The Truth ✔

Chapter 22 ~

Kaleb's POV

I groan as I roll over to look at my alarm clock. It's a little past eight in the morning in the morning. While I want to sleep longer, this will be the only chance I'll have to talk to my mom today without anyone disturbing us. The guys are all snoring as I quietly tip toe out of my room and head downstairs.

My mom is pulling out cinnamon rolls from the oven as I enter the kitchen. "Good morning, mom."

"Good morning, Kaleb. Did you sleep well last night?" My mom says as she starts to spread icing on the cinnamon rolls.

"Okay, I guess." I say as starting grabbling plates and glasses to help her out. "Um mom can I ask you a question?" She hums a yes in response. "What did you and Layla talk about last night?"

My mom looks up from icing the cinnamon rolls and scowls at me. "Were you eavesdropping on our conversation? Kaleb Andrew Knightly, I thought I taught you better than that." Mom speaks sternly at me.

"I wouldn't be asking you what the two of you talked about if I had eavesdropped on your conversation." I mumble to myself quietly so my mom can't hear.

Unfortunately for me she did hear. Mom throws her dish towel at me. "Kaleb, if you know what's good for you, you will get back upstairs and leave me to my cooking."

I toss the dish towel back to her and run back upstairs. Well, that's not how I was expecting for that to go. I'm paying no attention to anything but the thoughts in my head when I bump into someone on the way back to my room.

"Ouch!" Layla yelps as her bottom hits the floor.

I grab her and help her up. "I'm sorry Layla. I didn't see you."

"It's okay, but you didn't see me?" She says as she rubs her bottom.

I laugh nervously. "Eh yeah, I was a distracted by thinking."

Layla starts laughing. "It must have been something important for you to not notice it me."

"Yes, uh no, uh I mean I could never not notice you, I just wasn't thinking."

"I think you mean you were overly thinking." She laughs.

Well, this is embarrassing. "Are you the only one awake?"

"Yeah." She says tucking a strand of hair behind her ear. "The girls are still sleeping, and I just needed to get out of there for a breath of air.  They woke me up when they came into the room and talked for more than half the night."

"Oh. They guys are still sleeping too. Knowing them they won't be up for a while though." I laugh.

We stand in silence for a few minutes not really knowing what to say. "I'm going to go for a walk." Layla says pointing towards the stairs.

"Oh okay." I don't know what to say. I want to spend time with her, but I don't want to intrude if she wanting to be alone.

She starts to head downstairs but stops in her track. "Kaleb?"

"Yeah?"

"If you aren't busy, do you want to go with me?"

A grin takes over my face. "Sure. Let me go change clothes really quick." She smiles and nods her head before heading back downstairs.

I race to my room to change clothes.  As I try to walk over my friends, I end up tripping on Connor and falling to the ground landing on him. "Dude get off of me."

"Go back to sleep." I say as I jump to my feet and walk to my closet. I change into some black basketball shorts and a red t-shirt. Walking out of my closet, I quickly put my shoes on.

"Where are you going this early in the morning?" Connor questions.

"I'm going to go for a walk with Layla. Now go back to sleep."

Connor laughs at me. "Wow! Waking up early and going on a walk with her."

I ignore Connor as I run downstairs to see Layla sitting in the kitchen with my mom eating a cinnamon roll. When I walk in, my mom uses her eyes to gesture to her that I'm here.  That's a little weird.  It is almost like they were communicating to each other with their eyes. Layla stuff the rest of her cinnamon roll in her mouth and thanks my mom.

"Ready to go?" She chirps.

"Yeah. Come on."

I follow her outside and she starts walking towards the park. "Hey, how about I show you where my secret place is."

She smiles and follows me. I grab her hand pulling her around to the back of my house. Behind my house is a small wooded area. If you walk far enough into the wooded area you will find a small stream that I like to go to when I want to be alone or think. "Wow. I didn't know this was here." She says as we get closer to the stream.

"Yeah most people don't." I say smiling at the tranquil area. "I like coming here when I just need to get away." We walk hand and hand over to some large rocks and sit down. I watch as the sun shines in her eyes and the wind blows threw her hair. She's absolutely breathtaking.

We remain in silence for several minutes before I finally decide to ask her about a question that has been on my mind. "Layla, why did you freak out at the diner the other night?"

The once tranquil atmosphere has vanished and, in its wake, has left tension and awkwardness. "It was nothing." She quietly whispers, as she stares at the water in the stream.

She's lying again. Just by her reaction at this very moment, I know she's lying. Whatever freaked her out is still scaring her. I just wish she would open up and tell me. "You know you can tell me anything. I'll be here for you and protect you in any way I possibly can."

She releases a breath and looks at me. "I know. Thanks, Kaleb." She says with a smile on her face. For a moment, I have a glimmer of hope that she will tell me but instead she stands up and grabs my hand. "Come on. We better get back before Whitney gets upset with me. She said something about we have to start super early getting ready for your dad's banquet.

"Yeah, that sounds like something she would say." I say but can't stop looking down at her holding my hand, I hope Layla knows how special she is to me.

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A/N:  Sorry if this chapter isn't very good.   I normally pre-write my chapters two weeks in advance.   Like I've said in previous chapters,  I'm struggling with this story.   I just got finish writing this chapter, so I that I could keep up with my updating schedule.   The next chapter should hopefully be better.   ~KarenJ128~