MasukLAYLAāBaby,ā a low voice says in my ear.The listener smiles and blushes, quickly scarpering, and I turn to face Joshua. He looks delicious in a white shirt, open at the collar. Itās a hot evening, and his bow tie is hanging loose around his neck. He looks like James Bond off-duty.I push the dark hair off his forehead, smiling at his bright eyes and flushed cheeks. āAre you drunk again? Is this your wedding tradition?āHe doesnāt answer, threading a hand through my curled hair and tilting his mouth down to mine. His kiss is so deep and so fierce that it takes my breath away. My stomach flips, and my toes curl in my heels as his soft lips press against me.I finally pull back to a smattering of applause. My whole body is singing.My blood is thumping in my veins like I just ran a marathon. āWell?ā I ask when I catch my breath.āIāll give you a nine-point-five,ā he decides, stroking our cheeks together.āBut only because itās your birthday.ā
LAYLAFIFTEEN MONTHS LATERLayla Thompson @HerTreatLayla āWe got married on a flower-filled rooftop in central London, on the day of my thirtieth birthday.The ceremony is beautiful. The guys all look delicious in dark suits, and I wear a creamy silk dress I designed myself, covered in tiny organza butterflies. We say our vows as the sun sets over the city, streaking the sky in a wash of gold and peach and rose-petal pink. As the last few rays of sunshine fade away from the blackening sky, and the boys each take turns kissing the bride, the rooftop lights up. Hundreds of glowing lanterns illuminate over our heads, and the foliage glows with strings of coloured fairy lights carefully threaded through the leaves and branches.And then the party starts. Thanks to Zackās flat-out insistence on an open bar, soon the alcohol is flowing, and everybody is migrating to the flashing disco dance-floor we had set up. I hang back, savouring my slice of fr
LAYLAI reach up and rub at the frown lines between his eyebrows, smoothing them out. āYouāre doing it now,ā I reminded him. āNow, finally, those students have someone who cares about them.ā I link our fingers together.āAnd so do I.āāI love you so much,ā he says, and the sincerity in his voice makes my chest ache. āI am so, so sorry.āWithout leaving Zackās grasp, I lean up and press my lips to his. He kisses me back hotly, pouring all of his anger and frustration and passion into the embrace. When we pull back for air, I twist, kissing Zack next, shivering when his tongue sweeps over my bottom lip. Then I do the same to Josh, going up on my tiptoes and trailing my lips over his cheek.I can hear whispers go up around the hall. Someone gasps. I think I hear a phone camera click, and smile against Joshās lips. I bet every person in this room is mentally calling me every gross name they can think of. Easy. Loose. A cheater. A slag.And I donāt care.
LAYLAHands jammed into his pockets, Donny leads me to the corner of the gym, out of earshot of everybody else. I glance around, wrinkling my nose at the bins of deflated basketballs and broken hula hoops.āListen,ā he says quietly. āYou canāt put that stuff online.āI check my nails. āCanāt I?āāNo!ā His eyes are wide. āFor Godās sake, I was a kid!āāSo was I. That didnāt stop you from making my life a living Hell.āāI didnāt know what I was doing!ā He insists. āIt was ten years ago, Layla, canāt you just get over this stuff? Iāve worked hard to get where I am, why the Hell would you want to go and ruin it for me now?āāI donāt,ā I say honestly. āI donāt want to ruin anything for you. All I want to do is leave this behind me. So hereās whatās going to happen.ā I take a step towards him, my high heels squeaking slightly on the ugly beige linoleum. āYouāre going to drop the charges against Zack,ā I ordered. āYouāll make a statement that you antag
LAYLAA shiver runs down my spine. Slowly, I turn to face her.Amy looks completely different from the way she did at her wedding. Sheās wearing less makeup, and I can see the age lining her skin. Her blonde hair looks dull and washed out under the fluorescent lights. I breathe out slowly.āAmy,ā Luke says coldly. āYou look well. How was the honeymoon?āāMrs Martins!ā Donny whines, making Luke flinch. āDid you hear what he said?āāItās Mrs. Tran,ā Amy says, looking annoyed. āLuke and I arenāt married anymore.āāOh. Sorry.ā Donny points at Zack. āBut he was going to punch me in the face! You need to make him leave!āZack rolls his eyes. āOh, suck it up, ya big baby,ā he booms. āYouāre not fourteen anymore. Quit whininā to yer teachers, itās pathetic.āAmy shakes her head, turning to me. āLayla. Do you want to explain why theyāre all here? The invitation said you could bring a plus one.āāActually, it said āpartners are welcomeā,ā I point
LAYLA Nerves crunch me. Why am I doing this? I donāt want to be here. I feel hot and cold at the same time. At the back of my head, a voice tells me over and over again to run.āWant a drink?ā Luke asks in my ear, and I relax minutely. āIf I remember correctly, they serve alcohol at these things.āI let out a shaky breath. āFor a twenty-pound entrance fee, theyād better,ā I mutter, letting him take me by the hand and lead me over to the refreshment tables. As we walk through the hall, I feel people turning and staring. I trymy best to ignore it as whispers go up around me.āIs that Layla Thompson?āāIs she with Mr.Martins?āāSo she really was sleeping with him? I thought that was a rumour!āI grit my teeth and ignore the comments as we walk past a cluster of girls staring and gossiping in hushed voices. They all look so different now. Oneof them is heavily pregnant. One is holding hands with a huge guy in a suit.One has pink hair and tatto







