Walk Away, The Romance of Nick and Layla (Part 1) (4 page)

Nick opened his eyes. "Are those fresh
bagels?" He sat up in the bed and rubbed the sleep from his face. I sat
down on his side of the bed, across from him, and laid down a white paper bag
filled with fresh-baked bagels, muffins and other pastries. I handed him a cup
of hot coffee from Starbucks and smiled cheerfully.

"Fresh bagels, scones, muffins, all
your
favorites
. And a caramel macchiato, low-fat, just
the way you like it."

"You went out for coffee and pastries
dressed like that?" he asked before taking a sip of his coffee. I looked
down at my outfit. Black pencil skirt, grey cardigan, black, low-heeled
slingbacks and wire-framed glasses with my hair back in a sleek ponytail.

"What’s wrong with what I’m wearing?
This is Anne Taylor."

"No, nothing’s wrong with it. I’m
saying that it’s a bit overdressed for breakfast is all."

"I had an appointment. Come on
downstairs. I don’t want crumbs in my bed." I picked up the bag of goodies
and carried them into the kitchen. I pulled out a basket lined in blue and
yellow cloth and placed each pastry inside carefully, trying to make it look
pretty. Nick came in dressed in sweats and a white shirt. And he was wearing
his glasses.

"How’d you sleep?" I asked as I
poured myself a tall glass of fresh orange juice.

"Better than I’ve slept in
months." He took a bite from a scone and I just barely got a plate
underneath the pastry as pieces began breaking off. "But I always sleep
good when you’re in bed with me."

"
Well
. You sleep ‘well’ when in
bed with me."

Nick just rolled his eyes and took another
bite. "So what’s on the agenda for today?"

I put my hands up on the counter and
watched him watch me. "Well, I was planning on doing some shopping and
maybe driving to Malibu for a late lunch. Is a driver coming to get you?

Nick’s face scrunched in confusion.
"Huh?"

“To take you home?” I reminded him dumbly.

"I cancelled that."

"Why did you do that?" I asked
stupidly.

"Isn’t that what you wanted?" he
asked me.

"No, I don’t recall ever asking you to
cancel your driver."

"I meant, isn’t that what you wanted
subconsciously or whatever? For me to stay here so that you and I could attempt
to reconcile?"

"You were listening to me?" I
asked in surprise. And I truly was surprised. Since when does Nick ever hear
anything I say, subconsciously or not?

"Layla, I have ears and they do work.
Yes, I listen to you. You gave me an ultimatum last night."

"Yeah, and then we had sex, which I
assumed meant that you didn’t hear a word I said."

"The sex was your answer. It was
supposed to mean, ‘Yes, Layla, let’s try not to be fucked up for once’."

"Oh. I thought you were just too tired
to go pick up a girl."

"Christ almighty Lay. Is that why you
think I sleep with you? Because I’m too lazy to get it somewhere else?"

"That’s exactly what I think."
What a stupid question.

"You mean to tell me that it never
occurred to you that I want to have sex with you because you’re beautiful,
you’re my wife, you’re sexy as hell and I love you?"

"No. Because if those were your
reasons then we’d be living together, we’d have sex more than two months apart,
and we wouldn’t have to lie to the world about our marriage."

"Well now I’m not going to sleep
around which means I’ll only be sleeping with you."

I only had one question on my mind.
"Why?"

"Okay did someone just press rewind?
Because didn‘t we just talk about this? This is supposed to be what we want.
What you want."

"Well yes, but I want you to want it
too."

"I do. I want it your way. So come on,
let’s start. What are we supposed to do?"

What? He wants a list or something?
"We’re just supposed to live our lives Nick. We’re supposed to do whatever
it is we need or want to do; only we have to do it together or at least tell
each other about it." Didn’t we used to do things that way?

"Okay. You want to go shopping and I
want to spend time with my wife. So I’ll go with you."

I think I might pass out. I set down my
juice and closed my eyes. When I opened them again he was still sitting there.
Okay, so I’m not dreaming. Then what the hell is this alternate universe?
" Did you just volunteer to go shopping?"

"Yeah."

"At a mall? And the promenade? Both of
which are busy and crazy and filled with locals and tourists alike?"

"Yes, yes, and yes."

"You do realize what this will subject
you to, right?" I had to make sure he knew what he was getting himself
into.

"Come on Lay, quit being so serious.
You look like you’re about to throw up."

"I’m just surprised is all."

"Don’t be. Take it for what it
is."

I don’t know what his game is but it’s
turning me the wrong way. There must be a hidden agenda somewhere. I know there
has to be... Nick Hudson suddenly wants to be my husband and help me pick out -
of all the things in the world - clothing? This is going to be interesting.

You have got to be kidding me. What the
hell is this thing? A bra with water in it. In case there’s suddenly a drought?
What? I don’t get it.

"It gives remarkable support!"
cooed the foreign saleswoman. "I’m wearing one right now." I looked
at her breasts and tried to keep myself from saying anything. I looked at Nick.
His eyebrows were raised at her remarkable cleavage. "They really are the
most comfortable things you’ll ever put on your body."

