Ever After Awaits (Layla) novel Chapter 23

Chapter 23: AJ POV

Sitting next to Layla in the car on the way to the bowling alley feels right.

I realized too late that we probably should have taken our car so she could be a passenger princess but with the excitement of our little race, nobody noticed until she was already behind the wheel and turning out of the driveway.

I make a mental note that from here on out, I’ll drive her around as much as possible when we are together. She deserves to sit back and relax and enjoy the scenery. And me being able to hold her hand over the console will be a bonus. I smile at the thought of that – imagining the feel of her fingers laced with mine, resting in her lap.

Waking up this morning, I was surprised when Cade and Hunter were already at the kitchen counter, shoveling cereal into their mouths – they aren’t early risers if they don’t have class. I was even more surprised when they invited me to spend the day with Layla.

When we came to the silent agreement last night that we all would spend time with her, I thought they planned to try and monopolize her time so they could get a leg up in the race. Of course, I said yes, only an idiot would turn down an opportunity to spend time with Layla Kincaid.

And honestly, having her with me while spending time with the guys feels nice.

I might have only met them a couple of days ago, but we had an instant friendship. Our interactions were seamless and there was unspoken respect because we could sense that all of us had gone through some form of trauma.

I went into that house a stranger, but they accepted me without pretense or misgivings. And I felt inclined to return the favor. Thus far, I’m not in the least bit sorry about my choice.

Don’t get me wrong, I will make sure I spend some one–on–one time with her. But I think that us being here together, with no animosity, is doing Layla good. Especially since we are all discovering new territory here.

Being in the foster care system, I never trusted easily and didn’t let many people get close to me. What’s the point if I’ll be passed on to the next foster family in a few months? I wasn’t a difficult kid, but most foster parents only realized after a couple of months that caring for a growing teenage boy wasn’t as Jucrative as they thought. The stipend they got from the state didn’t come close to covering the groceries needed to help me grow and keep me healthy. Not even mentioning all the other expenses like schoolbooks, extracurricular activities, sports equipment, etc.

With that being said, I never really had a girlfriend. I’m no saint, but a lasting relationship wasn’t in the cards for me. Until now, that is.

In the past, just before my world was turned upside down, Layla became my everything. Not because it was convenient, I didn’t know better, or because I wanted to be with the first girl I had encountered. Even

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8:05 pm

DD

Chapter 23: AJ POV

though all those statements were true, they were not the crux of my feelings.

No. It was because Layla became the love of my life without even trying to. She made it look effortless. As if it was the most natural thing in the world to love me.

And yes, most people would chalk it up to puppy love, infatuation, or even trauma bonding. But it was so

much more than that.

My 11–year–old brain didn’t understand what these weird feelings were that I was experiencing. Heartburn? Constipation? Anxiousness? All I knew was that it only happened when I was around Layla.

In the subsequent years, without her in my life, I realized that she was “my person“. She’s the one I want to tell all my secrets to. Or who I want to come home to so she can hold me after a crappy day. I need to smile and laugh with her. I want to be her biggest supporter when she achieves something. And most importantly, I want to show her the unconditional love she showed me in those last few months, for as long as she’ll let me.

Because Layla always does everything unconditionally. Not expecting a thanks or even a hug in return. She is the purest of souls. She does something for someone because she wants to, not because she has to.

I want to give her everything! My love, my heart, the world, the stars, even the moon if she asked it of me. Because she deserves nothing less.

Before I know it, we’re pulling into the parking lot of the bowling alley. Hunter is at her door in a second, helping her out before walking her inside with his hand on her lower back.

I understand his hesitation to not be in constant contact with her. I want to touch her bare skin, glide my fingers over her silky–smooth complexion, breathe in her intoxicating smell of strawberries and honey, and listen to her melodic voice for the rest of my days.

Cade and I are a few feet behind them, and we both realize at the same moment that we’re checking out her ass. We smile at each other but there is no animosity. Why should there be? There are more than enough of her delectable ass cheeks to go around. My mind wanders to what I would do to them as I slide into her from behind – will I pull them apart and enjoy the view of her tight hole winking at me, or will I smack them so I can watch them jiggle and turn red with my palm print?

Walking up to the counter, I adjust myself subtly, scolding my wayward thoughts, but smirking at the idea of defiling my sweet and innocent Layla.

Hunter catches my movement and winks at me. Leaning down he whispers something in her ear but the goosebumps that skitter down her spine are enough to wake the desire I just had under control.

I wonder what other sinful things would make her react that way? And what other reactions can I coax from her body? Suddenly I’m like a kid in a candy store, extremely excited at the prospect of discovering and exploring every inch of her delightful body.

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Chapter 23: AJ POV

Bastardly Hunter, he did that on purpose!

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