Stray

by Solveig Yrsa

  “Layla? What’s wrong?”

  Layla snapped out of her thoughts and quickly brushed away her tears. “Oh, it’s n… nothing.” She forced a smile, but Spencer wasn’t buying it.

  “Tell me what’s wrong? Are you in pain? Did something upset you?”

  “Umm… no, I just… I feel bad that I have to stay here for so much longer and be a burden,” Layla lied, she couldn’t let Spencer know the truth. He had done so much, she couldn’t expect him to continue to take care of her forever. That wasn’t his job.

  Spencer gave her a reassuring smile. “Don’t worry, you’re not a burden, and you’ll be out of here in no time.”

  ***

  Spencer stretched and yawned as he got out of his red and black Ford Mustang. He walked from his multiple-bay garage across the cobblestone driveway, to the stone steps that led to the dark wooden front doors of the very grand home that he lived in. The house was something you would see a celebrity living in. The entire property was lined with large trees for privacy, they stopped at the front where there was a giant privacy gate. When the gate opened, there was a giant water fountain in the center of the cobblestone driveway. Off to one side, a multi-bay garage, and front and center was the breathtaking Tuscan home. The house had ten bedrooms, a guest house, and a servant’s house. It had two pools, one of which was a large infinity pool that overlooked the mountains. Inside the home there was a theater, wine cellar, a giant kitchen, and a gym. It was way too large when his father and brother were living there, but now that it was just Spencer and his mother, it seemed ridiculous. Most of the house remained unused. Even though Spencer had his cousins and Jensen over most of the time, over half the house remained untouched.

  Spencer walked through the large doors and into the grand foyer. He looked at the large crystal chandelier that hung overhead, and over to the split marble steps that led to the upper floor. He remembered a couple of months ago, talking to his father and trying to get him to sell this place so he and his mother could move into a small loft in the city. His father chewed him out for over an hour. Spencer’s father was all about how things reflected on him. His house, his British supermodel wife, his career, designer clothes, exotic cars. Everything had to say, “Look at all the nice things I can afford.” Spencer rolled his eyes at the thought. He looked up and saw his mother head down the stairs. He smiled softly and ran up to help her down the last few steps.

  His mother, Catherine, was a vision. She was a very tall woman, standing nearly six foot, and very thin. She had the most exquisite porcelain colored skin. Her light green eyes stared into Spencer’s matching ones as she smiled and placed her cool, slender hand on Spencer’s tanned, stubbly cheek. “How was your day, love?” Her voice was soft with a thick British accent, Spencer noted how tired and weak it sounded, and it pulled at his heart.

  Spencer helped her into one of the living rooms, and helped her sit down before making himself comfortable on the large leather couch next to her. “It was alright, I’m a little tired and could really use a nap, but Rachel is coming over so I need to get showered and trimmed before she sees my face.” He couldn’t help but chuckle when his mother’s face twisted like she ate something sour at the mention of Rachel.

  “Well, just tell her you’re too tired. Or you could just straight tell her to piss off.” It was no secret that Catherine was not a fan of Rachel. She knew that Rachel was only around because of the money and connections that Catherine had in the modeling world. She wanted nothing more than for her son to drop that woman.

  “I can’t,” Spencer chuckled while standing up to head to the shower. “I’ve been blowing her off because of the Layla situation. I can’t keep doing that, she’s getting pissed off.”

  Catherine nodded and looked up at her son. “So, when do I get to meet this Layla? After all, I am paying her hospital bills.”

  Spencer shook his head. “First off, I already told you, this is my business, you are not giving that hospital money for this. Second, I’m hoping you won’t be meeting her. I have someone at the hospital setting everything up so hopefully, after her stay there, she should go straight to the shelter where she will have a bed.”

  Catherine shook her head and stood up. “Spencer Matthew Williams, do you even hear yourself? You are acting as if this poor girl is some kind of street dog that you found and feel sorry for. Yes, let us drop her off at the homeless shelter and never think of her again! I know I raised you better than that, son.”

