The Lake

by Grant, AnnaLisa

  “Layla.” Will says my name and I want to take back everything I just said. I want to rush into his arms and have him hold me forever.

  “Is there any way to stand up and change things with your father?” I ask, already knowing the answer.

  “You know there’s not.” he answers, his face distressed.

  “Then there’s nothing left to say.” I need him to leave quickly so I can let the waterfall of tears I’ve been holding back flow.

  “I told you before, nothing will change how I feel about you,” he says. He walks away and I close the door behind him, wondering how I found myself closing a door on Will Meyer for a second time.

  I fall on the bed and bury my face into the pillow and cry, letting my body heave with each sob. I hear the door open and in seconds Claire is laying on the bed next me, holding me while I cry, not saying a word. She just lets me sob until I have no more tears left. I cry myself to sleep and sleep hard. I don’t dream, for which I am thankful. When I wake in the morning, Claire is still there, asleep in the dress she wore to dinner the night before and I’m sure she was a wonderful mother to Penny.

  Chapter 23

  I spend all day Saturday in my room. I pack everything I can pack and then rearrange and pack it again before I sit on the balcony, rocking and, sort of, read for hours. I didn’t think I was going to be doing any reading on this trip, but am glad I have my Kindle.

  Claire knocks on the door and pops her head in. “It’s almost time to leave for dinner. How are you doing?” she asks.

  “I’m ok,” I say. “I’ll get ready and be down in a few minutes.”

  Claire smiles and closes the door. I brace myself and get my new black dress from the closet. I really like this dress. Claire and I both agree that it is very Audrey Hepburn, simple and elegant. I pull my hair up into a twist and feel like Audrey in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. I’m as ready as I’m going to be. The mini-divas and their families have already left, which is a relief. I worked very hard this week to avoid them as much as humanly possible.

  We get in the car and make the short drive to the other side of the resort where the reception is being held.

  “Are you ready?” Luke asks.

  “Yes…mostly,” I answer. “I’ll park it at our table and pick at my food all night.”

  “We won’t leave your side,” Claire says reassuringly.

  “Oh, no, please don’t do that. You two need to have a good time. Mr. Meyer needs to see you having a good time, right? If anyone asks, just tell them that I’m not feeling well,” I say.

  We give each other one last look of solidarity and walk into the reception. There’s a band playing and the music is louder than I would have expected, but the female singer is pretty good. Everyone is dancing, adults and kids, and it looks like some kind of weird second-chance prom.

  The room is decorated simply with white tablecloths and centerpieces with candles and flowers. There are three sets of French doors that lead out to a courtyard. I can see Tyler and Chris across the room talking with some people I met briefly earlier in the week but can’t remember their names. In all honesty, I never tried. I make eye contact with both of them and we each give a nod of acknowledgement.

  After we find our table, the wait staff promptly brings us our dinner. We have a choice between baked chicken and prime rib. I opt for the baked chicken. I guess everyone’s already eaten because we’re the only ones at our table. I eat slowly so that I really will have food to pick at all night. Luke and Claire finish and I insist that they enjoy themselves. Watching them dance together makes me smile. Whether it’s a slow song or a fast one, they move together perfectly. They smile at each other and steal an occasional kiss. It’s beautiful.

  I continue to pick at my chicken when I feel a tap on my shoulder.

  “Hey…how are you?” Tyler asks as he sits in the empty seat next to me.

  “I’m good. How about you? Have…you talked to Will?” I ask hesitantly.

  “Yeah, I talked to him,” he answers. “I’m sorry. I know this has got to be a weird situation; not one that anyone would think of as typical, but I meant what I said about how Will feels about you.”

  “I know. It’s just not meant to be. Thanks for your shoulder. You’re good friend. I appreciate all you’ve done for me this week. I would have been a pretty lonely girl if you hadn’t kept me company.” I tell him.

  The band starts to play a song that Tyler and I simultaneously say we love. That’s all it takes for him to insist I dance with him. I give in quickly and we walk to the dance floor. It’s a slow song and one of the guys in the band starts singing. Tyler puts his arm around my waist and holds my hand in his to his chest. It feels good to know that I didn’t lose his friendship.

  About halfway through the song I see Will walking toward us from across the dance floor. I’m not nervous because I know he won’t make a scene here. But my body must be tensing up in Tyler’s arms because he whispers in my ear not to worry and that everything will be ok.

  “May I cut in?” Will asks.

  “Layla?” Tyler defers to me again as he did in the vineyard.

  “Ok.” It’s the only response I can give.

  Will takes me in his arms and I feel the rush of warmth run through my body that I had worked so hard to avoid last night. I don’t want to like it so much but I miss his touch terribly. I want to cut off all my feelings so I can move on but I allow myself this one last encounter. I allow myself to love and be loved because in about two minutes that’s all going to end forever.

  “Hi,” he says, pulling me close to him.

  “Hi.”

  “Layla,” he says.

  “Will…don’t.”

  “Just listen to me. I know I have screwed up more than once, and I couldn’t be sorrier. Is there nothing I can do to make it up to you? How many times do I have to apologize before you forgive me? I will again and again, if I have to. I’m not giving up, Layla. We belong together,” Will declares.

