Loving You

"Did you like it?" 

Simon's question startles Layla. They are back in the familiar bedroom that now feels more of a cage than anything else. Even though he made sure to maintain her taste, it feels as foreign as any new room she would find herself in.

"I don't know what you are talking about." She answers carefully, not wanting to tick him off in any way. 

After the encounter with Caleb he had been extremely quiet. Their shopping had gone on quietly with him just barking instructions to the sales ladies. Layla was actually surprised that it went on at all. If it were up to her she would have preferred not doing any of it in the first place.

"His lips on you…did you like it?"

Simon comes closer and brushes her lips gently and she fights the urge to move away from him. He maybe so composed but Layla knows it's all a mask, because nothing about Caleb ever leaves him calm.

"N...N.."

"Don't dare lie to me." He hisses.

"And don't forget that I know you Layla dear." He tucks a stray lock of her hair behind her ear and she flinches.

"Let's try this again hmm?" He tilts her face and makes her look up at him.

"Did you like his lips on you?

"W...why does it matter?" She stutters, unsure of what her answer should be.

"Don't play with me Theresa. I'm not a patient man, in case you haven't observed that already." Simon smiles at her but deep in those eyes she can see his rage burning.

"Y...yes." She answers truthfully this time. 

"More than you ever did mine?" His eyes drop to her lips. He's eyeing them hungrily and Layla panics. She searches her mind trying to figure out what her next answer should be.

"N...No." She tries to look away. 

"I said don't lie to me!" He growls and she moves back in a swift motion but Simon catches her and pulls her back to himself.

"It's true. When you and I were…"

"Tsk...tsk...tsk… when did the sweet angel learn to lie so beautifully?" He cuts her mid sentence. 

"I am not." She snaps but he just laughs in her face.

"See my dear, you never looked at me the way you did Young after he kissed you."

"Is he comparing now?" Her eyes widen in surprise.

"Oh yes. I did see that sparkle in those beautiful eyes of yours. The way your desire for him shamelessly poured out of you right in front of me. Your whole body was burning with desire for him, you couldn't care less that your fiancèe was right there in front of you." He wraps his hand around her waist and that sends her heart racing. 

"Makes me a bit jealous of Young, that I'll admit." He scoffs.

"But then again I have our entire lives for me to make you look at me with that...intense love." He smiles almost painfully but that disappears as soon as it shows.

"And that starts now." He smiles smugly before leaning in.

"What are you doing?" A bolt of panic hits Layla again as Simon's face inches closer.

"Loving you." His now husky voice leaves Layla disgusted.

"I...I...This is not…" She tries to dodge his lips but the guy's hold on her grows stronger keeping her in place.

"Simon...I don't want…"

"What's the matter baby? Can't I kiss my own fiancèe now?" 

"I love you, is that not enough for you?" 

"What Layla? What does Young have that I don't?"

"I was there when you were just that scared little bunny peeking out of a hole and yet you think Young loves you more than I ever could?"

"You are hurting me." Layla struggles to step back as Simon's tone goes higher with each sentence while his grip gets painfully tighter.

"I gave you everything!" He roars sending her into the deep abyss of fear. And all her attempts to free herself just remind her that against Simon she's nothing. She regrets listening to Caleb and his damn plan. 

"Please, let me go. You are hurting me." Layla's eyes burn as tears flow freely. She's so scared her mind refuses to process what she knows is coming. 

"Caleb where are you?…" 

"Sir?" An urgent knock on the door makes Layla almost shout out for help to whoever that is. 

"What?!" Simon bellows.

"Miss Blake is here for you."

She may hate the intimidating maid that is usually hovering over her but Layla thanks the stars for Gen showing up this time.

"Tell her I'm busy." Simon hisses.

"She's in one of her moods, sir." Gen replies quickly and Layla prays that Simon agrees to her request.

"Damn it!" Simon curses before deciding to let go of her. "We are not done here baby." He pecks her lips before wiping her tears and all she can do is stare at him in shock. 

And she has never been more grateful for her accident than now. It may have just saved her from marrying a monster.

"May I take Miss Jones out in the garden sir?"

