The Contract

Heart Pounding

Layla

We all sat comfortably and ate our meals. I have to say, dad was right. The food was incredible. The service was the best. The waiter was so kind. Everything was just... Incredible.

But I was still disappointed that Mr. Too busy with meetings didn't make it. God, why the hell am I acting this way?

I'm over him.

Plus, my heartbreak was over losing Trevor and my best friend. Not him.

"I think I'm going to go with an all-white and gold dress this year. Plus, the whole idea of making it into a masquerade is going to make it so much more excited, don't you think?" my sister spoke with such enthusiasm about her birthday.

She has a lot of self-love, and I praise her for that. She certainly deserved a grand birthday.

"Definitely. I can't wait to see you in that dress." I smiled as I admired the dress that dad's fashion designer had created for her. She had a few snapshots on her phone and showed them to me as we talked about the details of her party.

A waiter came by and sat plates before my parents with chocolate cake for both and a lava cake with vanilla ice cream for my sister as they were awed at sight.

I rolled my eyes; they were like little kids when it came to dessert. "These are complimentary of the house. Please, enjoy," he says as he sets a tiramisu in front of me. "Daniel. He mentioned he was going to give us a little surprise." dad adds, making me scuff inwardly.

My heart skipped a beat as I looked down, and the words "welcome home, Layla" were written around the plate with a daisy drawn in chocolate syrup.

My mom sees the words, and she instinctively awes, making dad chuckle. "Leave it to Daniel to be so spontaneous." dad says, making mom smile. "He's such a dear," she adds, making me roll my eyes.

"That is so sweet of Daniel. Oh, sweetheart, welcome home. You have no idea how much we all missed you." mom says as she gets a little teary-eyed. But I couldn't help but smile as I glanced at the words. Indeed he can't have that much effect on me still. No... I won't allow it. He's history. A one-night fling that I will not let to happen ever again.

"Well, that was the best meal I've had in a while." dad says, getting an evil stare from mom. "I'm kidding. I'm kidding. You know I love your cooking, darling. No one cooks as good as you, Hermosa." (beautiful )

Dad leans forward, trying to kiss mom on her lips, but she moves, making dad kiss her cheek.

Karla and I chuckle. It's true, mom is a terrible cook, but she tries her best.

We finished our dessert, and by the time dad was ready to pay, the waiter waved him off, saying the entire meal was on the house, or more like, on Daniel since I had learned the restaurant belonged to him.

Regardless, dad left a hefty tip, and we finally made our way home.

We didn't drive far as my parent's house was in Malibu. It had a beautiful beach view as it sat on its own hilltop.

We made it inside, and I was finally able to make it to my room and rest. I've been so overwhelmed and tired that I didn't realize I had fallen asleep.

The days that followed went by, and thankfully for me, there was no sign of Daniel. Dad was so busy with work as well and constantly asked me to join him at work for a visit, but I refused.

Don't get me wrong. I loved his work and dedication. I also got along well with some workers. But, I wanted to avoid the devil himself.

Mom made it her goal to keep me busy. She would drag me to her meetings, luncheons with her friends, shopping, you name it. My sister was getting a kick out of it since I was here. She finally had time to focus on her work and her boyfriend since mom made me go along with her instead of dragging Karla along with her.

My healing journey to get over Trevor seemed endless and still painful, especially at night. My head couldn't wrap around that night. And all I could do was ignore the many texts and phone calls and the texts and phone calls from Stacy.

At first, I would read them and not reply, but they were constantly repetitive from the I'm sorry, and please forgive me.

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(Saturday night, one week before Karla's birthday)

I woke up to my sister shaking me lightly. It was already dark. I was lying on my stomach, so I rolled over and sat up.

"What time is it?" I asked, feeling a bit thirsty, squinting my eyes.

"Uhm, about nine in the evening." I squinted my eyes in disbelief. "What? Why did you let me sleep for so long? And where are you going, looking so gorgeous?"

"I know. I'm sorry." she smiles, waving her hair back.

" Come on, get ready. I'm going to a club, and Danny will be there." I rolled my eyes at the mention of his name.

