by Isis Brown
***
Isabel couldn’t stop crying. After the fiasco earlier during the birthday party, she didn’t know what to do. She kept trying to reach Layla, but she either turned her phone off or blocked Isabel’s number, she didn’t know which.
Penny had to drive Isabel home because she was so inconsolable she couldn’t drive herself.
“Do you want me to come up with you? I’m worried about you being alone,” Penny said, the worry painted all over her face.
“No, it's fine. Thanks for driving me home. I was hoping her car would be here, but I guess that was wishful thinking.”
“You just have to talk to her Iz. I know this looks and feels pretty bad, but she’s just hurt. Maybe she’ll come around once you two get to talk.”
“Yeah, I’ll keep trying. Sorry about today. You set up the whole party and...” Isabel couldn’t get through her sentence without breaking out in tears again. Penny reached over the center console of the car and put her arm around Isabel.
“Don’t worry about the party. Just take care of yourself, okay?”
Isabel wiped her nose on her sleeve. “Okay.” She opened the car door and looked back to Penny. “Thanks again. I’ll call you tomorrow.”
“Call sooner if you need to.”
Isabel nodded as she got out of the car. Ramsey was waiting for Isabel by the door into her apartment, and he could sense something was wrong as his ears were tucked back, his tail hanging low. Despite knowing deep down Layla wasn’t in the apartment, Isabel called out anyway. “Layla? Are you here?”
Her question was met with silence.
Isabel walked around the apartment, not quite knowing what to do when she caught the sight of a key gleaming on the coffee table. Sitting down on the edge of the couch, she reached out and picked the key up, making the connection that it was Layla’s key to her apartment and that Layla must have left it there on purpose. Isabel quickly stood up and went to her bathroom, suddenly feeling short of breath and that she might be sick. Standing over the sink, she noticed that Layla’s electric toothbrush was no longer docked next to hers on the vanity. Isabel couldn’t hear anything but the sound of her heartbeat in her ears now, as her breath became shorter, more labored. She walked into her bedroom and crawled onto her bed, not bothering to take off her shoes or pull the covers back. Isabel didn’t know if she was wailing or crying silently. All she knew was Ramsey was next to her on the bed, licking her face, clearly worried. Moments later, he jumped off the bed and went to lay by the door again. Even Ramsey was abandoning her, preferring Layla instead.
Chapter Eighteen
Marco let himself into Layla’s office and saw Layla with her head in paperwork on her desk. She didn’t even look up to see who came into her office.
“You haven’t returned a single one of my calls.”
Layla looked up. “Sorry. I haven’t wanted to talk about it.”
“Layla, this isn’t normal. Some huge shit went down, and you don’t want to talk about it? Or acknowledge it?”
Layla sighed. “What is there to say? I’m a fucking idiot thinking that I could date an actress who flies around the world being surrounded by other famous and beautiful people.”
Marco sat down in the chair opposite Layla, eyeing her across her desk.
“What a stupid fucking thing to say,” Marco said.
“Fuck you,” Layla said bitterly.
“Feel better?” Marco asked patiently.
“No,” Layla scowled.
“Look, I’m not at all excusing her behavior. We had it out after you left. Well, I let her have it, she mostly just sat there with her head in her hands, until she started crying. I left about 20 minutes later, and she was still crying. Elliott tells me you still haven’t spoken to her. It’s been three days.”
“What am I supposed to do, Marco?”
“You’re supposed to talk to her, regardless of what you end up choosing to do. I’ve known you for most of our lives, Layla. You’ve never run away from something you need to deal with.”
Layla pinched the bridge of her nose between her fingers, exhaling slowly. “I just can’t --” she said, her voice cracking. She took a deep breath, trying to calm herself down as her eyes teared up, her. Marco stood up and walked around the desk, and once he reached Layla, he got down on one knee and pulled her into a hug.
“Why would she do that?” Layla whispered into Marco’s shoulder as he held her while she cried.
