by Solveig Yrsa
“Not possible,” he chuckled and kissed her cheek before hugging Samantha and waving.
Layla looked away shyly. “I guess I’ll see you Sunday,” she mumbled. Spencer went in to hug her but she had started walking away. Once Layla got to the steps, she stopped and spun back around to see Spencer looking away, about to close the door. She ran back to him and planted a kiss on his cheek.
“I’ll miss you,” she whispered before running off to the limo. Leaving Spencer standing there, stunned, with a huge grin on his face.
Layla slid into the limo and was met with a giggling Samantha. “We saw that!” she teased. Layla blushed and looked away.
Catherine patted the girl’s leg. “Do you like him, Layla?”
Her red face deepened. “Well, I mean…” She sighed, what was the point in hiding it? “Yes… very much.”
Samantha squealed and clapped her hands together. “Ugh I just love it.” Layla looked at Catherine’s saddened face and her heart sank. Did Catherine not want her to be with Spencer? Of course not, what mother would want their son with a homeless girl. Layla fought back the tears as she listened to Samantha talk about the spa they were headed towards.
Spencer couldn’t wipe the grin off his face as he scrolled through the pictures he took of them earlier. “She’s going to miss me.” He couldn’t believe it, he might actually have a chance with her. He scrolled to the burst photos he took and opened them up to watch her kiss him. It ended on a picture of them with their eyes closed. He looked at how he could see a smile on her face even though her lips were covered, and ran a thumb over his lips as he thought about how soft her lips felt. He smiled as he selected some of the photos and opened a text thread with Layla to send them.
He stood still for a moment before a serious look came on his face and he scrolled through his contacts until he found the number he was looking for, and hit the face time button. It rang for a moment before Matthew’s face appeared.
“Spencer? What a pleasant surprise.” Spencer could hear the sarcasm dripping from his father’s voice. “What can I do for you, son?”
“Did Mom talk to you about Landon?”
Matthew raised a brow. “No, I missed a call from her but I was in a meeting with Bryson and couldn’t get away. I figured if it were urgent, you would’ve called right after.”
Spencer rolled his eyes but went on. “Landon assaulted Layla last night after taking her out. I had to pull him off of her.”
Matthew sighed. “Just what I need to hear. That boy just can’t keep it in his fucking pants. What does Layla want to make this go away?”
Spencer glared at his father. “I didn’t call you because she wanted something. I called you because I do.”
“Oh really?” His father sounded genuinely intrigued. “And what might that be?”
Spencer looked his father square in the eyes. “Fire him.”
Spencer was met with laughter on his father’s end. “Spencer, are you insane? He runs my London location, I have no one to replace him! I cannot fire him just because he got a little handsy with your friend.”
“She’s NOT… she’s not my friend… Listen to me, I have never asked you for anything, I gave up my life so you could hide. I love her and she does not deserve what happened. And he doesn’t deserve to keep that position after that. Now are you going to do something, or am I going to use my sources to out Landon?”
Matthew stared at his son for a long moment before sighing and rolling his neck. “Very well, consider him terminated.”
Spencer blinked. “Wait, what? Are you serious?”
Matthew shrugged. “You’re right, our name doesn’t need to be dragged through the mud because of him, and he doesn’t deserve any special treatment if he harmed your girl. I had no idea you cared about her as much as you do, son.”
“Even if I didn’t, no one deserves that,” Spencer growled.
Matthew nodded. “I agree, but if I do this, you are going to have to explain to your mother why I’m having to go back to London indefinitely.”
Spencer glared at him, he knew that something had to be in it for his dad. He shook his head but agreed. “I will talk to her after her spa trip.” Matthew nodded and disconnected the call. Spencer looked at the screen. Did he do the right thing? On the one hand, Landon was about to be severely punished for what he did to Layla, but on the other, his mother was going to be alone here, without her husband. “Not that that’s any different from usual,” he muttered.
His attention was drawn back to his phone as it notified him of a new message. He saw it was from Layla. Spencer opened it and smiled at the smile emoji she sent. She then sent another message.
