Discovered (4 page)

“You look really pretty, Layla,” her mother
said, glancing up from the book she was reading. “What time will you be home?”

Layla shrugged her shoulders and shook her head
from side to side in a ‘what-time-do-you-wan-me-home’ manner.

“Be back by eleven,” Cheryl said flatly.

Layla rolled her eyes. “I’m almost eighteen,”
she huffed.

“Not for another couple of weeks,” her mother
reminded her. “And besides, I don’t know this boy you’re hanging around with.”

“I told you before, it’s just a school
project.”

“Um, hum,” Cheryl replied, rolling her eyes
sarcastically.

Layla rushed out of the house before her mother
could make any more stupid comments. Of course Jay was already waiting, door
opened.

“Are you sure you’re really from this century?”
Layla asked sarcastically after he climbed into the car.

Jay coughed.

“Fall allergies?” she questioned.

“Um, they’re killing me,” he responded. “Why
did you ask that?”

“It’s just that most guys aren’t that
gentlemanly these days, y’know holding open car doors for girls,” she
responded.

“Yes, well, a lady should be treated
accordingly, at least in my opinion,” he replied.

“So what’s the plan?” she asked as he pulled
away from the driveway.

“The plan is that we don’t get distracted
tonight, not for anything,” he answered. “I don’t want a couple of nerdy
bookworms to do better than us.”

“Jay!” she scolded. “That’s mean.”

“I know,” he answered, smiling impishly. “But I
was just kidding.”

When they arrived at his house, Jay ushered her
into the kitchen where he had a notepad and pencils sitting ready on the table.

“You really mean business, don’t you?” she
teased.

“Yes, now sit down and we’ll get straight to it.”

He grabbed a coke from the fridge along with a
diet for Layla and set them out next to iced glasses.

It was useless. Every time one of them blurted
out the name of a book it would start a conversation that would stray far off
topic until they were both laughing at something completely unrelated.

The good part of all the goofing off was that
Layla couldn’t remember the last time she’d bonded so well with someone. Jay
was so easy to be around. He was sweet, interesting, and they seemed to share
the same strange sense of humor. The bad part of all the goofing off, she was
becoming more and more completely and utterly infatuated, regardless of the
many times she tried to convince herself otherwise. She vowed to herself that
she would keep the infatuation at bay, knowing that if she let it get out of
control, it could ruin a new friendship she was growing to value tremendously.

“I’d better get you home,” Jay said at one
point, looking over at the clock on the wall. “I have a great idea though,” he
added. “I’ll explain on the ride home.”

When Jay had backed his car out of the driveway
and was cruising down the street, Layla looked over expectantly. “Well?” she
asked. “What’s your idea?”

“I was thinking that since we’re hopeless at
getting together to work on the project, that I should invite you over to my
house tomorrow night to hang out. Y’know, just hang out, nothing else.”

“How does that help?” she questioned, already
loving the idea.

“Reverse psychology,” he replied pointedly.

“It’s worth a try,” she answered.

“Okay, so it’s a date then?” he asked.

Layla’s heart raced a little, wondering if he
meant that literally or figuratively. “Sure,” she responded.

When he pulled up in front of her house, she
turned to look at him. “Thanks again for another really fun night,” she said.

But instead of answering her, Jay leaned over
and pressed his lips to hers briefly. He pulled back, an almost guilty
expression gracing his face. “Sorry, I really shouldn’t have done that,” he
said quietly.

“I don’t mind at all,” she answered shyly.

“Really?” he questioned, a smile spreading over
his face.

She blushed and gripped the car door handle.
“Bye, Jay,” she said, hurrying out before he had a chance to open the door for
her.

“Can I pick you up at six tomorrow night?” he
called out the window.

“Okay,” she replied, turning around to look at
him one more time. She waved then ran up her driveway.

She entered her house, beaming from ear to ear.

“Good night?” Cheryl asked, meeting her at the
doorway.

“Oh, yeah,” Layla gushed, giggling.