  Spencer pressed the bridge of his nose and sighed in frustration. Twenty-three years old and here he was, still getting scolded by his mother. “Mom, what would you like me to do? I got her off the street, I am getting her the best care there is, and I am setting her up with a shelter after they discharge her.”

  “Oh yes, Spencer, let us praise you, you are going to throw that girl in a shelter with God knows what kind of people, that may do God knows what to her. No, you will bring her here.”

  Spencer scoffed. “You have got to be kidding me, Mom, we have enough on our plate. This is not like the time I was seven and we adopted Max. This is a human, and we don’t have the time to care for her.”

  Catherine crossed her arms and glared at her son. “I’m sorry, did I miss the announcement where you became the lord of this manor? I’ll tell you what, you take her to the shelter, and I’ll tell your father what you did to his Aston.”

  Spencer’s mouth flew open. “You’re going to blackmail your own son? What the f—”

  “Spencer, mouth,” she warned.

  “Fine! Fine, I will bring her here once she is discharged if that is what you wish.”

  Catherine gave him a big smile and patted his chest as she walked by. “Good boy. Now, go freshen up, I’m going to go to the piano.”

  Spencer rolled his eyes and headed up the large staircase. How on earth was he going to explain this one to Rachel?

  ***

  Spencer rubbed his temples as he watched Rachel pace angrily across the living room floor. There wasn’t enough ibuprofen on the west coast for the headache the women in his life were causing him.

  “I just… I don’t understand, every single day you’ve spent with her, and now… now you’re telling me she’s going to live with you!?”

  “Rach, I’m making sure she’s okay. She’s in a strange place, alone, she doesn’t understand what’s going on.”

  “That doesn’t explain her moving in with you,” Rachel huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest.

  “She needs help, Rachel, and it’s not like I’m moving her into my penthouse, which I have given to you by the way. My mother wants her here. I was going to send her to a shelter, but Mom wouldn’t hear of it. We have ten bedrooms, I’ll probably rarely see her.”

  Rachel placed her balled up fists on her small hips and glared at him. “She has survived this long without you or your mother’s help. I don’t want you living with her!”

  “Why? Why are you so concerned with who comes to stay here?” Spencer yelled.

  “Because I am your girlfriend! It’s wrong to have another woman living with you! You would be mad if I had a man living with me!” Rachel yelled back as tears welled up in her eyes.

  Spencer sighed, and his anger subsided. He wrapped his powerful arms around her and kissed the top of her head. “You’re right, I’m sorry. We’ll get everything figured out.”

  ***

  Layla sat on the hospital bed, slowly sipping her juice while the doctor signed the discharge papers. She didn’t want to leave, but her nurse, Sue, said that people didn’t live in the hospitals. She sighed and hugged her stuffed cat close to her chest. She was so nervous about what was going to happen. Where was she going to go? Was Spencer going to come and get her? Or was she just going to leave? She hadn’t seen him since the day that he and his cousins were here, and it was making her worry. Samantha stopped by once a couple of days prior, and she said that Spencer was just really busy.

  The doctor gave Layla some prescriptio
ns and said to give them to Spencer to fill for her; he then shook her hand and said his good luck and goodbye. Nurse Sue helped her into a pair of black scrubs, and she bought her a pair of socks and black crocs to wear.

  “Now,” Sue said, tucking a piece of chocolate colored hair behind Layla’s ear. “You be safe, you hear me? And if you need anything, you call me.” Sue gave Layla a hug as she stuck a piece of paper in her pocket before leaving.

  Layla sat down on the bed again, wondering what she should do. She didn’t have to wonder for long because Spencer came busting through the door.

  She was about to smile and say hi, but the look on Spencer’s face made her feel uncomfortable, so she avoided eye contact. She slowly got up and handed Spencer the papers before hugging her cat to her chest. “Th… the umm… doctor said to give those to you to fill?” she whispered.