  “What am I supposed to say to that?”

  “Tell me you love me. Tell me you’re not going to push me away.” His eyes are intense as he speaks.

  “Why are you doing this, Will? This is already difficult,” I say.

  “It doesn’t have to be. I love you. You love me. We want to be together. We can be together,” he says, trying to make his case.

  “Will, we can’t be together. Every warning you ever gave me about us being together is true. Your father will make both our lives a living hell, and possibly get my aunt and uncle disbarred, sending them into financial ruin. Tempting as that sounds, I’m going to have to pass.” Not to mention the beating I witnessed and the warning I got on the trail earlier in the week.

  “I’ve never wanted to break his rules more in my life. I’ve let him regulate me out of fear and I’m done living like that. I’m stronger now. I’m stronger now because of you.” Will is serious and passionate. I can tell this is a turning point for him.

  “Why would you want to be with someone like me anyway? I don’t fit into your world, and your world doesn’t even want me.” Even if Will’s father loved me, why should Will? Between the baggage I carry and my inability to fit in here, I only complicate things.

  “So this is what it’s come to? Fine,” Will says as he releases me and walks away.

  Frustrated, I walk off in the opposite direction, toward the exit. I need to get some air but I don’t want to walk through the crowd to the courtyard. This is…good, I think. He needed to just give up and let me go. Yes, this is for the best.

  I don’t get far before the music stops and I hear Will’s voice booming in the speaker. I slow my pace, not believing what I’m hearing. “Layla Michelle Weston, where do you think you’re going?”

  I turn around to a sea of heads bobbing back and forth; looking for the girl Will has disrupted their festivities for. What is he doing?

  “Your presence is requested on the dance floor…please,” he says.

  I’m fro
zen in my tracks. I have to decide whether I’m going to fulfill his request or make a scene and run. I comply and make my way back to the dance floor. As I retrace my steps I see Luke and Claire watching, waiting to see if I’m going to cue them to rescue me. Then I see Will’s father. Like a tennis match, he’s alternating between looking at me and looking at Will. His face is flat, unreadable with the trait of a skilled lawyer. The last person I see is Tyler. He smiles at me and nods having been in on this from the start.

  As I approach the stage, Will steps down and I whisper, “What are you doing?”

  “Standing up,” he says.

  Putting the microphone to his mouth, Will begins to speak. “May I have your attention please? I’m Will Meyer, and for those of you who don’t know her, this beautiful girl is Layla Weston. A moment ago she asked me why I would want to be with someone like her.” He turns to face me. “You asked me a question, and I’m going to answer you,” he says. His face is smooth and relaxed. For what he’s doing right now in this moment, that doesn’t make sense. His father is just feet from us. Then I see it. I look into his eyes and see something I haven’t seen before: absolute and unwavering peace.

  “Let me just get the obvious out there first: she’s beautiful. It’s not a matter of opinion; she is beautiful. That’s not why I love her. In the time that I’ve known Layla I can say without a shadow of a doubt that she is the most amazing person I’ve ever met. She has character and integrity – traits I find missing in most people I know. She cares more about others than she does herself and is the kind of person who would sacrifice her own happiness for someone else’s. She doesn’t come from money, and that’s ok because she understands that wealth…well…wealth is nothing. Wealth is just a status symbol that gives you power. She knows that life is more than power. She understands that when you love someone you want to tell the world, regardless of what anyone else thinks. She showed me that that kind of love really does exist, and she showed me what it means to love someone completely.” Will turns back to me again. “Layla, I never knew that I could love someone the way that I love you. You have changed my life in ways I never thought possible. That is why I want to be with you. That is why I am totally and irrevocably in love with you.”

  His words are still lingering in the air when he drops the microphone and kisses me. Right there, in the middle of the room with everyone looking, Will kisses me with total abandon. His lips are warm, soft, and gentle and move with mine with precision and perfection. His arms wrap around me tightly, and my hands lift to grab the back of his neck. We kiss for just a moment when, for the first time, I’m the one to pull away.

  The room is silent and I don’t know what will happen next. I scan the staring faces to see the response. It’s a mixture of unreadable expressions and those of disbelief, including mine. The wait staff is in awe and smiling. They have no idea the dangerous place Will has just dared to tread.

  My eyes find Tyler and he is beaming. Behind him I see Luke and Claire who look both pleased and nervous. There are several girls in the room who look disgusted, because, I’m sure, they have had their sights set on Will, and probably believe they’re entitled to first dibs. Carrie appears to be the most appalled. I don’t even want to imagine what Will had to tell her or, at the very least, lead her to believe, last night. The deal between her father and Will’s father is sure to be destroyed now. Will stands next to me now with his arm firmly around my waist. I feel his hold tighten and turn to see the reason why.

  Will’s father is walking slowly toward us. His gait is steady and purposeful. This can go one of several ways. There’s a good chance he’s going to disown Will right there, which would be fine with Will. Then he’ll put a hit out on me for influencing his son to defect. I have a short vision of his two favorite hit men shuffling me out back of the law firm. Or, without any reason to believe this could actually happen, part of me hopes that Will’s passion inspired Mr. Meyer and softened his heart; that he sees how much I mean to Will and wants Will to be happy. The third, and more probable option, is exactly what begins to unfold.