“I don’t know. I’m so sorry.”
When she released him, he stood back up.
“How can I help?” He asked.
“I don’t know. I should probably call her back and settle things first. I can’t see past setting one foot in front of the other right now.”
“I get that,” Marco said, sliding his hands in his pockets. “How about I bring dinner over tonight, and we start re-watching Parks & Rec?”
“Leslie Knope always does cheer me up,” Layla said, trying her best to smile.
“She cheers everyone up. Okay, see you tonight.” Marco turned and let himself out of Layla’s office.
Reluctantly, Layla picked up her phone and went to the text message thread between her and Isabel. Isabel had sent dozens of text messages, apologizing, asking to speak to Layla, to talk in person, all of which went unanswered. Taking a deep breath, Layla fired off a response.
We should talk.
The response from Isabel was immediate.
Thank God. Yes, please. Can I see you? I can get on a flight immediately.
Let’s wait until the weekend. Saturday? In-person or over the phone is fine, you don’t have to come down here.
Layla, please. Let me come see you in person.
Layla took a deep breath, not knowing if she wanted to face Isabel in person, not sure she could keep all her emotions in check if they were face to face.
Ok. See you then.
Layla flipped her phone over, hoping that would help her get Isabel off her mind as she buried herself back in her work, absentmindedly wiping off the tears she no longer noticed continued falling.
***
“I don’t understand how you two just aren’t talking,” Toni said.
“Welcome to my world,” Isabel replied. “She hasn’t taken a single one of my calls, and the only time she responded to a text was basically saying fine I will see you in four days and fuck off until then.” Isabel sighed miserably. “I can’t believe this is happening.”
Toni reached over to Isabel and rubbed her arm. “This sucks, but you two love each other. It has to be okay, right?”
“I don’t know. I’m still dealing with all this media hype about that stupid kiss. Virginia was eating up all this fucking media attention which has made it way worse. I did talk to her, and she promised to tone it down, but if there’s one thing Layla hates, it’s her personal life out there. So it’s not like I can say ‘Oh yeah, sure I kissed Virginia on the dance floor, but we are just friends and actually I have a girlfriend who isn’t Virginia AND who doesn’t want to be in the public eye.’”
Toni cringed and looked away.
“Had. I had a girlfriend.” Isabel lowered her face back in her hands.
“Hey, you don’t know yet, okay? Be positive. You get to see her in a few days, and you can explain to her that you made a mistake. Surely couples make mistakes and can figure out ways to stay together. Jesus, it was just a kiss.”
Isabel wished she could believe Toni, but deep down in her gut, she knew it wasn’t going to be that easy.
Chapter Nineteen
Layla heard a knock on the door and reluctantly stood up to get it. She opened the door and saw a dejected Isabel, looking like she hadn’t slept in days.
“Hey. I didn’t know if you would want me to use my key or not, so I knocked.”
“Come in,” Layla said, opening the door wide and stepping to the side to let her in. “Can I get you something to drink?” The polite talk tasting sour on her tongue.
“No, I�
�m fine. Thanks.”
Layla walked to the living room and sat down on the couch, with Isabel doing the same.
“Layla. I want to start by saying how sorry I am. What I did was completely unacceptable.”
Layla swallowed hard, trying to keep her emotions in check.
“What the hell happened Isabel?”
“I don’t know. I mean I do, I just don’t know how I let it get that far. I don’t know how to handle this. Any of this. I was upset you weren’t with me.”
“You are NOT going to put this on me,” Layla said, immediately angry.
