Four Walls (Book One) ✔️

Chapter Thirty-Six

Leaving Zane behind, my friends help me out of Castelul. Even with their assistance, walking is hard. I wish Jessica and Taisley were gone so Damian could just poof me to Gabby's.

We finally arrive at the diner. I feel a bit better as I lower myself into my favorite seat by the window. We order coffee and dessert. The caramel cappuccino takes away some of the dizziness and quells my headache. I pick at the chocolate chip cookie that Jessica bought for me, still too nauseous to eat.

My mind goes back to Zane, to what kissing him did to me. His touch set off fireworks that I haven't felt since I was with Jose. It was nice to feel wanted again, even if his intentions were malicious.

As soon as I'm coherent enough to hold down a conversation, Jessica asks if I'll accompany her to the bathroom. I say yes, despite my reservations about leaving Damian and Taisley alone.

Once it's just the two of us, Jessica turns to me with wild eyes. "Okay, so I have a crazy theory."

I blink, still not feeling one-hundred percent. "And your theory is...?"

"Don't be mad, but I don't think Zane drugged you." She takes a long, slow breath before she announces, "I think Taisley did."

I raise my eyebrows. "Jess, why on earth would Taisley drug me?"

"No, that's the thing. She wasn't trying to drug you. She was trying to drug Damian," Jessica clarifies. "You and him swapped drinks, remember?"

Although my memory is hazy, I think back to our evening at the club. Taisley ordered me a rum and coke, but Damian, knowing my history with alcohol, demanded that I switch glasses with him.

"I'm not stupid, okay?" she goes on. "I see the way Taisley gawks at him, and she knows that Damian would never cheat on me, so she was trying to... force him."

"I was with her when we bought the drinks. I would have seen her put something into his," I tell her.

"I know she's your friend, Layla, and I'm not trying to turn you against her. I just... I don't know. It's hard for me to trust her. I don't think she's telling us everything."

It's funny she says that, considering both Damian and I are hiding outrageous secrets of our own. Taisley is an enigma, but a lot of it is just for show. She wants to seem more bewildering than she actually is.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up," Jessica relents. "I just didn't want Zane to take the fall for something he didn't do."

"No, I'm glad you brought it up," I reply. "I will look into it, I promise."

"Thank you." She pulls me into a hug. "I'm really glad you're alright. You scared the crap out of us."

"I scared the crap out of myself, too," I mutter, wondering what would have happened if my friends hadn't found me when they did.

I shake my head, cursing myself for dwelling on the what if's. I'm safe now. That's what matters.

Over the next few days, I actively avoid Zane. I see Taisley at school and at Gabby's, but never at her house. Damian escorts me everywhere, paranoid that Zane is going to corner me and force more toxic cocktails down my throat.

The following Friday, exactly a week after the club incident, Jose meets me by my locker. His chocolate brown eyes are filled with worry—an emotion I'm all too familiar with.

Instantly, his arms are wrapped around me, squeezing me in an anaconda-like embrace. He buries his face in the crook of my neck and mumbles phrases that I can't comprehend.

"You heard about what happened at Castelul, didn't you?" I ask, pulling away slightly.

He nods his head. "I just found out. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't realize I was supposed to?"

"I see your point."

"Jose, we... we broke up." Just uttering the words aloud reopens old wounds. I wrap my arms around myself in an attempt to dull the throbbing ache in my chest. "I appreciate your concern, but—"

"It's not my place anymore," he interjects, dropping his gaze to the floor. "I know."

"So, um, what did you want to talk about a few weeks ago?" I inquire, eager for a change of subject. "You said you'd call and then never did."

"Right. I'm sorry about that." He runs his fingers through his dark locks, nervousness written all over his face. It's been months since we were a 'we', but I can still read him like a novel. "Can we go somewhere and talk after school?"

"I have work at six," I reply, my heart racing, "but I have some time beforehand."

"Great. Meet me on the quad at two-thirty." He waves goodbye before dashing down the hall toward his next class.

The rest of the school day drags by at an agonizingly slow place. When the bell rings at two o'clock, it sounds like music to my ears. I grab my book bag, making sure I'm the first person out the door.

Once my books have been returned to my locker, I race to the bathroom. I run my fingers through my tangled hair, splash some cold water on my face, and pinch my cheeks to give them some color.

What the hell am I doing?

"Layla, are you in here?" Jessica's voice echoes throughout the tile room. Her dainty footsteps approach me as she shakes her head. "You okay?"

"Do you have any lipstick? I'm meeting Jose in fifteen minutes, and I look awful."

"You look beautiful. Why are you meeting Jose?"

"He wants to talk," I whisper. "That's a good sign, right?"

"It could be," she answers. "Do you want to get back together?"

Do I? Ever since we parted ways, I haven't gone a single day without thinking about him. I wouldn't have worked two jobs this summer if I wasn't trying to forget about him. I didn't, of course. How could I? He was my first love.

And if I'm lucky, maybe he'll be my last.

"I think I still love him," I declare. "I don't know if I ever stopped loving him, Jess. There's no one else I want to be with. Just him."

Her eyebrows shoot up. "What about Zane?"

"We kissed. That was it," I tell her, straightening out my second-hand blouse. "I thought I liked him. I think I just enjoyed the attention."

She lets out a weary sigh. "Just... be careful," she warns me.

"Don't be silly. This is Jose we're talking about. He isn't dangerous." I give my best friend a quick hug before exiting the restroom and rushing outside to find Jose.

A/N:
Getting back together with your ex — yay or nay? 🥴 Personally, I think it depends on the break up, but I tend to lean toward no....
Thanks so much for reading! Please don't forget to vote ⭐️