chapter two
1394 Words
CHAPTER TWO
Layla Watched her father closely waiting to see any sign of doubt in his eyes. But her father was good at hiding his emotions and she knew that.
“The driver will drop you and bring you back. Don't stay out too long,” he said to her and turned to leave.
Layla heaved a sigh of relief, her hand immediately going to her chest; she collapsed on her bed for a while, trying to get her breath back before she stood up and started dressing up.
She couldn't call Tanya now, fearing her dad might be listening to her calls, so she decided to call Tanya after she got to the mall so they could meet there.
She went for a very simple look, not really in the mood to dress up. She took her phone and the first bag she laid her hands on and quickly rushed out of the room.
She got outside to see that the driver had already started the car and was waiting for her to come out.
“To the mall,” she told the driver as she entered the car.
Layla got to the mall and called Tanya immediately. She couldn't imagine herself Walking through the mall and shopping alone; it was such a boring thing for her to do.
“hey babe, how are you doing?” Tanya asked immediately after she picked up the call.
“I'm good girl, can you come down to the mall please, I'm waiting there for you, I'll explain to you once you get here”
Layla ended the call and started strolling around the mall to pass the time until Tanya arrived,
“Hey girl,” Tanya said, tickling Layla from the back.
Layla screeched and turned to see Tanya, she placed her hands on her chest and inhaled dramatically.
“You scared me, Tanya,”
“You were so lost in thought; what the f**k Is going on, Layla,” Tanya asked, looking at Layla “Why did you decide to shop all of a sudden?”
“My dad heard me talking to Blake, I had to lie that it was you and you wanted us to go shopping,” Layla heaved a sigh as her eyes went to a blue top.
She walked towards it and took it out of the hangar, placing it in front of her body and looking up at Tanya, who was quietly typing away with her phone.
“What do you think?” Layla asked.
Tanya raised her head and looked at the cloth for some seconds before going back to her phone.
“I don't like it, it doesn't fit your skin color and the top is not fine, let's keep moving we might find something better”
Layla sighed and hung back the cloth. “I'm just happy to leave my house though, I was starting to feel restless, I needed fresh air”
“Your parents are arguing again?” Tanya asked, she finally put her phone away as she fell into steps with her friend, looking at her face to be sure she was okay.
“Something like that, and I'm really scared my dad might find out about Blake one day, he doesn't want me to have any male friends,”
“Don't worry, Layla, you'll be okay, and Blake is a big boy. He can take care of himself. And I feel like there's something he's not telling us, haven't you noticed how he disappears all of a sudden and appears again without telling us Anything”
Layla thought about it and nodded her head; she noticed it, too, but decided not to say anything about it. She felt like if Blake wanted her to know he would come clean about what he's up to.
“You'll be fine, Layla; just don't overthink it. I'm sure Blake will be able to take care of himself,” Tanya said to her. She patted her back and walked on to pick an ash trouser.
“I think this would look good on you, go out it on while I find a matching top for you”
Layla took the trousers from her and entered the waiting room.
She wore it and loved the way it looked on her. This was part of the reason she loved shopping for clothes with Tanya. She's just so good and finding the perfect outfits for her.
“Wow, you look, hot girl, I love how hot you look in those clothes,” Tanya said as Layla came out of the dressing room, “go try on this top, I'm sure it'll match the trouser”
They shopped for other clothes for a while before finally leaving.
“We could go to that coffee shop to unwind before you leave because, from the look of things, you're not yet ready to go,” Tanya suggested as they left the mall.
Layla gave her a small smile as they walked to her car.
“The coffee house,” she said to the driver and relaxed into her seat. She closed her eyes for a while, rubbing her forehead.
“What should I bring you, ma'am?” the waiter walked up to them and asked as they sat down.
“I'll take one sugar roll and a cup of coffee, caramel coffee” Layla answers.
“I'll just have a cup of full cream coffee, nothing else” Tanya answered.
The waiter nodded his head, wrote down their orders, and left.
“You've been on your phone all day, Tanya; who have you been texting?”
Layla asked with a knowing smile on her face.
“I don't think I'm ready to tell though, but if things go according to the way I've planned it, you'll be the first person to know”
Layla rolled her eyes at her as the waiter came back with their order, she picked up the pastry she ordered and bit into it.
“Wow, these are still as good as I can remember,” Layla said in between mouthfuls.
“You've always had a sweet tooth, Layla, I just wonder how you still manage to be in shape with all the junk to swallow in a day”
“I just like to think I'm a lucky girl, you know.” She took a sip of her coffee and smiled. “I don't think I'll ever get tired of coming here though”
“I'm happy you're happy, you've been looking like your puppy got killed all day, it feels good to see you happy, who knew food was the easiest way to make you happy, I would have brought you here first before the shopping,” Tanya said as she smiled back at her friend.
“Yh, who knew?” Layla replied and continued eating her food.
When they were done eating they said their goodbyes as Layla entered her car, the driver driving off.
Layla got home and got out of the car carrying the clothes she bought with her, at least that would convince her dad that she went shopping.
Which she did, she opened her phone and cleared her chats with Blake before putting her phone back into her pocket.
She heard a scream inside the house and all the hairs on her body stood.
That was obviously her mom's voice, she wondered what her dad was up to this time around. She just couldn't wait to leave this house.
But deep down she knew that the only way her dad would willingly let her go was if she got married. And he'll obviously be the one to choose her husband.
And who knew her husband might end up being worse than her dad? She just didn't know if she'd be able to endure the way her mom was enduring.
She looked up in time to see her dad coming out of the house, “how long will it take you to buy clothes and come back to this f*****g house” her dad screamed at her.
Anger written all over his face.
“You'd better not be like your mom, because I won't be able to save you”
Layla could see him cleaning the blood on his hands with a cloth and dreaded what awaited her inside the house.
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