I wasn't surprised. He's considered one of California's most illegible bachelors. "I know. You don't want to hear it, but... He insisted on me convincing you to go. He came by early, but he asked me not to wake you because he figured you were tired from your long day with mom. He really wants you to go, and so do I. What do you say? It'll be fun, and it might help you forget about Trevor." she rolls her eyes at the mention of my boy- I mean, ex-boyfriend.

She places a long stem rose, a black ribbon attached to it, which is Daniel's signature, of course. He always ties a black ribbon on the flowers he leaves me. He knows my favorite movie is Phantom of the Opera. He even went to the extent of gifting me tickets to the theater performance last year for my birthday.

She places the flower along with a letter and stands up, "Come on, Layla, go with us. It'll be lots of fun, and if you don't feel comfortable, we can leave early. What do you say?"

I can't lie; Daniel's presence was going to be awkward, but I hadn't spent much time with my sister in so long. Mom had taken over most of my time. I miss spending time with her. And she's right; I do want to stop thinking about Trevor. What he did was still hurting so much. I needed to get out and forget about him and Stacy for at least a little while.

I sighed, hanging my head. "Fine, but only for a little while." she squeals, making me jump in place. "You are going to have so much fun. I promise. There's a new club downtown Long Beach that you will love. It's right by the beach, and we can do it like old times and walk by the shore after we get out."

I smiled as I remembered back when we were teens. We'd go to parties and always end up at the beach late at night to walk together. It's where the romance started between Daniel and I. Or at least, what I thought was romance.

"Let me get ready; I'll be down in a bit," I added as I got off the bed and began walking toward my closet and going through my clothes. My closet was huge. Too big if you ask me, but having a dad, that's a fashion designer and mom being a retired model... My sister is a model... I had no choice but to try and at least dress to their standards.

"Great. I'll see you downstairs in fifteen. Nico will be down here in twenty minutes to pick us up."

"Wait, Nico, as in my high school BFF, Nicolas James?" I asked excitedly. Nico was my best friend throughout my middle and high school years. We had lost touch a few years ago when he had gone off to a different college, and we had gotten so busy that it became hard to talk to each other on the phone.

"Yeah. He came back home a few days ago. I saw him at dad's office today when he visited his sister. He was so happy to hear you were back, so I asked him to come along tonight. I'm sure you two have lots to catch up on." I smiled from ear to ear.

I was definitely excited to go now. And not Daniel or Trevor could ruin my night. I was determined to see my best friend and have a good time tonight, no matter what.

I decided to wear a sequins glitter dress with a deep V-neck that was backless. It hugged my curves perfectly, ending in my mid-thigh. I left my hair down and placed on light make-up, and put on some cute off-white pumps.

I made my way down and squealed as I saw my best friend Nicolas waiting for us. "Hey, gorgeous." I couldn't help but run to his arms. "Oh my God, I am so happy to see you."

"God, I missed you, kid. Look at you; you look stunning," he adds, making me blush.

"Ready to go, guys?" my sister asks as she joins us. Nico loops his arm with mine. "Ready," he adds, winking at me. I followed, smiling at him, embracing his arm as he led us to his car.

We get into his black SUV and make the long drive to the club. Soon as we're parked, we make our way into the club.

The place is packed. The line is so long to get in, but thankfully, we didn't have to make a line. I guess it's good to be known by people around here.

The music is vibing, flickering lights of all colors are going off everywhere, and the atmosphere feels right. Nico holds my back as we make it inside and through the crowd.

"Let's get a table," he yells so my sister can hear. "I already got one for us. Follow me," she yells back as she grabs her phone and types away on it. She leads ups up the stairs and to a room that outlooks the whole dance floor. But go figure, no sign of Daniel. I'm not surprised if he doesn't make it again.

"I'll get a waiter to come bring us some drinks," she says, pointing out of the room.

"No need. I already got some for us." Brenda, Nico's sister, says as she walks into the room. "Brenda!" I yell her name out as we both run to each other and clash into a bear hug.

"I missed you, girly," she says, making me smile. "I missed you too," I add as I hold her shoulders with a smile on my lips.

