Shadow Under the Starlight

13. Identify

Layla's mind keep circling back to last night, it hadn't left her since and to get a wink of sleep had been much more difficult last night than any other night she experienced insomnia.

Isla's abrupt departure had been the main topic of discussion between her and herself, honestly she had no one to talk to about it — Eda was always available but in a fully packed cafe that would be insane, she would have to wait till later in the day.

All she could do now was let it crowd her mind, from why to what actually happened and the extra truth these two were keeping from her.

The ticklish feeling in her ear snapped her out of her thoughts, turning her head away from the annoying ghost she glared at Eda who had been blowing into her ear.

"You have a customer." Eda pointed at the person in front of her. They had been trying their best to snap their fingers, hit their knuckle against the counter lightly — anything and everything to grab her attention but that all went in vain.

Layla immediately turned facing the customer, she had an apologetic smile on her face — she didn't know she fell that deep in thought and it was definitely not the time to get lost in her mind maze.

Layla took their order and the cash from them before passing it on to the kitchen.

As soon as they walked away Layla let out a sigh. Her mind was surely tormenting her right now and she couldn't do much about it, she never did let things go just like that — there had to be a well detailed explanation answering all the how's, why's and what's or whatever question it had to answer.

In the case with Eda and Isla, it had to be what exactly these two did — especially Isla because she was well aware Eda did annoying the living s**t out of someone for a living, Layla was certain as this ghost hadn't left her side since she opened up the café.

It wasn't all bad but Eda was occasionally breathing down her neck with the proximity she left between them. It kind of felt like she believed the closer she stood the clear-er Layla would see her — ten feet away she could still see her, this was practically an indirect insult to her not so great vision.

"Personal space." Layla breathed out as Eda leaned in, her nose brushing itself against Layla's left cheek.

Eda had still been in awe, she felt if she turned her back then she would disappear from her sight — she didn't want to be stuck passing through human beings and talking to herself when Isla was busy.

Layla lightly pushed Eda out of her way, a few steps towards the kitchen she held it open her head popping in.

"Can you take over, I'm exhausted." She asked staring at Sasha who sat on the counter, chatting with Marcus as she typed away in her phone.

Sasha torn her away from her phone to Layla. "No problem." She jumped off the counter as Layla left the door walking away towards her office, she could finally rest her feet and freely talk with Eda without looking like a mad woman.

"I assure you, I can see you just fine. Give me room to breathe?" Layla shoved the ghost aside — geez she was acting like a damn magnet, she wouldn't even walk without almost walking through the wall.

"You wouldn't be able to see me without the glasses."

Layla halted immediately. "I see just fine." she said with a bit of hostility in her tone, something Eda couldn't miss — that and the fact she was glaring at Eda.

A smirk came over Eda's face. "Take them off." shrugged as Layla gave her an expression in disbelief, she couldn't be serious right now. "I'm being serious."

Layla sighed. Clearly Eda wasn't going to let it go until she proved whatever point she was trying to prove.

With her right hand, Layla pulled her glasses off. Momentarily she adjusted to the light in the room without her glasses, her vision went from 720p to 144p real quick.

"How many fingers am I holding up?" Eda asked her hands held up in front of her, a wide grin on her face.

Layla groaned, the fact she wore glasses didn't mean she couldn't see — she just couldn't see well for f***s sake, she could see that something was there but it was blurry — like before a video quality of 144p if not worse.

"Eight fingers." She gritted her teeth glaring at Eda.

Eda dropped her hands to her side, laughing in amusement. "Four, I had four fingers." She said walking beside Layla again — lying at that, four fingers on each hand sure but not the total.

"Liar, I am not a fool." Layla said her glasses back where they belong. Unlocking her office she walked in closing it in Eda's face, which was very useless as she just walked through the door with a smug expression.

"Just blind."

Layla turned towards Eda. Eda leaned against the wall wiggling her eyebrows, she was definitely getting on her last nerve.

"Are you sure I can't kill you?"

"No, I'm already dead—" her words left her as she felt the air inside her lungs give out and the ache in her stomach, did not feel all that great. Layla had punched her in the stomach, she was caught off guard and did not expect her to punch this hard.

Eda held onto her stomach glancing at the girl surprised. "But I can harm you." Layla smirked staring down at the slightly bent clenching onto her stomach.

"I apologize!" Eda shouted taking a step back as Layla took one forward. She did not like the feeling and did not want to experience it once again, she could punch a mean one — Isla had nothing on her.

"That's what I thought." she scoffed walking past Eda towards her desk, her feet needed to rest a bit — her whole body ached.