  Spencer rolled his eyes. That was great, something else he had to do. He wasn’t in a good mood this morning. His mother was horribly ill the night before and, if that wasn’t bad enough, Rachel had been fighting with him all week and finally gave him an ultimatum, either Layla doesn’t move in, or Rachel was leaving him, so now he had to decide who he was going to piss off—his mother or Rachel—and honestly, an ass chewing from either was not something he wanted to deal with, but one of them could deny him sex, so that made his decision a little easier.

  “Let’s go,” Spencer said coldly. “I’m running late for a date, and I need to hurry and get you to the damn shelter and out of my life.”

  Layla winced at the harshness of his words. She got into the wheelchair and sat there quietly with her head down while a hospital worker wheeled her out of the room and out of the building.

  Once outside, Layla stood up and said a quick, “thank you,” to the worker that wheeled her out, before taking a step towards the black Land Rover that was parked out front waiting for them. She jumped slightly when Spencer’s phone rang.

  “Hey Rach,” Spencer said upon answering the phone. “I’ll be on my way soon, babe, I just have to drop her off at the shelter first. I know, I’m sorry. I promise this is the last time something like this will waste our time.”

  Layla felt like someone stabbed her in the chest. She wanted to crawl in a hole and die. She felt the heat rise up her chest and neck. The anger she was feeling could only be matched by the time Spencer stole her money. She slammed the car door shut, turned away from Spencer, and began walking.

  Spencer hung the phone up and looked at her retreating figure. “Layla?” he called, running to catch up to her. “Where are you going?”

  She noticed how his tone changed. Suddenly his voice was much friendlier, and she thought she even could detect a hint of concern. This only further enraged her. “I’m going away from you. I don’t want to ‘waste’ any more of your precious time.”

  Spencer just stood and listened to her. He remembered how scratchy her voice was the last time he talked to her, and how much softer and sweeter it sounded now.

  He quickly shook his head, snapping himself out of his thoughts as he ran up to her again. “Layla!” He grabbed her cast-free arm and pulled her back gently. “Come on, please!” She shoved him with all her might, but, as she figured, he didn’t budge.

  She glared up at him. “Listen to me closely, Spencer,” she growled. “You will leave me alone.”

  “Layla, stop, why are you acting like this, I thought we had a deal!”

  She continued to glare. “The deal is off, Spencer! I don’t want your help anymore! I cannot believe I was so stupid to actually believe that we were becoming friends! Just leave me alone!” Her voice cracked as she spoke. Her heart was hurting, she was embarrassed and beyond terrified. She didn’t know where she was or where she was going to go.

  “Layla! We are friends! Just… not when Rachel is in the picture, do you understand? You and I are like… secret friends.”

  Layla looked at him is disbelief. She may not have an education, but was he really going to insult her intelligence that much by actually thinking she’d be okay with this?

  “Secret… friends?” She shook her head, turned, and started walking away, while muttering ‘unbelievable’ under her breath.

  “I’m not some toy you can pull out and play with whenever you’re bored, Spencer! I have feelings too!”

  “Layla!” Spencer was getting fed up. He marched over to her, grabbed her arm, and dragged her back to the car. “Get your ass in the car now!” he barked.

  She took her arm with the cast, and with all her might, swung it at him. It hit the side of his face, causing him to let go. She took this opportunity to run as fast as she could away from him. He stood there, stunned, the hit barely hurt, it was more the blow to his ego than anything.

  “Fine, leave!” he yelled. “You ungrateful brat! If it weren’t for me, you would be dead!”

  Layla continued running as she heard him yelling at her. She didn’t know where she was going, all she knew was that she had to get away. She would not let him or anyone else treat her like she was nothing anymore.

  Spencer growled as he got into the back seat of his vehicle and slammed the door shut.

  “Where to Mr. Williams?” his driver said from the front seat.

  Spencer sighed. “Just drive me home, John.” This was perfect, so now he had to tell his mother that not only had he tried to take Layla to a shelter, but she got mad and ran away. He pulled his flask out of his jacket pocket and took a long drink. “There is no way I can handle this sober,” he muttered.

