Tommy shifted his weight between his feet. He was beginning to feel like a bug under her lens. “I can’t explain that,” he said.
“I can. It’s because she trusts you.”
Layla regarded him as though she could see right through his flesh to the beating heart below. Did she realize in that moment it was beating just a bit faster for her?
“You two have a connection. Anyone can see it.”
“And what about us? What about our connection?” He forced the words from his lips. He might not like the answer, but he needed to know where they stood.
Layla’s cheeks lifted in a smile. “You’re pretty easy to connect with. Easier than me.”
Any other girl, he would’ve let the statement go, sure he was being forced into a compliment he might be reluctant to give. But Layla wasn’t that kind of girl, and no matter where this went, he wanted her to know she meant a great deal to him. “I’ve seen you—the real you. The sharp-edged side you share with the world, and the softer one you save just for private. And if you decide you never want to share that softer side with me again, I want you to know I feel lucky to have known it for the short time I did.”
Without a word, she lifted a hand to his cheek and traced the line of his jaw with her fingertip. Tommy leaned into her touch, sure they would kiss. It was what he ached for most in the world.
Just as quickly, she pulled away. “I know why you came here,” she said.
At first he thought she meant to Madison’s hideaway, but something about the look in her eyes told him she meant something else entirely.
“I know why you moved to California.”
His eyes widened. His body went still. Just like that, his secret was out.
His first instinct was to deny it, but then he remembered who he was talking to. “Who else knows?” He cast a nervous glance toward the house, but Layla was quick to assure him that no one else knew of his connection to Ira.
“Are you going to confront him?”
Tommy swiped a hand through his hair. It felt really weird to discuss it out loud.
“Yes.” He nodded. Followed by: “Maybe.” He scratched at his cheek. “I haven’t decided.” He sighed. “It changes daily.”
“Do you really think he’s behind this?”
Tommy screwed up his face and squinted at the fence surrounding the yard. “I wouldn’t put it past him,” he said, returning his focus to her.
“So what’s the plan?”
Tommy sank his hands into his pockets. “I guess I’m going to find out once and for all, so I can get on with my life.”
Layla regarded him thoughtfully. “You know you don’t have to go this alone. Surprising as it seems, you’ve managed to make a friend or two since you arrived in LA.”
A slow grin lit Tommy’s face as he remembered the first time they’d met, when she’d said just the opposite. “Then I’ll consider that a victory, considering how you warned me friends were in short supply.”
Layla’s eyes flashed. “I seem to remember it differently. You spoke the words. I merely implied you were right. As it turns out, we were both wrong.”
When she laug
hed, Tommy had the unmistakable feeling that everything would be okay. Not just between them, but overall.
He watched as she started to head back inside. “And what happens next?” he called.
She paused and looked over her shoulder. “We put our heads together and work out a plan.”
“And after that?” The question was loaded, but he had no doubt she knew what he meant.
“I guess we just have to wait and see how this particular story ends.”
He waited a bit before he joined her. He was just crossing the room, about to reclaim his seat, when everyone’s phone began to simultaneously chime.