“Just a boy…” Cheryl said under her breath,
shaking her head at her daughter’s goofy grin.

“You’re going to
that boy’s house again?” Cheryl asked when Layla informed her of her plans for
the evening.

“We still need to
work on the project.”

“But you were over
there all last weekend. Is there something more going on? I’m not stupid, so
you may as well just tell me,” Cheryl stated.

“Sort of, I think,”
Layla admitted, smirking.

“Really?” Cheryl
said. “So when do we get to meet him?”

“Maybe this week.
He doesn’t do well with parents, or so he says,”

“Honey, I don’t
like the sound of that. What’s wrong with him?”

“There’s nothing
wrong with him. I think he’s just a little shy in regard to parents, y’know?”

“No, I don’t
really,” Cheryl replied suspiciously. “What’s his name?”

Layla filled Cheryl
in on the details, cringing when she noticed her mother’s disapproving glare at
the fact that Jay’s parents were in Europe on an extended stay.

“He doesn’t know
when they’ll be back?” she asked incredulously.

“He thinks some
time before Thanksgiving,” Layla said defensively.

“And you don’t find
that odd at all?” Cheryl grilled.

“Not really. He’s
eighteen, for heaven’s sake.”

“Yes, but he’s
still in high school,” Cheryl continued. “He has very important exams coming
up. What kind of parents would leave their only child to his own devices in his
last year of school?”

“Don’t be so
judgmental,” Layla said disagreeably.

Cheryl put her
hands up. “Okay, okay, I’m just saying…”

Layla looked at her
phone. “He’s outside. Why don’t you come out and say hello?” she suggested.

Cheryl followed
Layla down the driveway to the Range Rover.

When Jay noticed
her, he immediately jumped out of the car and held out his hand to shake hers.
“Hello, Mrs. Sparks,” he said cordially. “I’m Jay Logan. It’s an honor to meet
you.”

He was the epitome
of good manners and charm. Layla knew that he had Cheryl eating out of the palm
of his hand. Layla noticed how her mother’s eyes swelled when she saw Jay open
the passenger door for Layla, an obvious look of approval on her face.

“He’s so cute,”
Cheryl mouthed to Layla as she made a move to get into Jay’s car.

Layla nodded
enthusiastically.

Cheryl stuck her
head in the driver’s side window. “Have her home by eleven,” she said in an
effort to appear in control.

“Absolutely,
ma’am,” Jay answered politely.

 “That was
awkward,” Layla said as they drove away from her house.

“Not really,” Jay
contradicted.

“My mom forgets how
old I am at times,” she explained. “I think it’s because I’m an only child. She
tends to be a little overly-protective.”

“I can understand
that,” Jay replied. “What mother doesn’t want to know who her daughter is
hanging around with?”

“I suppose,” she
mumbled. “At any rate, I can tell she really liked you.”

“You think so?” Jay
asked, smiling proudly.

She nodded and tucked her shiny, auburn hair
behind her ears.

When Jay pulled into his driveway, he turned to
her with a serious expression. “Stay put!” he demanded before exiting the car.
He ran around the front to open her door.

She rolled her eyes and smiled. “You’ll spoil
me,” she said.

“I’d love to,” he answered bluntly.

Layla’s heart fluttered, but she kept her
composure, not bothering to pass comment on his remark.

When they entered the house, Jay took Layla’s hoodie
and hung it on the coat rack.

His cell phone rang before they had a chance to
say another word. “I need to take this,” he said, looking at the screen. “Just
a second,” he said into the phone. “Why don’t you go on into the kitchen and
grab a drink?” he said to Layla. “There are cokes and stuff in the fridge.”

Layla walked into the kitchen and took a can of
diet coke from the refrigerator. She hesitated momentarily, feeling a little
forward for rummaging through his cabinets for a glass, then decided that it
was probably no big deal.