  “Well, well, well! Isn’t this wonderful! It appears my son has been bit by the love bug,” Mr. Meyer says, sauntering toward us, stopping to face us less than an arm’s length away. Only after he gives his sign of approval does the rest of the room visibly react. Some applaud, and I hear some female voices saying, “That was so sweet.”

  It’s creepy, really, the way they held their collective breath, waiting for his lead on how to respond. I guess that’s what happens when you drink Gregory Meyer’s Kool-Aid.

  He puts a hand on each of our shoulders and quietly says, “You just made the biggest mistake of you lives.” His tone is eerie, and the look in his eye is evil and determined. I have messed with the wrong family and I’m going to pay for it. Then he smiles at the band and motions them to play. He turns and walks out into the courtyard with the band playing him out.

  I look at Will and ask, “What does that mean?”

  “It means he’s going to do his homework. He never enters a courtroom unprepared. He’s not prepared to argue his case now, so he won’t say anything,” Will speaks with the same seriousness as he did after dinner with his parents.

  “That was a risky move there, Will,” Luke says approaching us. “Are you sure you know what you’re doing? Your father isn’t going to give up.”

  “I love her, Luke, and I can’t live like this anymore. Do we have your support?” Will asks, extending his hand to Luke.

  “Of course.” Luke shakes Will’s hand firmly, while Claire hugs me tightly.

  “Will said his father would do his homework…on me. What does that mean?” I ask, puzzled.

  “Layla, honey, Gregory Meyer is very good at what he does. Luke and I will run through some scenarios of what he might try and…I’ll have something prepared if he comes at you too hard,” Claire says, trying hard to reassure me. “You’re not alone, Layla. Remember that.”

  “Way to go, man!” Tyler says giving Will a strong, manly hug. Then he hugs me, picking me up in the process. “I told you,” he whispers into my ear. He puts me down and I give him a smile of thanks.

  “Ok, that’s enough, everyone. I’m going to take my girlfriend to get some fresh air.” Will takes my hand and leads me outside and down a short flight of steps that takes us to a trail through the vineyard. It’s peaceful…for now.

  “I didn’t get a chance to tell you how beautiful you look tonight,” Will says. “You look amazing.”

  “I can’t believe you just did that,” I say, still astonished.

  “It was time, and you showed me that. He’s not going to control every minute detail of my life anymore. If we’re in this together, then we can take whatever he throws at us.”

  “What do you think he’s going to do?” I’m concerned more about Luke and Claire than I am about me.

  “He’s going to dig up anything he can on you, Luke, Claire, the rest of your family. He’ll first try to shame or embarrass you into leaving. Is there anything you think I should know about?” He looks at me intently, but reassuringly.

  “No, there’s nothing.” I feel better after talking to Luke about my guilt over the accident. Now that he knows how I feel, I’m sure I can withstand any lashings on it.

  “What about Luke and Claire?” he asks.

  “I don’t know. I guess I should find out, but they seemed pretty secure in the dirt they’ve got on your dad, no offense.”

  “None taken,” Will replies with a smirk. “What about…” He stops himself short.

  “What?”

  “What about your parents?”

  “No, nothing. They were peace-loving hippies.”

  “Ok, then. If he doesn’t have anything on you or your family, he’ll have to work harder. That’s going to frustrate him. He’s not used to it being difficult. Most people have skeletons in their closets that they want kept there,” he says.

  “What about you? Do you think he’ll pull out some
of your skeletons? You know, to divide us.” I don’t really think there’s anything there, but want to know if there’s more to the demands of dating client’s daughters.

  “Well…he might, but the one I was most ashamed for you to know about already came to light.”

  “I’m sorry about that. I was crass and shouldn’t have reacted that way.” I take his hand in both of mine. Knowing what I know about his father I should have been more understanding.

  “It’s ok. I should have told you. I was embarrassed. I didn’t want you to think of me that way,” he says.

  “I want to ask you something about that, and I hope it doesn’t hurt you,” I say.

  Will nods, giving me permission and saying, “I’m an open book to you, Layla. There’s nothing you don’t have access to.”

  “Have you…been with any of them?” I give him some privacy as I ask by not looking him in the eyes. If he needs a moment to think, I want to give it to him.

  He lifts my chin up so our eyes meet. “No, never. Call me old fashioned, but I’ve never seen the point in giving away to just anybody what was meant for just one.”

  “How do you do that?” I ask smiling.

  “I’m ridiculously charming, remember?” he says grinning.

  “Oh, yes, that’s right,” I say mirroring his grin.

  We stroll through the vineyard, enjoying our new freedom, however short-lived it might be.

  Chapter 24

  It goes without saying that Will isn’t allowed to drive back to Davidson with us. It’s ok because it gives Luke, Claire, and me a chance to debrief. Claire tries to engage me in girly conversation about my sweet moments with Will, but Luke won’t have it. He begs us to wait to gush until he isn’t present, and says we need us to be levelheaded. We still have no idea how this is going to play out.