Layla's ears perk up and she looks at the maid suspiciously but Gen's stone face gives nothing away making her panic some more. If it was Mavis her former maid with this offer she would have breathed a sigh of relief and gladly followed her, which is not the case now. If anything she would rather stay in this cage away from either of these two.

"Whatever. Just keep your eye on her. If anything happens to her while I'm gone I'll have your head this time." Simon barks. 

"Yes sir." Gen replies confidently as Simon walks out of the room.

"Let's go."

"No." Layla protests weakly and she is met with a cold glare from Gen.

"I wasn't asking!"

"Ouch!" Layla screams out in pain as she gets yanked by her arm and dragged out of the bedroom. 

"Let me go!" She tries to get herself loose but Gen's fingers on her are like claws of a bird of prey on its catch.

"You are hurting me!"

"Just shut up and follow me." Gen hisses while she drags her out of the bedroom and all the way to the garden.

"Look at the flowers."

"No!" She glares at Gen this time when the maid lets go of her roughly. She maybe intimidating but Layla decides not to let a lowly maid tell her what to do no matter her circumstances. It wasn't her to think of anyone as lowly but Gen is pushing it even if she can easily hold her at gun point.

"Don't touch me!" She hisses when Gen comes up to her and cups her cheeks.

"Again, I wasn't asking." The woman says through gritted teeth and Layla is about to bite back when a cold piece of something gets slipped into her ear.

"Just look at the damn flowers, they'll calm you down. Wouldn't want you losing it before the wedding now would we?" Gen smirks but something about the look in the maid's eyes makes Layla want to listen to her for once and so she turns to look at the many blossoms dancing in the wind.

"Hello beautiful..." 

Her hand flies to her ear while she collapses on the grassy floor. His voice has never sounded so comforting than now and her throat tightens while tears stream down her face freely. 

"Caleb?...How?" Layla looks back at Gen but the maid has retreated further behind her. 

"You didn't think I would leave you unprotected did you?" He says but she is too overwhelmed to say anything. 

Too many thoughts are going through her head right now and she can't seem to know what is what.

"Layla?"

"It was you, all this time?" She says between sobs. "Why didn't you tell me?" She thinks of the many times she thought he wasn't going to come or the more difficult one where she would almost think he didn't care. All the times she wished Gen was Mavis.

"I couldn't and I still shouldn't but...do you remember my plan?" He asks, but that's not what she wants to hear.

"Layla, baby I can't talk for long."

"You are leaving? Again?" She cries out. She knows he is not really here but she still wants to hold on to his voice too.

"You have no idea how much I want you here with me…"

"Then come and get me." She wails.

"And I am, but you have to do something for me please."

"Why can't you just come?" Tears keep falling.

"Layla please..." His pleas force her to focus a bit.

"Okay?" She says as she tries to stay focussed despite the ache in her heart.

"I'm going to say something that you'll probably think is crazy but promise me you'll remain calm."

"I don't understand."

"Just promise me you won't react. It's important. I know he is watching you, Layla but I need to do this."

"Can't we just talk another time then, you said Gen is your…"

"It doesn't work like that baby." He sounds frustrated and all her feelings of panic begin surfacing.

"But…"

"Just promise me Layla...we may not be able to talk for a while so I need to do this now."

"Okay." She says even though knowing that she won't see or hear from him for a while makes her sad and afraid at the same time.

"Marry him."

"What?!" She can't believe her ears and her heart breaks whether it be a plan to get her free or not. "I can't, I won't." She protests. "Please don't ask that of me Caleb."

"Do you trust me Layla?"

"I do but..."

"Then marry him. Tell him you will marry him, tell him you love him."

"B...but I don't. I love you Caleb!" She blurts it out. 

"I love you damn it." Tears roll down her face. This is not how she had wanted to confess her love to him, but being apart is taking its toll. And not knowing what tomorrow will bring scares her too. A silence falls right after her confession and she doesn't know how she feels about that.

"And I L…"

"No." She cuts him off while shaking her head. Not bothering that she is being watched.

"Tell me when you get me out of here." She says quietly. Her own words adding fuel to the flicker of hope Caleb gave her.

"I don't want to know until then."