"Hey, I heard what happened with Trevor. I'm really sorry," she adds, making me feel sorry for myself. The last I wanted was to come here and have everyone feel pity for me.

"Well, I'm not. Now she can date Danny." my sister adds, making me roll my eyes.

"Yeah, and be one of his many? No, thank you." I say, making her roll her eyes. "He's changed, Layla. He's not the same Danny he was before."

"Hard to believe," I say, squinting my eyes.

"He is. Believe me. He regrets what he did to you, Layla. Besides, you said it yourself; you want to forget about Trevor and get over him. What do you have to lose?" she asks, making me sigh.

"You know what, I need to go to the bathroom. I'll be right back." I excuse myself, not wanting to argue one more second with my sister.

I wander around, looking at everyone dance and have a good time. I miss my best friend. But I'm broken from what she did to me, and I miss Trevor.

I decide to go back to the room and make my way up the steps. Just as I'm going up the last steps, a guy bumps into me, and I can tell he's completely intoxicated.

"Hey, beautiful. Care for a dance." he slurs his words, making me scrunch my nose. "No, thank you," I say, walking away. He pulls my arm back, making me turn quickly as my eyes turn wide like saucers.

"Oh, come on. You can spare a guy one dance, can't you? Or, what? You think you're too good for me? Huh, is that it?" he says, making me push on his chest. He's strong, and I try my best to get away from him, but he tightens his hold on my waist.

"Hey!" his voice echoes through, making my heart skip a beat. I know Daniel's voice anywhere.

"Lay your damn hands off of my girlfriend," he says, making the guy's face pale. Whoever he was, he was sure as hell startled by Daniel.

"Daniel," I whisper his name as he pulls me towards him, wrapping his arm around my waist. "M- Mr. Halloway, I am so so sorry, sir. I didn't know she was your girlfriend," he says, stuttering. He didn't seem so drunk after all. Just a fleece bag trying to be an asshole.

"I'm not his-"

"Do you want me to leave and have him continue?" he whispers, making me give him an irritated look.

"I didn't think so," he says, landing a kiss on my lips. "Hector, see this man to the door. Mr. MacArthur, the deal is off. I will not be doing business with you or your company." he adds, making the guy's face look worse than before.

"But, sir, I. I'm sorry. Honestly, I didn't know. I apologize, miss. Please, Mr. Halloway, reconsider my offer. I beg of you." the guy looks like he is ready to get on his knees.

Daniel closes his eyes and tightens his hand on my waist. "I will not do business with a pathetic excuse of man, Mr. MacArthur. Especially when he's trying to make a nasty move on my girlfriend. Now I suggest if you don't want me to make matters worse that you-"

The situation was escalating. I felt bad for the guy, but I know Danny's tactics. He was trying to make the guy sweat but will ultimately work with them. "Baby, why don't you give the poor guy a chance? He said he was sorry and there was no significant harm done. I'm sure Mr. McArthur is willing to compromise fairly with you. What do you say?" I run my hands on Daniel's chest, pouting my lips and landing a soft kiss on his lips.

Daniel's hands grip my waist, making him grunt. "You're. Uhh," he sighs, closing his eyes.

"Fine. I will have my secretary set up an appointment with your boss Mr. MacArthur. But if this ever happens again, ever! I will make sure you regret it for the rest of your life, understood?" he says, looking sternly at the guy.

"Yes, of course, Mr. Halloway, and thank you. Thank you, ma'am."

"It's Layla," I add with a smile. He smiled and nodded as he took steps away.

"Of course. Thank you, miss Layla. You two have a good night." I say as he scurries away. Soon as the guy is out of sight, I push Daniel off and begin to walk away.

He pulls me by my arm, making me step back and clash onto his chest as he turns me around. "Layla, wait."

"No, Daniel. This-" I point to both of us, making him give me a pained look. "Can never and will never happen, and you know that. Thank you for saving me from the guy, but I... I can't do this, and you know it." I say as I take a step back, turn on my heel and leave.

But I can't deny it. My heart was still pounding in my chest, and my stomach flipped each time our lips touched. No matter what happens, I must ensure I stay away from Daniel Halloway. Or I will regret it; I know it.

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