“No. I’m not. Just…” Isabel took a deep breath. “I wished you were there with me, and I know that was my call, but let’s not pretend that us getting to that decision was smooth sailing. It wasn’t. That doesn’t excuse my behavior. I’m just trying to explain where I was. I didn’t think I was going to fit in Toronto and I was so nervous, Layla. Then all of a sudden I’m getting all of this attention and I’m nervous and happy, and I’m drinking Champaign, and there is this woman who thought I was insignificant just months ago and all of a sudden I’m the center of her world and I just, I made a stupid mistake. A selfish mistake. I fucked up, but I swear to God Layla, that kiss meant nothing. Virginia means nothing. I’ve talked to her about the whole thing, about you, and she’s willing to support/verify whatever story we want. I just need you to give me another chance. Please.”
Isabel reached for Layla’s hand, but Layla did not reciprocate. Isabel placed her hands back in her lap.
Layla took a deep breath. “I can’t. I’m sorry, Isabel. We should have done this over the phone. I shouldn’t have let you come down here.” She stood up and walked towards the patio, looking out of the sliding glass door.
“So that’s it? Just like that?” Isabel asked, tears beginning to stream down her face. “You’re not even going to fight for us?”
Layla wrapped her arms around herself. “What’s the point, Isabel? You’re always going to be at some party, some red carpet, some movie festival. My life is here, yours is everywhere but here. I could see us trying to make it work if we weren’t in a long-distance relationship, but we are. We were kidding ourselves that we could make this work.”
“You don’t believe that,” Isabel said. “You can’t.”
“I do. I knew you shouldn’t have settled for me, and I was right. Deep down, you know it too, or you would never have kissed Virginia. So go, you’re free.”
“I don’t want to be free; I just want to be with you.”
Layla felt like she couldn’t breathe. She had been thinking all week on whether or not she could continue the relationship. While she may have been able to get over the fact that Isabel had a drunken kiss on a dance floor with someone else, what she couldn’t get over were the looks of pity she caught on her way out of Penny’s house and from friends and family since then when the news broke about it. Layla had never felt more embarrassed in her entire life, and if she was honest with herself, that bruised her ego. What would people say about her if she just went back to Isabel as if nothing happened? Not being able to reconcile that, she sided with her pride over her heart.
“Well, that’s no longer an option.”
“You’re not even going to look at me? Layla, please, we love each other, what is happening?”
Layla slowly turned to look at Isabel, tears streaming down her face.
“I do love you, Isabel. It’s just clearly not enough.”
Isabel lowered her head into her hands and cried, seeming to accept that their relationship was over.
Layla slowly made her way back to the couch and sat next to Isabel, pulling her close. They sat there together for a long while until Layla finally spoke.
“I’ll make up the guest room for you. Please stay the night. You shouldn’t have to drive here and back in one day.”
Wiping her tears from her eyes, Isabel stood up and started to collect her things. “No, that’s alright. Thanks, though.”
“Isabel, please, it’s already getting late.”
Isabel slid the key to Layla’s condo off her key chain, her hands shaking as she passed it to Layla. “I can’t stay here. Not like this.” She turned towards the door, Layla following behind her. Before Isabel reached the door, Layla grabbed her hand and turned her around, pulling her into her arms.
Layla hugged Isabel tight, a fresh round of tears falling down her cheeks.
Layla opened her mouth to say something, but Isabel pressed their lips together instead. They held the kiss for a few moments, a simple goodbye for two people with so much to say but too much hurt to say it.
Without looking back, Isabel let herself out, closing the door behind her.
Chapter Twenty
“Okay girl, what are we doing for Halloween?” Marco asked as he slowed down the speed on the treadmill.
“Shit, that’s coming up, isn’t it?” Layla asked, breathless. Layla had lost track of time since she and Isabel broke up and she was burying herself in work and working out.
“Ten days, and you know I’m getting major anxiety not having our costumes on point yet.”
“Do you have anything in mind?”
“I might.”
Layla glanced at him quickly so she didn’t lose her balance on the treadmill. “Spill it, Marco, no time like the present.”
Marco slowed to a stop and turned to face Layla. “Hear me out…. I’m thinking we go Aladdin themed. You are princess Jasmine, obviously, and I am… wait for it…. Raja.”
