Ever After Awaits (Layla) novel Chapter 127

Chapter 127: Layla POV

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We lie there a little longer beneath the hush of the stars, with Cade’s arm wrapped around me, and my hand resting on his chest. The air’s cooling down now, its scent soft with nightfall and grass, but neither of us moves until we absolutely have to.

When we finally do, it’s slowly and reluctantly. Cade is the first one to stir when he pulls the blanket aside, brushing his fingers over my naked back as he sits up, and I stretch my arms over my head

before reaching for my discarded clothes.

There’s a quiet comfort between us as we get dressed and begin packing up the remains of our

picnic. He folds the blanket with a reverence that makes me smile as I gather all our empty

containers and grab the picnic basket to take back to the truck. Then he collects the fairy lights,

winding them up with practiced care, before picking up the lanterns as well.

By the time we climb into the cab of his truck, we’re both flushed and breathless, feeling

lighthearted and entirely unbothered.

Until we open our phones, that is.

The cab floods with artificial light as both of our screens blaze to life, casting an eerie glow around

us that immediately feels too bright. A moment ago, the world was quiet–just us and the darkness

outside. Now it’s chaos that’s compressed into what feels like a hundred missed notifications.

My thumb hovers over my locked screen, but eventually I decide to swipe it open. And suddenly,

we’re in a crisis we blissfully didn’t know we’d caused. Missed calls stack one after another. Various

texts. Numerous voice notes. All time–stamped with growing urgency.

In our group chat, there are several from Hunter. One from Xavier. And two from AJ.

Beside me, Cade lets out a low breath, his brow furrowing as he scrolls through them. “Uh…that escalated quickly.”

I glance at mine again and snort, though it comes out a little more sheepish than amused. “Yeah.”

The early messages are harmless, playful, and curious,

Hunter: How’s the kidnapping going?

AJ: Did she smile yet?

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Chapter 127: Layla POV

Hunter: Tell her she deserves it, okay?

But then…their tone shifts.

AJ: Seriously, Cade, answer your damn phone.

Hunter: Where are you guys?

Xavier: You have ten minutes before we call the cops. I’m not even joking.

Hunter: We’re giving you five more. (that was 45 minutes ago.)

I suck in a breath through my teeth and whisper, half–laughing, half–mortified, “Oh no.”

Cade’s already dialing Hunter’s number, his thumb flying across the screen a little faster now. “We probably should’ve told someone we were leaving our phones in the car.”

“You think?” I say, raising an eyebrow at him, though my voice is still light, because what else can

you do when your chosen family loses their collective minds over your absence?

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He presses the speaker button, and it barely rings once before Hunter’s voice cuts through the silence, clipped but unmistakably relieved. “You’re alive.” His tone is flat, but beneath it, I can hear

that his obvious tension is finally starting to ease.

“Hey, Hunter,” I say quickly, leaning closer to the phone that’s resting on the dashboard, like proximity will make up for our radio silence. “Sorry. We–uh–forgot our phones in the truck.”

“You what?” That’s Xavier, loud and incredulous in the background. We hear fabric rustle, followed by the scrape of a chair, before his voice filters through the speaker again. “Are you kidding me right

now?”

There’s a brief scuffle, followed by someone’s muttering, and then AJ’s voice rises through the static, calm but urgent. “Tell me she’s okay.”

“I’m fine,” I say, my voice taking on a wistful cadence. “Better than fine. It was…really good. We just

lost track of time.”

There’s a beat of silence on the other end of the line–a pause thick with all the words they probably want to say but are choosing not to–then Hunter exhales, long and heavy. “Okay, Okay, good. That’s good.”

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Chapter 127: Layla POV

Beside me, Cade clears his throat, aiming for levity even if the guilt is still fresh in his smile. “No need to call 911, yeah?”

“Not funny,” Hunter bites out. “Xavier almost threw his laptop across the room.”

As if to prove his point, we hear a low, deadly mutter through the speaker–Xavier’s voice- grumbling something too soft to make out clearly.

“Did he just say ‘put her over his knee‘?” I whisper to Cade, wide–eyed.

Cade grins without taking his eyes off the road. “Yup.”

I shake my head and smile, already dreading the teasing that’s to come.

“You two drive safe,” Hunter says, the sharpness gone from his voice now. It’s softer, but still firm. “We’ll be waiting up till you get here.”

“Got it,” I say, meaning it. “See you soon.”

The call ends with a soft beep, and then silence returns to the cab. Only, it’s not really silent

anymore. It’s filled with relief, the laughter that’s still lingering on our lips, and something else too…something warm and close and lasting.

We drive with our windows cracked open slightly, the cool night air brushing against our skin, the

scent of Cade’s sandalwood cologne and the carnival’s funnel cake sugar clinging to the hoodie he

loaned me earlier. Our fingers are tangled between us on the center console, resting there in that easy space that doesn’t need fixing or explanation.

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At one point, Cade lifts our hands and presses a gentle kiss to the back of mine. It’s not rushed. And

it’s not just sweet. It’s reverent and lingering.

I lean my head against the headrest and turn my face towards him, a tender smile playing around my mouth, as the world quietens around us. “They’re going to give us so much hell when we get home,”

I murmur.

He chuckles, low and easy, before glancing at me. “Totally worth it, though.”

And as the truck turns onto our street, and we see the porch light glowing in the distance like a beacon waiting to scold and welcome us all at once, I can’t help but agree with him.

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