Page 100 of The Life Experiment
Layla knew she hadn’t imagined the bits about Angus that she loved. His easy-going laugh, his staunch belief in her, the vulnerability he showed when talking about his brother… So what if Angus had hidden his wealth? Layla had hidden her death date. They had both entered the relationship on shaky ground.
But today, Layla was going to ask if they could draw a line under it all. She was going to walk into a wine bar in Soho that Sinead insisted was the best in London, extend her hand and hope that Angus would accept it.
She just needed to find an outfit first.
‘The nunnery called. It wants its jumper back,’ Maya commented from the doorway.
‘Very funny,’ Layla replied, pulling the jumper over her head before eying Maya’s outfit. Pyjamas, despite it being four in the afternoon. ‘Shouldn’t you be dressed? You’ve a train to catch.’
‘I’m not going home today,’ Maya said, throwing herself on Layla’s bed. ‘I changed my train to tomorrow. Mum and Dad said they’re okay to look after Jayden for another night.’
‘I didn’t realise you wanted to stay longer,’ Layla said, perching on the end of the bed.
Maya shrugged. ‘Neither of us know how tonight’s going to go with Angus. I thought you might want someone to come home to if things don’t work out. Rhi’s not exactly warm and fuzzy, and I didn’t want you to be alone.’
Layla smiled . ‘You’re staying for me?’
‘Of course. What are sisters for? But for the record, I don’t think it’s going to go badly. In fact, I’m expecting it to go so well that you don’t come home at all. Don’t worry, I won’t tell Mum and Dad about your adult sleepover.’
‘Maya!’ Layla protested, but there was no fighting her giggles.
Grinning, the sisters shared a moment before Maya reached across the bed for a knitted jumper dress Layla hadn’t tried on. ‘This would look good with those boots I brought with me,’ she commented.
‘You’re willing to lend them to me?’
‘I figure it’s the least I can do to make up for when I inevitably spill pad Thai on your duvet,’ Maya replied.
Laughing, Layla grabbed the dress and threw it on. A quick look in the mirror earned a satisfied nod from both sisters. Next, Layla reached for her cosmetics bag, but Maya shimmied off the bed and stopped her.
‘Let me,’ she offered.
Layla hesitated. While it was appealing to have help when her hands were so shaky, Maya’s idea of glam was the opposite of Layla’s. A firm fan of red lips and luscious lashes, Maya loved to put on a full face of makeup, but Layla didn’t want to look different to how she usually did. She and Angus had spent too much time being other people. Tonight, she wanted to be completely herself.
‘Don’t look so worried,’ Maya said, leading Layla back to the bed. ‘I promise I’ll do your makeup exactly how you like it.’
Taking a seat, Layla closed her eyes and let her sister work her magic. A playlist of pop anthems from the noughties filled the room.
‘There,’ Maya said eventually, stepping back to inspect her handiwork. ‘If he turns you down after seeing you like this, then the man has lost his mind.’
Heading to the mirror, Layla half expected to see a clone of Maya, but her lips parted at the result. Maya’s work was subtle, highlighting Layla’s features but keeping her looking very much like herself. ‘I love it,’ she breathed.
‘I’ll try not to be insulted by how shocked you sound,’ Maya replied, clicking the lid onto a lip gloss and dropping it into Layla’s bag. ‘Now go or you’ll be late.’
Layla’s brain told her legs to move, but they chose to listen to her nerves instead.
Maya’s head tilted to the side. ‘You’re not talking yourself out of this, are you?’
‘No,’ Layla replied, a little too quickly. ‘It’s just… Maya, what if it’s too late? What if I messed up too badly?’
‘Then it’s too late and you messed up too badly,’ Maya replied. As Layla’s face fell, she shrugged. ‘What do you want me to say, Layla? That it won’t happen? That things will work out? We don’t know that. But one thing we do know is that if you don’t tell Angus how you feel, you will spend the rest of your life wishing you had.’
Flexing her fingers, Layla forced herself to nod. ‘I hate it when you’re right.’
‘I know. Being the smart sister is a blessing and a burden, but I carry it well.’
Maya’s banter was enough to push Layla out of the bedroom and into the living room. Nerves jittered her stomach as she plucked her phone from the coffee table. The screen brightened, displaying messages Layla had missed in her rush to get ready.
On my way. I can’t wait to see you xx