She eventually found the right cabinet with the
drinking glasses and pulled one out. But before she closed the door again, she
spotted a fine, heavy crystal glass tucked behind the row of ordinary ones.
Without really thinking about what she was doing, she pulled the beautiful
goblet out and gazed at it. It was heavy and perfectly cut with the initials A.J.V
etched in ornate, Edwardian script across the front.

“That was—” Jay stopped short and watched her
admire the beautiful glass.

“Who’s A.J.V?” she questioned.

“The previous owners left a few personal things
when they moved out three months ago,” he said casually.

“It’s beautiful,” she said. “I would think
something this expensive would have meant something to someone.”

“Obviously not,” he replied, shrugging his
shoulders. “That was my best friend, Joey, on the phone, and unfortunately,
we’re about to have some company.”

“Does he live around here?” she questioned.

“No,” Jay replied, shaking his head. “He
decided to pay me a visit from up north.”

“Another friend from up north?” she asked
incredulously. “Without telling you first?”

“Like Ben, he knew my parents were out of town,
so he decided that I could use some company, or some more company, as the case
may be. Ben picked him up at the airport.”

“Just like that?” Layla asked, mesmerized by
the impulsiveness.

“Yeah, my friends are like that,” Jay replied.

And then the doorbell rang.

Layla widened her eyes and followed Jay back
into the hallway.

Jay opened the front door and was immediately
pulled into a bear-hug by a tall, dark-skinned young man of around nineteen,
wearing athletic-style sweats and a denim jacket. “Jay, my man,” the unknown
young man screeched.

Jay let out a sharp laugh. “When you called and
said you were on your way from the airport, I thought you’d be awhile.”

“I called from the corner,” the guy said,
smiling impishly. He shrugged out of his jacket and hung it on one of the
hooks.

Layla would have sworn that he was tall and
lanky at first, but when she saw him without his jacket, wearing a sleeveless T-shirt,
she realized that she’d been mistaken. He was muscular, but not in the way a
bodybuilder would be. His physique resembled that of an Olympic swimmer. He was
also extremely handsome. His black hair was cut close to his scalp, and he wore
a small diamond stud in his left ear.

 “And who’s this beauty?” the dark-skinned
stranger said, eyeing Layla with amusement.

Jay sighed. “Layla, this is Joey,” he said,
pointing to denim jacket guy. “Joey, meet my friend, Layla.”

“Ah, your
friend
, Layla,” Joey said
sarcastically, nodding his head.

Just then, another young man walked through the
door. This one was fair with longish, light-brown hair and the bluest eyes
Layla had ever seen.

“Layla, this is Ben,” Jay said, gesturing to
the light-brown-haired guy.

Before Layla had a chance to say anything, a
beautiful, dark-skinned girl strolled gracefully through the door, smiling
brightly. “And this lovely lady is Isabel,” Jay added.

“Call me Issy,” the girl said, walking over to
shake hands with Layla.

“Hi, Issy,” Layla said, transfixed on the girl.
Issy’s face was almost otherworldly in its beauty, absolutely stunning. Her
dark, almond-shaped eyes were surrounded by thick long lashes and bristled with
kindness. Dark ringlets hung an inch or two off her shoulders, bouncing
playfully as she walked forward. She had the cutest dimples imaginable, giving
her a girlish look, but this was no fragile flower—she was toned to the max.
Dressed in cargo pants and a tight, pink tank-top, Layla could tell that Issy
was more than able to take care of herself.

Ben walked next to her and put his arm around
Issy’s shoulders then took his turn shaking hands with Layla. He rested his
head next to Issy’s affectionately, making it obvious that these two were a
couple.

Layla smiled at each one shyly.

“So, Jay, what’s new?” Joey asked. “Besides the
obvious,” he added, smirking in Layla’s direction.

“Funny,” Jay mumbled, rolling his eyes. “Not
too much, except that I was hoping to get a little work done tonight, but now
that’s obviously out the window.”

“Work?” Ben piped in. “My dear friend, may I
remind you that you haven’t done a day’s work in your entire life?”

“And you would know since you were the one
always leading me astray,” Jay responded.