Isabel slowed to a stop, took a long sip of water, and turned to face Marco.
“Okay, I have to admit, I did not see that coming. Raja?”
“Why on earth do you think I’ve been coming to the gym with you five days a week? It’s not because I’m a dutiful friend,” Marco laughed. “What do you think? I found these great tiger leggings, and I can paint the upper half of my body and face.”
“I want to hate it, but I find that I can’t. I’m in. Where are we going?”
“I’ll take care of everything. Just be ready by eight, and I’ll find the hottest party in town.”
“Don’t go overboard. I’m not exactly in the partying mood.”
“What? You? Noooo,” Marco exaggeratedly said as he playfully reached out and squeezed her shoulder. “Look, I know things have been really tough since you and Isabel broke up, but we need this. It’ll be good for you to expand on this cycle of work, gym, and binge-watching sitcoms. I get licking your wounds, but it’s been almost two months.
“I know, Marco. I know.”
They wiped down their machines and started walking towards the locker rooms.
“Are you guys talking yet?”
“Not really. We have checked in here and there via text messages, but it just dwindled. She’s super busy now that her career is taking off and well, I’m here. The Mayoral campaign is finally almost over though so at least we will know one way or another whether or not I’ve got a job for the next four years. I’m just trying to get through these next few weeks.
“Fair enough.” They stopped at their respective entrances to the locker room. Okay, I’m off for the night, see you tomorrow?”
“Sounds good,” Layla said as she gave Marco a quick peck on the cheek. Once she was settled at home and climbed into bed, she pulled her phone off the nightstand. She looked up Isabel’s social media just to get caught up on what she was up to, and if she was honest, to see photos of her. She did this every night and was embarrassed by the habit she told no one about. She may have been trying to put on a brave face for everyone else, but she missed Isabel fiercely.
***
Always true to his word, Marco took Layla to the hottest LGBTQ Halloween party in town that was thankfully geared towards people a little older than the 21-year-old crowd. They walked in, and despite Layla’s constant bad mood these days, her spirits started to lift as she enjoyed the over the top costumes and overall good time everyone else was having. Marco led her to the bar an
d after getting them drinks, led her to a booth with a “Reserved” Sign on it.
“I reserved this booth for the night, so if at any point you just need a break, it’s here.”
Layla took a moment to stop and look at Marco, grabbing his hand. “You have thought of everything. This is perfect. Thanks, Marco.”
Marco pulled her in and kissed her on top of her head. “Raja and Jasmine, ‘till the end.”
They settled in the booth saying hi to some people they knew and receiving compliments on their costumes. Marco was decked out, his body paint on point, and Isabel dug deep in her closet to find the Jasmine costume that has gotten her through many a themed party. She had her hair up in a high ponytail, with long dangly earrings she brought from Lebanon. If there was one costume Layla knew how to pull off; it was this one.
Once they finished their second round of drinks, they headed to the dance floor. Layla admitted to herself she was starting to have a good time and was glad she took Marco up on his offer to go out for the night.
A short time later, Layla reached out and put Marco’s arm in a death grip. Coming towards them was Sasha, looking amazing in a Storm costume straight from the 1990s X-Men cartoon. Sasha even had the white wig to complete the look.
“Hey you two,” she said, checking Layla out from head to toe. “Wow,” she said, paying close attention to Layla’s bare midriff before laying her eyes on Marco. “Nice stripes.”
“Oh, these old things?” Marco replied, twirling around so she could see all of him.
Layla still had not said a word, as she didn’t trust herself to comment with the good buzz she already had going. Marco looked quickly between the two and excused himself. “Why don’t I go get us some drinks.”
Sasha turned to face Layla. “Hey.”
“Hey Sasha, you look incredible, I mean your costume is incredible,” Layla stumbled over her words.
Sasha raised an eyebrow.
“Of course you look incredible, and of course you would be Storm. I mean, why wouldn’t you be.”