I hope kissing you didn’t make things awkward between us.
Spencer sighed, talking about this over text message wasn’t what he wanted to do, but he was afraid that if he told her they would talk about it later, that she would get her feelings hurt.
Trust me, it didn’t.
“Real smooth,” he muttered as he watched her texting bubble, showing that she was messaging him again.
Sammy and your mom saw me kiss your cheek before we left… I think your mom is mad at me about it.
Spencer raised a brow. Why would his mom be mad? She adored Layla.
Are you sure? I can’t imagine why she would be upset.
Probably because she’s afraid that some dumb homeless girl likes her son. I should tell her that we’re just friends… but I feel like she doesn’t want to talk to me.
Spencer glared at his screen. He would not lose his chance with her again.
STOP THAT. You have a home, a family, friends, and you are extremely intelligent. Any guy, INCLUDING myself would be lucky to have you.
Spencer waited a couple minutes but didn’t get a reply. He went to his mom's text thread and opened it up.
Do you like Layla?
It didn’t take long for her to respond.
Of course I do! I love her to death! Why would you even ask such a silly question?
Do you like Layla… for me?
Spencer watched as the text bubble appeared and then disappeared. A moment later he got a long text from Catherine.
Spencer, I love you and I love Layla. In a perfect world, I would cheer the two of you on. But darling, you’ve given up your life to take care of me, and that is something that weighs heavily on me daily. I cannot ask the same of Layla, she will eventually want to do things, experience life, maybe have a career of her own. How is that going to work when you won’t leave our house? When you trust no one else but Samantha to care for me? I want you and her to be happy, Spencer, and I see how you look at her, I know your feelings for her, and it breaks my heart that because of me you’re unable to have the life you wanted. I don’t want to have Layla make the same choice, and I believe that you wouldn’t want that either.
Spencer read the text a couple of times. He wanted to be angry, but she was right. Who was he to ask Layla to give up any dreams she might have and stay with him in this house? He sighed and looked back at the text thread from Layla. She had apparently sent a text, and he hadn’t realized it. He laughed as he opened it and saw a picture of her, cross-eyed with her tongue sticking out with a text that read:
Sammy just turned on her weird music, save me.
He shook his head. He didn’t care what his mom thought, and he didn’t care if it was selfish. He was going to tell Layla how he felt. He looked at the phone and shook his head.
“Not over text,” he muttered. He heard the front door open and raised a brow. He walked out of the room and stood at the top of the stairs as he saw John walk in with a very bruised and battered Landon.
“John, don’t let him out of your sight,” Spencer said sharply as he made his way down the staircase. Landon looked at his cousin, “Do you honestly believe I would steal from my aunt and uncle? Listen, I just want to talk to Layla before I leave, please.”
Spencer glared at Landon’s swollen face. “You are never to speak to he
r again. You’re lucky she didn’t send your ass to jail.”
Landon’s shoulders slumped. “I know, look I had a lot to drink, and I wasn’t thinking clearly, I just, I want to apologize to her, I care about her deeply.”
Spencer grabbed Landon by the front of his shirt and yanked him to his face. “You and I both know that you didn’t have too much, we both know that you got pissed off when she rejected you. If you ever go near Layla again, I will kill you.” Spencer shoved Landon back, causing him to stumble. “John, help him get his shit and get him the hell out of my house.” Spencer then turned to head down the hall to his brother’s lounge. He walked in and grabbed a bottle of scotch off of the bar and poured a glass. He went to take a sip when he heard his phone ringing. He fished it out of his jeans pocket and saw it was a face time with Samantha. Panic started to set in. Why was she calling? What had happened? He quickly accepted the call, and he calmed almost instantly when he saw Samantha was smiling.
“Hey, I didn’t want you to worry that we hadn’t messaged you to tell you we were at the spa. We kind of took a… detour.”
“What do you mean?” Samantha flipped the camera around and Spencer smacked his head at the sight. There was Layla giving food out to what appeared to be a young woman and her child.
