The Contract

Layla"To what do I owe the honor of this second call of the day?" I asked cheerfully, making dad's laughter resonate on the other side of the line. "Well, I know I called you earlier today, and you're probably busy and all, but-" "Dad, I can never get tired of talking to you, you know that," I said, sitting on my window sill. I looked out smiling as I saw kids running and playing with a soccer ball in the courtyard."Your mom begged me to call you back and remind you of your sister's birthday. You are coming home, right?" he asks, making me groan internally. I had no desire to go. We have been so busy, and I don't think taking a few days off will help our situation. My sister always goes all out for her birthday, and honestly, she deserves it since she is such a hard worker, but I hate that it gets swarmed with paparazzi and social media everywhere. Being the daughter of a big-shot fashion designer means going off the grid, like me, to avoid being harassed by the media, or being t

LaylaWe 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

LaylaWhen I met Daniel, I had a ladybug in my hand. The cute ladybug had landed in my hand and didn't want to leave. I carried it around almost all day, making sure not to hurt it until the ladybug finally decided to fly and stay in a nearby tree outside Dad's office. Danny noticed I had been carrying the ladybug around all day. He came over and held the ladybug for a while before giving it back to me. This is why he began to call me ladybug. He said it was a cute gesture of me to take care of the ladybug. I had just turned nineteen, and when he knew my birthday had just passed, he surprised me with a necklace with a tiny ladybug pendant. I wore it from that day forth, never wanting to take it off. Until the day after we had been together, the day he broke my heart. I took it off, put it away in my jewelry box, and never wore it again.I drove toward his house; the car was too quiet. "Let's see what you listen to these days, Danny-boy," I said as I reached forward and turned the v

Layla When we are both ready to leave, his phone goes off and he tells me to wait as he leaves the room to answer his phone. At the same time, my phone rings and I see mom's number on the ID. "Hi, mom.""Hi, baby. Listen, Daniel, and your dad will be tied up at work today. Would you mind coming home instead? Your sister is on her way to get you, ok baby?" She sounded worried, but I didn't want to add to her distress. "Ok, I'll see you at home. Bye, mom." I responded before hanging up. He comes back into the room, and I can't help but see worriedness written all over his face. "Is everything ok, Daniel?" I say, making him turn as he goes through a briefcase, going through a bunch of papers."Uhh, yeah. Everything's fine. Listen... Change of plans." he says, scratching the top of his head. "I'm going to drop you off at home. I have an urgent meeting with your dad, so-" I nod, grabbing my purse and placing it on my shoulder. "It's ok. Karla is on her way; mom just called right now t

Layla"I need to talk to her. I need to make things better with her." I told dad as I got up from my chair. He smiled, getting up and hugging me. "Baby, I want you to know that I am VERY proud of you. Of your accomplishments and everything that you have become. You are a wonderful woman. And again, you don't have to stay and help. This is our battle, my battle." Dad was reluctant to make me leave, but I had already made up my mind. Besides, I wasn't sure I was ready to go again. These past few days, I have learned so much, and I realized that I've missed out on so much. I miss being part of the family; I missed spending time with my sister. I miss waking up in the mornings at home to my dad's off-key singing.I even miss riding along with mom and her goofy friends and spending time listening to their wild stories. And I hate to admit it, but I missed Daniel. I missed seeing him; I miss hanging out with him, our late-night escapes to the beach, Friday night movies, and his spontaneo