Page 33 of Power Play

Why couldn’t she keep her promise? That fucker never deserved a chance with her.

“Mommy, please.”

Blinking rapidly, Layla straightens her spine. “Then we will find time and go together,” she says, then she peers at Maya. “I promise.”

Silence hangs between us, soothing and calm. Maya starts playing with my beard, tickling my skin with her little fingers. I watch her mom; my stomach is warm. After a few minutes in their company, I feel like I’ve been filled to the brim with positive energy. Light and weightless. And happy. So damn happy, like I haven’t been in years.

Layla clears her throat. “What are you doing here?”

“It happened that I was at the Thompsons’ when you called. I said I could come pick you up while Ava gets ready and heads to your place,” I explain to her. “I was leaving anyway.”

“Is it on your way home?”

“Doesn’t matter, it’s no problem.”

Another bit of silence follows. I continue smiling at her, then shift my gaze to Maya. Up close, I notice a little drop of icing on the tip of her nose. Gently, I use my finger to wipe it away. Our eyes meet, and she beams at me shyly. Her cheeks are covered in a pinkish hue. Such an adorable little girl.

“Ready to go home?”

Maya nods.

“Layla?”

Her eyes fly to me, and hesitation crosses her features. Then she nods too and stands up from her chair. The jeans she’s wearing wrap tightly around her legs; her round hips scream for my attention. The pastel purple of her tee looks beautiful against her sun-kissed skin. The loose waves of her hair rest on her shoulders. She fixes her hairpin again, and I catch sight of the ring on her finger.

My ring.

A long-forgotten memory appears in my mind.

I walk into her dorm room without knocking. The scent of apple and cinnamon hits me right in the face, and I notice one of the scented candles lit on her nightstand. Layla sits on her bed; her red-rimmed eyes meet mine. I rush over to her,dropping my sports bag and my stick on the floor on my way. Lowering myself in front of her, I search her face. Gently, I cup her cheeks with my palms, making her look at me.

“What happened?”

She sobs. “I-I…lost…I lost my ring.”

I breathe a sigh of relief. Sliding my hand to the back of her neck, I pull her close. Our foreheads meet, and I close my eyes. The way she affects me never ceases to amaze me. How could I have been so stupid to avoid her last year?

“I’ll buy you a new one.”

“It won’t be…it won’t be the same,” Layla whines, her lips trembling. “It was my favorite one, with Tinker Bell. I bought it myself…”

“I’ll buy you a new one,” I tell her again, bringing my mouth an inch away from hers. “I’ll buy you a thousand new ones if it means I can make you happy.”

“With Tinker Bell?” She hiccups.

“Yes.” I nod. “Though I’ve always been curious about this ring. Why Tinker Bell?”

Layla smiles despite her tears. “I remember watchingPeter Panwith Ava for the first time, and how much she liked Peter Pan and lost boys, while all I could think about was Tinker Bell, and how beautiful and magical she was. It was my favorite Halloween costume for years. I loved dressing up like her. Until one of my classmates made fun of me, saying that I was lazy and that’s why I was wearing the same costume year after year. I stopped dressing like Tinker Bell, but I still loved the character. And when I saw the ring with her? I knew I needed it. I saved up some money and bought it for my sixteenth birthday. And now it’s gone.” A sob bolts out of her lips.

“Layla, baby, I’ll buy you a new one with Tinker Bell. Please don’t cry.”

“Promise?”

“Anything for you.” I close the distance between us and kiss her hard. Making her worries disappear is my only goal for tonight.

I kept my promise. The ring on her finger is the one I bought her to replace the one she lost. A smile blossoms on my face, one I can’t contain, not that I’m really trying.

She kept my ring.

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