Page 91 of Knights Game

Fucking women.

30

Layla

Luca fucking Knight. Ihadn’t meant to slap him, but it turns out my subconscious had other plans.

I bend down and grab my dress from the floor before running from the room.

Someone is looking down on me tonight, because by some miracle I manage to get my dress on and climb into a taxi before he has a chance to catch up with me. I’ve no idea if he’s even trying, but knowing him, he will be. This escape will be short lived.

My eyes burn, the lump in my throat threatens to choke me. My mind is an incoherent mess of hurt, betrayal, and leftover lust. Along with a dousing of pure embarrassment. Sex in public.

What was I thinking?

I’m so far from the Layla I know, I can’t work out if this is something that’s always been inside me, or I’ve lost the plot entirely.

Luca Knight is a bastard, and I’m an idiot for thinking otherwise.

I head straight to my flat. I need familiarity, I need…I don’t know what I need.

A lobotomy.

I take a shaky breath, wringing my dress as a deep exhaustion invades every weary bone in my body.

The taxi ride seems to last an eternity, my mind unable to focus on a single thought, instead a whirlwind of memories, images, and emotions fly through me in a tumultuous storm. I want it to stop, I want my busy head to be quiet.

Just for a minute.

“Can you stop the car please?” I ask.

The driver looks in the rear-view mirror and hesitates. “It’s late, no? You should be taken to the door.” He says, his voice is accented in thick eastern European.

“I feel sick,” I say, pretending to heave. The driver's eyes widen, and he pulls over.

“Not in the car, miss, please not in the car.”

I open the door and jump out, holding my hand over my mouth, putting on a show. Then realising I haven’t paid, I lean back in. “I can walk from here thanks.” He tuts. I pay him quickly, and close the door.

I’m about ten minutes from home, ten minutes of walking to clear my head. Ten minutes to slow the chaos.

The headlights of the taxi cast eerie shadows onto the pavement in front of me. The bushes create shadow tendrils that look like they are trying to reach out and touch me.

After a moment, the taxi turns, and I’m left alone.

I can’t understand how this evening went from something that felt almost normal to an absolute shit show. What am I talking about, of course I understand.

A heartbeat’s all it takes, remember.

My shoes pinch my feet, the dress that earlier felt like a disguise is now an itchy irritating reminder of the evening.

Luca was staring at Isla.

Stop.

He looked at her, that doesn’t mean he wants to still sleep with her.

Did I overreact?

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