Past The Mistakes

7 | old love

"I am so sorry. I-I don't know why I broke down like that. I usually don't let my feelings get the best of me and I had decided long ago that it wasn't personal.. but just seeing her like that really got to me. I am so sorry though for ruining our evening. Like we were both so hap- you were so happy and I-" I rambled, growing more emotional as I continued. Kayden interrupts me with a stern but gentle expression.

"Don't even apologize for your emotions, Lays. Everything you are feeling is valid. I don't know why you guys aren't friends anymore, but yeah, no need to apologize to me of all people. I understand," he tells me, giving me a soft smile. I look at him. His gaze is soft and patient.

He was so much.

So so much.

I couldn't stop myself from throwing myself into his arms and he stumbled back with the impact; but, didn't hesitate to wrap his strong arms around me.

"I got my wish anyways," he mumbled into my ear jokingly to alleviate the mood. I knew he was making a reference to the answer he gave me to my one question about what place in the world he would want to be. My arms. I pulled back and slapped his chest.

"Oh shut up,"

And he laughed, the sound causing a smile to form on my lips.

☆•☆•☆•☆•☆•☆

"Kayden seems like a good guy," my grandfather tells me after a while as I entered the kitchen where he was setting up for dinner. I had just then realized that he had yet to eat as he was waiting for me to get home. "Did he leave?" he asks.

"Yeah, I told him he doesn't need to worry about me," I whispered. My grandfather cautiously sneaks a glance at me before inhaling deeply.

"Now tell me what happened because I don't think Gloria's son had anything to do with it," he says finally. I look up to meet his worried eyes. I exhaled and averted my gaze to the moon outside. So much brighter than I could bear.

Reminded me of someone.

"I saw Tyra today," I mumbled and my grandfather gasped, his dark brown eyes widened. He straightens his back and rushes over to me with worried eyes, completely abandoning the clean plates he had in his hands on the dining table.

"Tyra? As in Tyra Collins?" He asks me with surprise in his eyes. I nodded. "Layla, tell me what exactly happened," He tells me sternly knowing that Tyra was non-existent in my life for the past 5 years and I whimpered.

She seriously looked away from me.

It was my fault that I had expectations.

I wanted her to tell me how much she missed me and how she should have never listened to her mother when she told her to stop being friends with me.

I had expected way too much.

"Kayden wanted milkshakes from The Milkshake Shack. I told him no because I didn't want anyone to recognize me and start talking crap to me," I sniffled, my grandfather melted in his spot. His eyes gloss over in pain for me. He never liked that I stayed home all day, he would always urge me to go out and make new friends with people who didn't know me. But, I could never do that; my reputation would always catch up.

"I-I didn't want to go and I said I had homework to do but he told me it was close by. So, uh- I agreed. Anyways, at one point Tyra showed up with her friends and she saw me," I sighed. My grandfather's eyes hardened in a way I had never seen

"Did she say anything to you? I swear to god Layla, I will knock on Persia and Herman's door right now and demand them to stop spreading lies to their daughter about you."