Babel Novel
54
Layla’s P. O. V.
I propped myself onto the couch as I walked out of the kitchen, popcorn in one hand, settling into the couch and grabbing hold of the remote control just in time for me to see Dani appearing from the corner of the room.
” You scared the shit out of me ” I told him and he smiled ” seems you only appear whenever I’m about eating. Care for some?” I point the popcorn at him.
” Thank you ” he said, not waving me off as he walked towards me so I held it up. He dips his hand into it and takes a couple of popcorn before settling on the couch, beside me.
” What are you watching?” He asked.
” I don’t know yet, I’m thinking of cartoon. That’s all I ever watch anyway ” I replied, flicking through the channels. Dani snorts a laughter beside me.
” How have you been, Layla?” He asked as I finally settled for a cartoon network.
” Good. How have you been? I haven’t been seeing you around until now ”
” I’m always busy. . . . . ”
” Securing Logan’s bank accounts? ” I cut him off mockingly.
Dani laughs and replied ” very funny ”
” Is that all you ever do? Securing bank accounts? ” I asked him as I shifted in my seat. ” Don’t you go out, have fun and party? ”
” How would you know if I partied and how sure are you that I don’t? ” He asked me skeptically.
” Well it’s obvious enough, ” I replied unblinkingly ” you’ve never smelled of alcohol before. You dress….. Quite differently and look like a decent young man ”
” Decent? ” He asked with a raised brow.
” And quite young to be doing what you do ” I added.
Dani smiles courtly before replying ” thank you for acknowledging my good looks, Layla. But I’m much older than you think”
” What? Are you like forty? ”
” No. But I’m very much older than you. ”
” Fair. But I’d like to know how old you are ”
” Since you’re insisting, I’ll tell you. I’m twenty four. ”
” As I’ve guessed ”NôvelDrama.Org (C) content.
” You guessed my age?”
Shrugging my shoulders, I replied ” I’m a very curious person ”
” I’m quite a curious person too ”
” But you hardly talk ”
” That’s why I’m always very curious. I tend to have too many questions in my head ”
” Go on then, ask me a question ” I angled myself on the couch to face him, abandoning the TV that was playing on the background. I saw the look of discomfort in his eyes. He felt uncomfortable when I looked directly at him but I enjoyed it somehow.
He takes his time to look me up before replying ” do you love partying? ”
The answer wasn’t hard to give. Throughout my early teen years in highschool, I never enjoyed partying. I didn’t drink alcohol. I was always this reserved and shy girl who liked staying in her room. I’d only ever attended one party before. With my ex boyfriend. Emma had invited me to a party at his best friend’s house two months into our relationship. He knew how shy I was and how uncomfortable I felt in crowded places and so he never left my side throughout the night.
I blinked the memory away before replying ” no. I’m not an outdoor person, I mostly prefer to stay at home ”
” Then I guessed right too”
” Very funny ” I smiled and watched Dani deep his hand into my popcorn. I just watched him, my mind far away.
” I don’t know if I miss my parents, ” I spoke nearly absent mindedly ” but I miss home. I miss my neighborhood. I miss my work, even though it’s shitty most of the time because of my boss, ” I chuckled at my own joke ” I miss my best friend, Maddy. We always walked to school and work together. We were pretty much the pair. I miss my old life ”
Dani waited for a while, as if waiting for me to say all I have to say before speaking ” I’m sorry that you have to miss all that, Layla. You’ll have all that back some day, even better. All you have to do is have a little patience ”
I looked up at him and realized my vision was getting blurred. I didn’t understand why I’d suddenly feel this way after the little memory I’d just remembered.
The door makes a sound and I turned around to see one of Logan’s bodyguards walking in with a squared box in his hands.
” Yes? ” I asked as he stopped near us.
” A package for you, ma’am ” he replied, pointing the slim box at me.
I rose to my feet and grabbed it from him and he excused himself. Dani watched with curious eyes as I set the box on the center table. It was a chocolate box. There’s a single rose wrapped in cellophane strapped on top of the box cover, a note attached right next to it. I looked carefully over it before taking the note from it and reading it.
” If I could give you one thing in life, I’d give you the ability to see yourself through my eyes, only then would you realize how special you are to me, Layla. Have a lovely night, love ”
My eyes moved from the slim brown paper to Dani whose gaze caught mine instantly. At the end of the letter was Logan’s name written in bold letters. I unwrapped the rose flower and set it aside before cutting the lid of the box and opening it to find different shaped chocolates arranged inside the box.
” Whatever’s in there smells delicious ” Dani said jokingly and I burst out laughing