“Yeah, she saw them and made us stop at the grocery store up the road. Catherine tried to explain to her that we were on a schedule, which lead to Layla saying to just drop her off and we could go alone.” Spencer looked at the huge smile on Layla’s face as she talked with the small child and his mother.
“She acts like she has no idea she isn’t like them anymore,” he muttered. “She’s wearing shoes that cost four hundred dollars, I mean each one of her teeth were a grand.”
Samantha turned the camera back on herself and looked at Spencer. “I know, she’s in a pair of Gucci jeans and she ripped the knee when she kneeled down, and all she did was shrug. Like she literally doesn’t see that she’s above them.”
Spencer was quiet and thought for a moment. “Maybe that’s the point she’s trying to make. She doesn’t see herself any different from them. Just because she has money now, doesn’t mean she’s a different person.” Spencer was quiet again for a moment before something clicked in his brain. “You guys be careful and text me when you get to the spa. I got to go.”
He ended the call before Samantha could say anything and sprinted up to his room, leaving the untouched glass of scotch on the counter. Once inside, he shut his door and ran straight to his mac book and opened it up. He opened a word document and started typing. The ideas were pouring out of him in a way that he hadn’t experienced in years. He smiled as he looked at the screen. He finally felt at peace once again.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Jensen growled as he pounded on the door of the Williams’ mansion. He hadn’t been able to get ahold of Spencer in days, and he was supposed to be helping get the house ready for Layla’s party this evening. He had been standing outside, knocking on the large wooden door for fifteen minutes with no answer.
“Spencer, you had better be dead!” he yelled as he hit the door again. He turned to head back to his car when he saw Liam standing in his scrubs, blocking his path. “Oh,” Jensen rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. “Hey Liam.” Liam gave him a small smile that caused his heart to flutter. Regardless of him trying to pretend that he was over Liam it was a lie.
“Hey Jen, what’s going on?” Jensen rolled his eyes, “I got roped in by Spencer and your sister to help set up for Layla’s birthday party today, but I haven’t heard from Spencer in days and he’s not answering the door. Have you talked to him?”
Liam shook his head as he walked up the steps. “No, I’ve been at the hospital on one of my rotations, this is the first time I’ve been home since Tuesday, I’ve been staying with a friend that lives closer to the hospital.” Liam pulled his keys out and opened the door.
Jensen walked in and looked around. Everything was quiet. He walked up the stairs to Spencer’s room and opened it. He wrinkled his nose as the smell of old food and stale air filled his nostrils. He saw Spencer sitting, hunched over his computer. The only noises were the clicks of his keyboard. “Spence? Are you… okay?”
Spencer jumped at the sound of another person and spun around in his chair to look at Jensen. “What are you doing here?” he asked, rubbing his dry eyes.
“What do you mean? You asked me to come help you set up for Layla’s birthday.”
Spencer furrowed his brows together. “Yeah, on Sunday. It’s Friday, dude.”
Jensen shook his head and opened the curtains to Spencer’s balcony, letting the light in and gesturing to the back courtyard where people were setting up tables and decorations.
“No, dude, it’s Sunday, the girls will be home in a couple of hours.”
Spencer looked down in shock, the entire weekend had flown by. He had been so engrossed in writing that he hadn’t realized it. “Shit…SHIT.” He stood up and looked at himself in the mirror. He looked a mess, dark circles under his eyes, wild, dirty hair, dirty pajamas. He sniffed his shirt and flinched. “Okay, I need to shower.”
Jensen nodded rapidly. “And possibly brush your teeth. Just a suggestion.” Spencer rolled his eyes but headed to the bathroom.
***
Samantha rushed Layla from the limo up to her bedroom and shoved her into the room. “Okay, we have to get you ready for the party.”
Layla looked out her window at the tables and she raised her brow when she saw all the chairs. “W…who is coming?”
Samantha popped her head from her closet. “Well, there will be all of us, Jen, and then I’m sure a bunch of ass kissers of Aunt Catherine’s and Spencer’s.”
