Loves Deception

Chapter 5

Today was D-Day. The bubble of security that was her home had been burst. Yesterday was the last day of her two week leave, and today she had to face the music. She had classes scheduled until two, and then she was back on her regular shift from five to nine at the library. Layla studied her reflection in the mirror. I wonder if I could get away with wearing a niquab. She scoffed. I'd probably draw more attention to myself. she thought. She stood and inspected her choice of clothing. She wore black love pink sweet pants, with the matching jacket, and a pink camisole shirt. Her hair was pulled back into a ponytail. She looked decent enough to venture into public. She had thrown all the new clothes she thought she needed into the back of the closet. They no longer appealed to her. She dabbed her favorite gloss across her lips, grabbed her book bag and headed for the door. “Here goes.” She said solemnly.

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So she had made it through her day without incident. She even joined her friends in the cafeteria for lunch. Nobody stared, pointed, or laughed as she initially feared. Seemed the incident was old news. This was a college campus, worse things had happened. As she made her way towards the library, a sense of foreboding crept over her. She knew his schedule like the back of her hand, and if she was right he would be sitting at “his” table across from the help desk. As she entered the library she rounded the counter, and glanced over. Empty. She breathed a sigh of relief. She headed to the employee lounge disposed of her things, and grabbed a cup of coffee. As the time flew by she became so engrossed in her work that thoughts of him shifted to the back of her mind.

She was bent down behind the counter stacking books that were being held for students when the bell sounded, alerting her to a customer. “One moment!"  She waved a hand over the counter. As she stood she bumped her head on a shelf. “Ouch!” she raised her body up while rubbing the spot that throbbed. “Are you alright Layla?” Her eyes jerked open towards the sound of the voice she would recognize anywhere. She stood frozen. I will not run, she chanted. “What are you doing here?” she asked bitterly even though she knew the answer. “I’m always here. Studying.” He motioned over to “his” table. He paused a moment. “And I came to see you.” He might as well be upfront. “Why? I thought I made it perfectly clear to you and your doppelganger that I didn’t want you anywhere near me.” He sighed. “I know. I heard you loud and clear. But maybe it’s time for you to hear me, and if after I have had my say you still feel the same way, then. Well this campus is big enough for the both of us.” He forged ahead.

“I’ve always been curious about you Layla. From the moment I saw you walking across the quad, our junior year. I’ve always admired you from afar telling myself you were a distraction I didn’t need. So I stayed clear of you. That Saturday, that day I looked into your eyes I was a goner. You were, are so beautiful.” She looked away. “I knew you were shy and I didn’t want to make you uncomfortable so I told a joke. But I guess it didn’t work anyway because you ran so fast I thought I imagined that moment." He chuckled. "Anyway, I watched you work and when I got up to come talk to you my brother, my twin walked in. I had no idea you didn’t know about both of us. I swear. I was preoccupied with him, and when I looked up you were gone. I was away for a couple of weeks, and all I could think about was your pretty chocolate eyes. I wanted to see you smile at me. I made up my mind that nothing was going to stop me from asking you out." She glanced up. He continued. “I was on my way home from the airport when I spoke with my brother. He told me what he had done, and why. If for one moment I’d of known he would bring you into this… Well I didn’t know, and I fought like hell to make it here in time. When I saw you again, you were even more beautiful than I had remembered. But the look on your face was so painful. I knew he had hurt you and at that moment all I wanted to do was bring the light back in your eyes. But you fought me tooth and nail. I tried to explain but you couldn’t, wouldn’t comprehend anything." She opened her mouth as if to speak. He placed his palms out. “I’m not blaming you. All I’m asking you is to realize where to place the blame. I am not my brother.” His eyes clouded. “We may be identical by DNA and looks, but in every other aspect of our lives we are complete opposites. Anyone who knows us can tell us apart. I am nothing like him.” he gritted out. “I respect you, admire you, and I like you Layla.” He enunciated each word. “And if you feel the same way about me, I’d like a chance to show you who I am. He pointed at his chest. “I’m asking you to get to know me. I would never hurt you.”

Well that was twice already she had been told off. They stared at each other for a few tense moments. She looked away first.“I appreciate everything you just said… But I knew that you were too good to be true. I’m mean of course, why would you be interested in my fat plain self when the two of you can have any girl on campus. Probably already have. I should have

known." she shook her head fighting back tears. “Dammit.”She chastised herself. Xavier sighed. “Layla, I’m a man.  I love women. All women. Colors, sizes, whatever. I’d like to think that I’m not so vain as to where I can’t look inside a woman and fall in love with her inner beauty even if she’s lacking on the outside. What you women fail to realize is that outer beauty is only half the package. I can’t speak for all men but I happen to like curves, and softness.  But your body isn’t what drew me to you. I’ve watched you around campus. I think you’re sweet, and kind. Shy. But when you let your guard down your personality shines. That’s what made me want to get to know you. Date you. But I just never had the time to approach you.” Layla stood quietly in awe. No one had ever said anything like that about her to her face. Could he really mean all that? She squashed the small inkling of hope. “No. How can I get to know you when every time I look at you I see him and I think of what he did to me? How humiliating it was for me to stand there and be mocked with pig noises. Am I that damn disgusting?” She held up her hand. “Don’t even answer that.”She breathed. "I realize that you two are twins, and that it wasn’t you that night. But I can’t forget. He’s your twin for goodness sakes. How can I not get confused between the two of you? I refuse to be within five feet of him and his sorry ass knows better than to come here. What if he pulls something far worse next time? I can’t be wondering what if all the time, looking over my shoulder if we were together. No. I’m sorry.” She stiffened her shoulders. She’d be damn if she be tricked, hurt or humiliated again. Xavier sighed. He promised her he would walk away, and he would. He placed his hand atop of hers on the counter. “I’m sorry that he hurt you. But I would have treated you like the queen I know you are.” He squeezed her hands softly and walked away.