  ***

  Spencer sighed as he sat on the large, burgundy couch while his mother paced in front of him. They were in one of their four living rooms. This one was the more ‘casual’ looking one. It had a flat screen television, a small bookshelf, and an easel in the corner with a half-finished forest painting. This was where Spencer and his mother hung out the most. His mother would paint, and he would watch television or read. But that was not what was happening today. No, today he was getting the ass chewing of a lifetime.

  “I just do not understand you!” Catherine growled in frustration as she sat down on the matching love seat across from her son.

  Spencer looked at his exhausted mother. “Mom, look, I am sorry. I was on the phone with Rachel, and then Layla got pissed off and ran away.”

  Catherine rubbed her temples. “I told you,” she said slowly. “To bring her here, not only did she run away, but you weren’t going to bring her here at all, you were going to take her to the bloody shelter!”

  “Yes Mom, but Rach—”

  “But Rachel, nothing, Spencer! I am your mother! And as your mother I must say that, this whole Rachel issue needs to end. She is exhausting me.”

  Spencer rolled his eyes at her comment. “I know Rachel is a bit—”

  “Spoiled? Rude? Self-centered? Heartless?” Catherine interrupted.

  “I care about her, Mother.”

  She rolled her eyes. “Spencer, you and I both know there is only one thing you care about with her. And I get it, I was young once too.” Spencer groaned, not wanting to get into the sex talk with his mother. “All I’m saying is, she is using you, and trying to get my modeling connections… which she will have to pry out of my cold dead fingers. That girl is lazy, hasn’t had to work for a damn thing in her life. I’m not attaching my name to her.” Catherine pursed her full lips. “Now, back to the girl. The poor thing is out there alone, sick and injured, all because your ‘girlfriend’ has trust issues.”

  “I’m not going after her, Mom, she hit me.”

  Catherine sighed and headed out of the living room. “You act just like a child sometimes, I swear I feel as though I should ground you.”

  ***

  Layla looked around the unfamiliar area. She had no idea where she was, or if she was close to her old nest. She didn’t know why she kept thinking about her nest, she couldn’t go back there, Marcus would literally beat her to death. Panic set in, she was completely alone, though… hadn’t she alw
ays been alone? She wiped away a few stray tears with her good hand. She needed to stop crying; it was a waste of time. She looked down at her arm that had the cast on it. How was she supposed to get that off of her arm? She then looked at the stuffed cat she was clutching. Sighing, she fought the tears again. “I honestly thought he was my friend, I was beginning to trust him… even though, everything told me not to… now look what happened.”

  She found a small alley and walked down it. There were dumpsters on either side of the graffiti-covered buildings. Grabbing a cardboard box off the top of one dumpster, she laid it on the ground before sitting on it. She hugged her cat tightly to her chest and closed her eyes as the tears threatened to continue.

  “Please…” she begged to the sky above. “Just let all of this be over.”

  CHAPTER FOUR

  One Week Later

  Samantha laughed lightly as she said a goodbye and hung up her phone. She continued her way down the busy sidewalk, watching how the people looked at her as she passed by. She knew what they thought, mainly because she had had several people vocalize it before. The phrases ‘spoiled brat’ and ‘sugar baby’ were not uncommon for her to hear while walking to her apartment.

  Samantha’s apartment was not in the best part of town, it wasn’t the slums, but it definitely wasn’t the giant mansion in the prestige zip code that her cousin lived in. But people would see Samantha with her nice clothes or designer purses and always have something to say. What they didn’t realize was, Samantha was not rich at all.

  Samantha and her twin, Liam, were Spencer’s young cousins by eight months. Their fathers were brothers. Matthew, Spencer’s father, started his business nearly thirty years ago, and tried to get their father, David, to go in as a partner. David decided against it and went to school to became a stockbroker, and he was amazing at it. They lived in a very posh penthouse in New York City, Samantha and Liam went to the best private schools, their mother could literally do whatever she wanted, and they didn’t worry about anything, that is, until her mother passed away.