Layla shook her head. “No, that’s…that’s too much, I can’t.” She felt her heart pounding. All of those wealthy, high-class people were coming to her birthday, where she would be the center of attention? She ran out of her room, ignoring Samantha’s calls and headed down the hall to Spencer’s room. She ran inside and shut the door.
“Um… hi?”
Layla turned around and nearly screamed before facing the door again. “Oh, my god, Spencer, I am so sorry!”
Spencer laughed as he dropped the towel he was using to dry his hair on his bed before crossing his arms over his naked chest, he stood in the middle of his room in a black pair of boxer briefs and nothing else. Layla slammed her head on the door. She was an idiot.
“So, what can I do for you birthday girl?” She took that as a cue to turn around, but when she did, she saw he was still in his underwear. Her mouth fell open, and she tried her hardest to stare anywhere besides his mostly naked, very muscular body.
“Umm… you know, it seemed important when I came in here, but funny thing, I don’t remember what it was, so I’m just going to leave you alone,” she laughed nervously as she fumbled for the doorknob. She went to open the door, but Spencer had closed the distance between them and shut the door again.
He looked down at her and smirked. “Now, that’s no way to act after not seeing me for days. No hi, no hug, nothing.”
Layla blushed. “Well, you’re umm… kind of naked.”
Spencer chuckled as he stared down at the tomato-faced girl. “Oh, I’m sorry, am I making you uncomfortable?” His voice was low and alluring.
She bit her bottom lip nervously. “N…No, I just don’t… umm… I don’t know where to look,” she stuttered as she stared at the ceiling.
He laughed and decided not to tease her anymore. “Come sit on my bed, Lay, I’ll get dressed.” Layla let out a breath as he headed to his closet. “So, do you really not remember what you wanted?” he asked while pulling his jeans up.
She collapsed onto the bed. “How mad would everyone be if I didn’t go to the party?” she asked while staring at the ceiling.
Spencer walked out of his closet with a gray shirt in his hands and looked at her. “Why wouldn’t you go?”
She looked at him and blushed aga
in. Did he have to be shirtless in front of her? She looked at his firm chest, his tight abs, the small trail of hair that went from his navel down under his pants. I wonder how far down that goes?
“Hey, my eyes are up here.” Spencer busted out laughing at the mortified look on Layla’s face. “I’m teasing, you’re more than welcome to stare all you want.” He winked before putting his shirt on, honestly, he really liked that she stared at him. He sat on the bed next to her and patted her knee. “What’s up? Why don’t you want to go to the party?”
Layla sighed and sat up. “I don’t want to get all dressed up and be around a bunch of people, especially if I don’t know them. I thought it would just be all of us. There are, like, a thousand seats out there.”
Spencer got up and looked out the balcony. “Eh, about a hundred, but yeah, I understand what you’re saying.”
Layla stood up and walked over to him. “Please, Spence, it’s not that I’m not grateful, because I really am. But this is…is too much.”
He looked down at the girl and gave her a soft smile. The anxiety was written all over her face. He placed a hand on her cheek and pulled her face towards him. “It’s your birthday, Layla,” he said softly. “If you don’t want a big party, then there won’t be one.”
She looked at all the food and decorations outside. “But all that money that was spent on that food… and won't your friends be mad?”
Spencer chuckled, “They aren’t friends. They’re people that enjoy being around me and my family because of our wealth and fame. Trust me, not being around them would make everyone happy. We only invited them so you could have a big party with lots of gifts and maybe meet some new people.”
Layla shook her head. “I don’t want that, I don’t need anything they would give me, and I don’t want them to come just because they want to be close to you.” She looked down at the food again. “What about the food?”
He shrugged as he got on the phone. “Probably pitch it.” Someone picked up on the other line and he turned his attention to the phone call, “Miguel, it’s Spencer, I’m well, listen, I need you to cancel the party, something has come up. Yeah, I know. Alright, thanks.” Spencer hung up the phone and turned back around. “Okay the party is… Layla?” He looked around the empty room, and then movement outside caught his eye. He saw Layla downstairs, talking to the caterer and taking the food from them. “Shit,” he muttered as he ran downstairs.