layla's eyes slowly flutter open to be met with the sunshine glaring through the curtains.
she tries to remember where she is, and she's suddenly met with the events of last night.
she smiles warmly before turning over, expecting to see sam lying there, his hair in his face, breathing softly as he's still asleep, but unfortunately, when she turned around, there was no one there, simply just the slightly crumbled sheets, a marking of where he once was.
layla got up out of bed, pulling her jeans back on along with her shirt. she looked in the mirror and fixed herself up slightly before opening the door and making her way downstairs.
"layla!" an all too familiar voice said to her happily as soon as she reached the bottom step.
"hi mrs kiszka." layla said as she embraced her in a hug.
"how many times have i told you to stop calling me that?" karen asked.
"right... sorry karen." layla said, chucking nervously.
karen smiled to her warmly before turning around and walking to the kitchen.
"i've made you breakfast." she said, "feel free to dig into whatever."
layla took a deep breath, taking in all the smells that was slowly from the kitchen bench. from pancakes to bacon and eggs — it was truly something else.
"wow, looks amazing." layla said, grabbing herself a plate and grabbing bits and pieces.
"has sam been down here, do you know?" layla asked, looking up to karen.
"i haven't seen him." karen said, shrugging her shoulders, "but josh is just out the back." she added.
layla finished putting the food on her plate and poured herself an orange juice, before walking out the back door onto the porch, where she saw josh eating his breakfast at the little wooden table.
"hey." layla said happily, taking a seat across from him.
"have you seen sam?" layla asked as she began to eat, "i haven't seen him all morning."
"i wouldn't have a clue, layla." josh said.
uh-oh, layla thought to herself.
josh only called layla her full name when he was mad or annoyed, otherwise he'd usually call her 'lay's'.
"okay, what's wrong?" amber asked as she set her knife and fork down.
josh took a sip of his orange juice and looked up to layla, and just as he was about to say something, he backed out.
"it's nothing... i'm just tired that's all." josh lied.
layla raised an eyebrow, "are you sure?" she asked.
"well i couldn't get much sleep with banging on the wall." josh said, smirking slightly.
layla's cheeks burned a bright red.
"y-you heard all of... that?" she asked him.
josh nodded, "i always do."
layla sighed.
"i'm so sorry, joshy." layla said, picking up her knife and fork and beginning to eat again.
"it's fine." he said, shrugging it off.
then, ronnie came out onto the back porch.
"you guys wanna go to a bar tonight?" she asked them randomly.
layla looked to josh, and they looked into each other's eyes, communicating silently.
"sure." layla said, "we'll go." she answered on behalf of the both of them.
"sweet, we're leaving at 7, and mum is coming too." ronnie said, then walking back inside.
layla looked back to josh, "do you think sam will be coming?" she asked him.
"i'm sure he will, you don't have to worry about it." josh said.
layla nodded, then continued eating, but then the day slowly went to night, and sam wasn't home all day, leaving layla with josh the whole day.
honestly she wouldn't have it any other way, because spending a day with josh was amazing, but she just wished that she knew where sam went, and why he didn't tell her.
the group strolled into the bar, with josh holding the door open for layla, then placing a hand on her back as he guided her inside.
she smiled to him as they walked side by side to a table, looking at the menu's with simple little meals.
layla then noticed that it was karaoke night, and watched as an obviously drunk, old man walked up onto the stage.
layla nudged josh's side and brought his attention to the man, and the two laughed quietly as they listened to the man slur the words of 'i will survive' by gloria gaynor, and silently judged his awkward dancing.
once the man had finished, josh and layla took it upon themselves to cheer for the man loudly as he bowed to the audience.
they laughed as he stumbled off the stage and held onto the table for support.
"i remember when we used to get hammered." layla recalled.
"good times." josh said.
"they were." she agreed.
josh then looked up to the stage, and noticed that now it was awfully quiet.
there was no one's singing to laugh to or dance moves to make fun of.
he waited a few more seconds whispered into layla's ear.
"i'll be back in a sec." he said, pushing his chair back and running off into the distance.
layla furrowed her eyebrows in confusion.
"what's he doing?" layla asked ronnie and karen as she watched descend into the darkness.
ronnie shrugged her shoulders, "dunno."
the group brushed it off and started a conversation, but within a few seconds, they all heard josh's voice booming through the speakers.
"testing, testing." josh said in a monotone voice, making layla giggle as she looked up to him.
"alright, uh..." josh began speaking, and layla shifted her seat to see the stage, where she saw him rubbing his neck nervously.
he looked so nervous to be up there... which was unusual seeing as he is the lead singer of a band.
"this song is for a very special girl called... layla." josh said, making eye contact with a certain young woman, making her cheeks turn a bright red.
suddenly, a familiar riff flowed through layla's ears, and she smiled brightly, remembering ever so vividly the last time he did this.
josh tapped his foot along to the beat and eventually began singing.
"what'll you do when you get lonely?
and nobody's wait waiting by your side?
you've been running and hiding much too long
you know it's just foolish pride"
josh watched as layla already began dancing, smiling to him warmly, not daring to take her eyes off him.
"layla!
you got me on my knees!"
josh sang out, then dropping to his knees, watching as layla laughed loudly.
"layla!
i'm begging, darling, please!"
josh reached his hand out for her, wanting her to come over.
"layla!
darling won't you ease my worried mind?"
he sang, and layla finally got out of her seat, taking josh's hand as he stood up.
"i tried to give you consolation
when you're old man had let you down"
the two danced — layla's laughter booming through the bar, something that josh considered to be music to his ears.
"like a fool, i fell in love with you
you turned my whole world upside down"
josh sang as he twirled layla around in circles.
layla looked back into josh's eyes, and she began singing the lyrics with him, not breaking eye contact.
"layla!
you've got me on my knees
layla!
i'm begging, darling, please
layla!
darling, won't you ease my worried mind?"
josh dropped to his knees again with layla standing there laughing as he begged for her, before he stood back up and began twirling her around again.
"let's make the best of the situation
before i finally go insane
please, don't say we'll never find a way
and tell me all my love's in vain."
josh peeked over to the table in which karen and ronnie were sitting at, and he noticed that the two were smiling at him and layla, whispering to each other.
"layla!
you got me on my knees
layla!
i'm begging, darling, please
layla!
darling won't you ease my worried mind?"
soon enough the song ended, and josh looked to layla's eyes as he pulled her close to him.
his eyes moved down her face to her lips, and he looked over the eagerly, desperately wanting to know the feeling of her lips again, because after so much time, he's forgotten.
although her lips were the only ones to ever touch his, it's been so long that her mark has disappeared.
josh then leaned in slowly, and layla stared into his eyes longingly.
"what are you doing josh?" layla asked, and he stopped right before his lips touched hers.
"i'm going to kiss you, like i've wanted to do since as long as i can remember." josh said.
josh couldn't hold in his feelings any longer, he couldn't bare to withstand anymore torture by simply just watching this special girl and his brother be all over each other when he knows it should be him.
josh can treat her right. he knows it. he just wants to prove himself.
"but sam is here-" layla was cut off by josh lips delicately planting onto hers, and the people in the bar cheered happily for them.
josh smiled as he pulled away, and layla smiled slightly, before biting her lip anxiously and looking to her left, where she saw sam standing there hopelessly, watching as his brother and girlfriend kiss.