 “It’s really nice to meet you, Layla,” Issy
said sincerely. “And may I apologize in advance for this group of clowns.”
Layla liked her instantly. Her perfect white teeth were flashed in a sincere
smile.

“So what’s on the menu, Jay,” Joey butted in.
“I’m starving.”

“You’re always starving,” Jay replied.

Layla looked back and forth between Issy and
Joey and noted the resemblance. “We’re twins,” Issy said, noticing the look of
recognition on Layla’s face.

“I thought so,” Layla replied.

“Don’t we look exactly alike?” Joey asked,
moving to stand right by his sister.

“Issy is a heck of a lot better looking,
though,” Layla replied, sensing that Joey could take a joke.

“Yes, but I got all the brains,” Joey answered,
cocking his eyebrows.

Issy slapped her brother’s head. “So not true,”
she blurted out. “I can’t count all the times I’ve had to bail your sorry butt
out of a stupid situation.”

“She’s telling the truth,” Jay piped in,
nodding to Layla. He walked forward and gathered Issy into his arms. “I’ve
missed you,
mi querida Hermana,” he said
affectionately.

Issy hugged him in
return. “
Te he echado de menos,
también,” she replied.

Layla had
always harbored a soft spot for the Spanish language. She thought it sounded
beautiful, but coming from Jay’s mouth, it was nothing short of drool-worthy.

Jay pulled
away from Issy and regarded the little group. “So are you guys staying, or did
you just come to stand around my hallway for a while?”

“Ben, help me
with Issy’s bags,” Joey said, backing up to the front door.

Jay put one
hand on Layla’s back and the other on Issy’s, ushering both girls into the
living room.

“So you two
just decided to hop a plane?” Layla asked Issy.

“Ben’s been
here for a few days already, and I missed him terribly,” Issy replied. “And Jay
also,” she amended, turning to flash him a smile, “so we decided to come visit.
I suppose it must seem rather impulsive, but the four of us have been clued to
the hip for many, many years.”

Jay nodded.
“Issy, Joey and Ben are the closest thing to family I have. They
are
my
family.”

“What about
your parents?” Layla asked suspiciously.

Jay coughed
again and banged his chest. “I meant besides my parents. I’m an only child, so
these three have been like siblings for more years than I care to remember.”

When Joey and
Ben returned, Jay gestured for them to join him in the dining room. He quickly
set the table for three more people and walked into the kitchen.

“I think
we’ve interrupted something,” Issy said, noticing the long, red tapered candles
on the table.

Ben looked at
the candles then at Layla. She noticed his eyes narrow slightly.

“I’m sorry,
Layla,” Issy said. “If we had known—”

Layla
blushed, realizing how the situation must look to them. “No, not at all,” she replied,
shaking her head. “Jay and I are only working on a school project together.
It’s not what it looks like.” But even as she said it, she had doubts. Jay had
gone to a lot of trouble to make the dining room look warm and romantic. Then
she remembered the kiss from the previous night. Despite her reservations, she
felt a wave of excitement wash over her.

Jay returned
with trays of food and placed them on the table. “Good thing I made extra,” he
said, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

All through
dinner, Layla could feel Jay watching her as she interacted casually and
comfortably with his best friends, especially Issy. The two girls had taken an
instant liking to one another and were monopolizing the entire conversation,
chatting happily like old friends.

After she had
finished eating, Layla excused herself for the bathroom. She washed her hands
and stared pensively at her reflection in the mirror. Could it be possible that
Jay wanted to be more than friends also? She tried to bury that thought,
reminding herself not to get her hopes up and to continue to just enjoy their
new friendship.

She walked
out of the bathroom and down the stairs slowly, looking over the strange
display of artwork that strategically descended the wall so that there was
always a picture at eye level regardless of what step she was on.  When she was
almost at the bottom, she heard hushed, angry voices coming from the kitchen.
She walked quietly, not wanting to disturb whoever was arguing.

“I told you
yesterday, we’re just working on a project together,” she heard Jay say in a quiet,
raspy voice.