Page 2 of August and the Night

Layla

I sit cross-legged on my ridiculous king-sized bed, the object of much ridicule when compared to my petite frame. Insomnia plagues me, and I've tried everything to ease my sleeplessness. If a comically large bed can offer even a fraction of relief, then I'll endure the snickers. Lily, my cousin, sits next to me, engrossed in her phone as we have a conversation.

Raindrops gently tap against the windowpane, providing a soothing rhythm to our chat. Both of us wear face masks, indulging in a much-needed pampering session.

Lily's voice carries excitement as she recounts the romantic date her fiancé meticulously planned for her. I listen intently, the mask cooling and nourishing my skin as my eyes sparkle with genuine happiness for her. Even if I'm not the biggest fan of her fiancé, I still love seeing her so happy.

"He took me to this exquisite restaurant overlooking the city lights," Lily gushes, her eyes glowing with joy. "The ambiance was enchanting, and the food was absolutely divine. And guess what? He surprised me with tickets to the theater, front-row seats for the play I've been dying to see!"

A smile plays upon my lips and I relish in her delight. Despite all his faults, like forgetting to check up on her sometimes, responding to her texts a week late, and his wandering eyes, I have to give it to him. He seems to have a knack for creating romantic moments that take her breath away, perhaps as a way to compensate for his flaws.

Listening to Lily's stories of romance, my mind wanders to my own recent encounter, one that unexpectedly made my cheeks warm and my heart flutter. I hesitate for a moment, contemplating whether to share my experience with Lily. As cousins and best friends, we've always confided in each other. I know all her secrets, and she knows all of mine.

Taking a deep breath, I lean closer to Lily, lowering my voice. "Lily, something happened today," I begin, my eyes meeting hers, and she stares back at me with interest. "I met a man, and... there was something different about him."

Her eyes widen with curiosity, her attention fully captured by my words. I take a moment to gather my thoughts, savoring the anticipation of revealing the details of my unexpected encounter.

"His name is August Steele. He’s so tall and muscular," I continue, my voice soft and tinged with a sense of wonder. "And he has the bluest eyes I've ever seen. I was also literally fighting myself not to ask for his hair routine."

Lily bursts into laughter before leaning closer, her face mirroring a mix of intrigue and surprise. "Are you sure he really was tall? Or did he just seem that way to you because, you know, you're so small," she says with humor, and I playfully throw a pillow her way. "Shut up! He was huge. And I'm not that small, Lily!"

"Layla... you're literally five foot two," she says mischievously. "Well, your fiancé is literally five foot three, so you shouldn't be talking," I retort, and she lets out a banshee screech before playfully attacking me.

After our silly banter, she nudges me. "Go on, Layla. I'm dying to know more," she encourages, her voice filled with anticipation.

"Lily, he literally looked like he escaped a James Bond movie. He had the most well-groomed mustache and stubble... I mean, who the fuck can pull off a mustache these days? And he does!" I describe, my words painting a vivid picture of the man who unknowingly captured my attention. "But it wasn't just his physical appearance. It was the way he spoke, how effortlessly he engaged me in conversation."

My heart quickens as I recount the details of our conversation, how he's the first man I've ever clicked with. "We even discussed 'Sense and Sensibility.' It's his favorite book," I share, a mix of excitement and vulnerability filling my voice. "He knows Austen's works so well, and our conversation flows effortlessly. I feel like I've known him for an eternity, not just a couple of hours."

Lily gasps, her eyes widening in surprise. "Layla, this is incredible! I've never seen you this enamored with anyone before," she exclaims, her voice filled with excitement.

"And here's something even more fascinating: He owns a security company, the same one father employs our guards from. Isn't that remarkable? It's as if the universe organized this meeting. I've never felt like this before," I say with vulnerability in my voice.

Her eyes suddenly fill with mischief, and she looks at me with even more excitement. "Do you know what this means, Layla? If you get close to him, we can finally sneak out of the house! He can just tell his guards to let us go. We can go to all those clubs we were talking about," she says enthusiastically, nearly vibrating with happiness.

"You mean all those clubs you were talking about, but you know I won't let you go alone. Besides, he hasn't texted me since our meet-up in the morning," I say with a twinge of sadness in my voice.

"Layla, relax. You literally just talked this morning, and he owns his own company, so he must be a busy man. He'll probably text you tonight," she says calmly, soothing my self-doubt a little. After all, she has much more experience than me.

"You think? I haven't really done this before, Lily," I admit with insecurity.

"I'm sure, honey. Besides, I know about your lack of experience. For the longest time, I thought you were a lesbian. I would have even thought you were asexual if I hadn't walked in on you once with Mr. Pinky," she chuckles, referring to my vibrator. My cheeks burn, and I immediately grab a nearby pillow before pouncing on Lily. "I'm going to fucking kill you," I screech as I playfully try to choke her with the pillow. She melts into the bed, laughing so hard that she's fighting for breath. “I’ll be sure to tell Mr. Tall and Handsome that you like it rough," she scoffs before I jump at her again, really going to kill her this time.

3

Layla

August didn't end up texting me last night, and I'm honestly incredibly disappointed. I thought our little meet-up went great; we were both interested in the same things, and I felt like sparks flew between us. I wanted to talk to him some more.

I didn't get my fill of that handsome man; I want more of him. I've never felt like this for anyone before, so I'm battling feelings I don't understand. I could just ask Lily, but I don't want to seem desperate in front of her. She can get any man she wants with just a wink of her pretty green eyes. I'll never understand why she settled for Oliver Davis.

That man looks like my big toe. He's balding, short, and has a beer gut. He's also fifteen years older than her; she's twenty-five years old while he's forty. Oliver doesn't even appreciate the fact that he has such a beautiful and strong young woman by his side, but Lily always speaks highly of him and the dates he takes her on. I'm convinced that there's something in him that I just don't see because she's not with him for money like many of our acquaintances assume. We already come from money. I shrug off my thoughts; Lily has a big head on her shoulders, and she knows what's best for her more than me.

I hop out of bed, my bare feet landing on the soft carpet, and make my way to the bathroom. As I stand before the mirror, I style my mess of waves into place and splash cool water on my face, attempting to stop sleep from sneaking back in. I haven't slept much, and when I did, my dreams were filled with August Steele. After I finish my morning routine, I dress myself in a pair of fitted jeans and a fluffy sweatshirt. I forgo makeup simply because I'm going to be spending a long time in the lab today, and I'm sure I'll end up looking like a hot mess with it on by the end of the day.

As I leave my bedroom, I notice that Lily is nowhere to be seen. I check my texts and notice that she informed me that she has a big exam coming up and has been studying at the library since early morning. Lily and I are inseparable. Her parents both died when she was young, and my father took her in considering that she was a reminder of his brother, a man he loved dearly. She was eleven when she moved in, and I was nine. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't jealous of her at first. My father would constantly want to hang out with her alone, and often times I would be left out. When Lily noticed, she sat me down and told me it's because he felt bad for her and wanted to give her comfort after her parents' death, and that I would always be his special girl. It's ironic how a child had enough sense to have this talk with me, but a full-grown adult did not. But my Lily has always been smart.

As we grew, my dad's favoritism for her did as well. He would constantly take her on dinners and to the movies without me, and she would always be the person he was most proud of, often introducing her to his business partners as his daughter, while he preferred to keep me in the shadows. I can understand why, though. Lily is tall, while I'm short. She's fun, while I'm boring. She's stunning, while I'm cute. She's social, while I'm introverted.

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