“Nice catch, Avery,” Mrs. J says admiring my work as she jogged up not far behind us. “Now, are we going to need to use the chains?” Mrs. J asks her daughter, holding up the chains.
“No,” Layla says as best she can into the dirt I had yet to take her head out of.
“Good, Avery.” Mrs. J says signaling for me to get off of her daughter.
“Thank you,” Layla mumbles, brushing herself off as she stands up.
“What the hell is your problem?” I ask hitting her over the head.
“I wanted you to be happy, I thought you’d be happier with him-”
“And when I looked at him at my party? What did you expect to happen?” I ask hitting her.
“I don't know, I was scared,” Layla yells over my punches.
“Of what?” I ask my punches teetering off into light taps.
“I thought you'd hate me…for ruining you and Charlie’s relationship.” for a minute I froze in confusion before the words finally processed in my head then as if on pure instinct my hand was colliding with Layla’s cheek.
“You dumb son of a bitch! Are you crazy? He's not my soulmate, we both made it clear at the beginning of our relationship that if he and I weren't soulmates we’d still be friends if one of us found our soulmate.” I yelled.
“Isn't dumb son of a bitch only used for guys?” Layla asks, rubbing her head where it had impacted with the ground.
“That’s your take away from what I just said?” I say frustration in my voice.
“No..” Layla says more of a question than an answer, “I heard the other stuff too.” Layla smiles, earning a shove from both her mother and I. “Hey, I thought we were done picking on the idiot.”
“Not a chance,” Mrs. J smiles, grabbing her daughter by the elbow, “We won’t be done picking on you by the time I’m seventy.”
Layla chuckled before turning to me, her face suddenly serious, “I’m sorry. I should have told you.”
I smile, “Yes, you should have. But I forgive you…just don’t let something like this happen again.”
“It won’t,” Layla says the biggest smile breaking out on her face.
After a three hour lecture from me and Mrs. J and then another four hour lecture from Mr. J Layla was given room to breath.
“I’m really sorry-“
“I wouldn’t have been upset. Would it have shocked me at first and hurt a lot that Charlie wasn’t my soul mate, yeah! I mean we’ve been dating since middle school of course it’s gonna hurt! But that wouldn’t have kept me from choosing you!” At some point I had started to yell, “Is that it? Did you think I’d abandon you? That I’d call you a freak? That I’d…reject are bond?” Warm tears began to roll down my cheeks at the thought of rejecting her. My best friend. My mate. My everything. My stable ground in the earthquake of life. That was it, Layla’s face confirmed it as her eyes fell towards the ground at my feet, “You really thought that I’d do that?”
“You didn’t even know I’m gay. Telling you I’m gay is one thing but to tell you I’m gay and I’m your soulmate…” She couldn’t even finish the rest of her thought.
“I’m Bisexual. You know that. You were the first person I told.”
“And? That doesn’t make it any less scary,” Layla yells, “Logically, it was dumb to think you wouldn’t accept me if I came out to you. But sometimes the fear of losing someone who means the whole damn world to you can override common fucking sense.” Layla huffed, “I’m sorry. For not coming out to you. For not telling you that I’m your soulmate. I’m sorry for all of it and I will apologize for the rest of our lives if you give me the privilege.”
“Privilege? Where the hell do you think your going? After this your not going more than a mile for at least a month if you lucky,” I laughed sitting down almost on Layla, wrapping my arms around her neck and pulling her into a hug. For a while we stayed like that. Enjoying the smell of each other and me trying my best to ignore Layla’s obvious attempts at scent marking me. Then my phone rang. “It’s my mom.” I say gently laying against Layla’s chest causing her to have to sit back on the couch, “Hello?”
“Where the hell did you go? Your father is freaking out, he has the whole pack looking for you. He’s this close to calling for back up from neighboring packs,” My mothers voice came over the phone, I know she’s pinching her fingers as if I could see her.
I barely let out, “I’m at Layla’s.” Before my mother started lecturing me about running off without telling someone where I was going, finally finding a gap in her lecture I blurted out, “ I found my mate.”
The phone went silent for only a second before a high pitched scream came over the phone then the sound of several people swarming her with questions of “Are you okay?” And “What’s wrong?” Could be heard. Then I heard my mother yell louder than I’ve ever heard anyone yell in my life, “She found her mate!” I winced pulling the phone away from my ear scowling up at Layla as she smiles. I put my ear back to the phone just in time to hear my mother say, “Who is it? Can we meet them? Have we met them? Do we know them?”
Before my mother could finish her questioning I blurted out, “It’s Layla.” Silence went over the speaker before yet another even louder scream was heard from my mother.
“Yes, I knew it. Your father owes me ten bucks,” my mother said excitedly.
“What?” I frowned plugging my ear trying to hear my mother over Layla’s bellowing laugh.
“Nothing sweetheart, are you going to be spending the night there?”
“Dad hasn’t given me permission-“
“Oh don’t worry about that sweetheart, I’ll take care of that. Now, do you need pjs?”
“Uh…I’ll have to ask Mrs. J-“
A sudden “It’s okay with me!”came bellowing out of the kitchen. Layla laughed at that harder earning an elbow from me which only made the laughter worse.
“I guess I need pjs.” I sighed.
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