Exiled (AmBw)

Chapter 20

Layla: "Oh, what was that?" I said, startled when the program that was left up closed.

Chisato: "I don't know." She said with a hint of worry in her voice.

Layla: "Was that something important?" I asked worriedly.

Chisato shrugged, before Chisato and I could worry too much, Naoto walked in.

Naoto: "What are you both doing?" Naoto said, walking towards us.

Chisato: "Oh, nothing much. I just lent Layla your laptop so she could work on her articles." She said, turning to face him.

Naoto: "Oh, ok. Wait, was there a program still up?" he said, panicked. "Please tell me you didn't close it?" He said, turning the laptop to himself.

Layla: "I didn't close it. The program immediately shut down as soon as the screen turned on." I explained.

After looking through his files, he deeply sighed.

Naoto: "Damnit, it didn't even autosave," he said, distressed.

Layla: "Was it really important?" I asked, scared to know the answer.

Naoto: "Yeah, it was," he said, unpleased.

Layla: "Oh, I'm sorry," I said, feeling guilty for touching his laptop in the first place.

He just shook his head at a loss for words. I could feel how upset he was by how he clenched his jaw.

Naoto: "Chisato, a word, please." He sternly said, walking away from the table after closing the laptop.

Like a puppy with its tail between its legs, she walked behind him. They were out of earshot, but I could tell by his expression and her body language that they were quarrelling. I felt bad watching her being scolded by him. So I put myself in the line of fire.

Layla: "Naoto, please don't be upset at Chisato. It's not all her fault. I should've to decline her offer to use your laptop. I should have waited for you to get back," I said, hoping to pacify him.

Naoto: "You're right. You should have." he said plainly.

His quick response, tone, and austere look hurt.

Layla: "I'm sorry. Maybe I could try recovering the file," I said, trying to problem-solve.

Naoto: "You know how to?" He asked.

Layla: "No, but I could try," I said, eager to fix what happened. I didn't like seeing Naoto like this.

Naoto's phone rang, pulling his attention from me. He glanced down at it before he spoke again.

Naoto: "Just forget about it," he said, giving up. "Both of you, just stay still and try not to burn the house down," he said, dismissing us before he walked away.

It felt horrible watching him walk away, knowing how upset he was. With a slam of the door, he was gone. I stood there, dazed, feeling horrid. I guess my feelings showed all over my face because, seconds later, I felt Chisato arms around me, giving me a big hug.

Chisato: "Layla, everything's going to be okay. Uncle is just stressed. He's not upset at you, so don't take his frustration personal, okay?" Chisato said, trying to cheer me up. "Come on, let's go watch a movie to take your minds off of it. She said, rubbing my back as she hugged me.

Chisato chose the movie, popped some popcorn, and brought out a few pillows and a big fleece blanket with which to cuddle. I guess this was a perfect remedy for sleep because she was out cold in minutes. I was kind of glad she dozed off because now she wasn't able to see how the incident with Naoto affected me. The movie played in the background like ambiance as my mind drifted a million miles away. I couldn't get over the way Naoto looked at me when he was talking to Chisato. The image replayed over and over in my mind. Each time, making me feel more unsettled and down. 'He really must hate me now.' I thought, sadden by the thought of him. 'First, you kiss the man, ghost him, then you mess up all his hard work. Damn Layla, you are something else. What's wrong with me.' I thought, feeling myself sink deeper into the couch. "Come on, Layla, stop getting down on yourself, it's okay," I said, trying to perk myself back up. "It makes no sense getting down and hurt when I can try to fix it," I said before walking towards the table where his laptop was still resting. "Where there's a will, there's away. There has to be some way to fix this," I said, opening his laptop.