laid by Layla's side, wrapping his arm around her waist and pulling her into his arms.
"You're sweaty, disgusting frog!" Layla mocked jokingly.
Brian laughed, brushing his lips against hers gently.
"I thought you liked it when I'd sweat."
"Only in the bedr-"
"No, no." He interrupted, "Keep your word."
Layla rolled her eyes, "You're lucky I love you."
"And you're lucky that you're you, gorgeous."
Layla sighed and laid back into the cool sand. Brian laid back next to her in the sand, Layla laid her head on his chest, his heartbeat joined the roaring of the sea as it splashed against the sand. Her eyes followed two birds as they chased each other, flew across the blue skies together, back and forth. No matter what direction they went in, they went together. Layla sighed and smiled, snuggling up to Brian.
"Where will we be in five years?" She asked suddenly.
Brian sighed, his fingers ran through her hair, "Together...in a beautiful home far, far away...not too big, not too small. We'll probably be married by then, have one or two kids, maybe three?"
"Kids? I'd be happy just being able to see you freely."
Brian ignored her pessimism.
"We'll be free, together in each other's arms." He continued, "We'll be staring at the same skies but without the worries we have now. We'll be holding our little babies in our arms if you want that, or we'll be together alone, we'll live wherever you want, do whatever you want."
Layla sighed as she looked up into the blue sky. She imagined what it would be like to live that life. For a moment, she ignored all the problems and obstacles around her and allowed herself to believe that the life that Brian described could truly happen.
"It's unlikely." She said.
"It is unlikely. But it is possible. Far fetched but possible." He replied, "But isn't just the thought of being able to someday live your happily ever after enough to inspire you to at least give it a shot? Isn't dying while trying to be happy better than living miserably forever?"