"We’ll take one in every color,"
Nick declared. What? I looked at him like he had lost his mind.

"We will? Since when do you wear bras,
Nick?"

"For you, smartass. And we’ll take
this cute little pink matching set thing." I watched in awe as Nick and
the bra lady walked around the store, Nick picking up random bras and underwear
and handing them to the lady. Since when does Nick know anything about bras?
With all that time he spent removing them did he actually learn anything about
what they’re meant to do?

I wanted to smack him. An obscene amount of
money spent on lingerie later and I had nearly had enough of my dear husband.
When Nick asked to go with me I should have known this was going to happen. He
wanted to be with me all right, just as long as I lived up to his fantasies.
Well, not this girl. So I walked out.

The sun hit my face hard as I stepped out
of the store. I slid on my sunglasses and walked through the promenade, trying
to keep my composure in check.

What the hell was up with Nick? Since when
did he like me to dress like that? He knows better. I thought that my class and
sensibility were two of the things that first attracted Nick to me. He used to
like the mystery.

Wait a minute. Is that why he started
sleeping around? Because I wasn’t easy? What the fuck? I sat down on a nearby
bench and crossed my legs. That is
so
not right. Nick never used to be
like that. He would have never tried to dress me up like his little Barbie
doll. And he would have never treated me like he was today.

I heard someone sit down next to me and I
knew it was him, but I couldn’t make myself acknowledge him. I was too busy
analyzing
everything that was going on.

"What’s up with you now, Lay?" he
asked. But I didn’t look up at him. Instead I leaned my head on his shoulder
and let one lonely tear fall.

"When did it go wrong Nick? Why? How?
Things used to be better than this."

"We just went our separate ways. But
we’re back now."

"No. You’re not back. At least not all
of you. I feel like I don’t even know you anymore."

"What are you talking about?”

"The Nick I feel in love with years
ago isn’t here, and in his place is a stranger. It’s you. What the hell
changed? Did you grow up too quickly? Did you experience things before you
should have? What is it Nick?"

"Layla, maybe we should have this
conversation at home... Where no one can hear us." I looked up at Nick and
around at the people watching us with growing interest. A few people even
stopped, phones held out in front of them to document our private moment. What
are we? Main attractions at the zoo? Yeah, that’s exactly what we are.

Nick took my hand in his and we stood up
together, walking out of the promenade and to where our car was parked in the
street.

Nick placed the bags in the trunk as I got
in the passenger seat. I didn’t know what was wrong with me but I felt numb. I
felt... nothing... I couldn’t feel the pain I wanted to feel and I couldn’t
force myself to be happy. I just... was.

Nick sat down behind the wheel and turned
the engine over. He pulled out of the parking spot and drove up towards my
house. My head was swimming with mixed emotions and I couldn’t make any sense
of it.

Nick obviously wanted me. I mean, he’s
here, right? He’s with me right now and not with anyone else. Me. And okay, he
got a little obnoxious with the shopping. Why should I make a big deal of it?

"You want to talk about it?" Nick
asked me after a while.

I just shook my head and stared out the
window.

He started to sing softly in a voice that
wasn’t the one millions around the world had loved; it was just for me. And
there it was. All of a sudden I remembered what it was I loved about Nick so
much. He reached his right hand over and held my left hand. Okay, so maybe
things will be all right after all.

Making love to Nick was like making love to
a complete stranger. Impersonal. Electrifying. Orgasmic. It felt wrong. I felt
like I was being used. Like my body was just another play tool for him.
Something else he could use against me to mess with my emotions. But at the
same time... Damn. It felt oh so right.

Here we go again.

I couldn’t remember the last time we made
love like that. Probably not since before we were married. God help me but I
love the feeling of Nick inside me. He just did things to me that no mortal
should be allowed to do. And though I wanted to scream his name so loud it
would rip my throat in two, I still felt used. Used, abused, and I was craving
more of it.

I lay on my side with my back to Nick. I
couldn’t let him see what I knew my face could not disguise: complete and total
vulnerability. I couldn’t give him that ammunition. He would just break my
heart all over again. And then I remembered what Doctor Brown had said. Be the
victor, not the conquered. But could I do it?

Oh fuck, I’m going to anyway.

I turned over and looked at him. He was
clearly deflated. But not in
every
sense of the word. No, in that
department Nick was always ready to go. So while he tried to catch his breath I
tried to gain the upper hand.

I straddled Nick’s waist and pinned his
arms above his head. He looked confused at first, but then he looked absolutely
erotic.

"Already?" he asked with that
stupid cocky grin of his. I looked into his eyes and saw the animal in him. The
part of him that knew he could get what he wanted whenever and however he
wanted it. And he wanted me. He tried to grab me but my strength surprised him
and his face changed. "Layla, are you trying to get all Basic Instinct on
me here?"

"Shut up, Nick." I leaned down to
his face and gently bit his ear. I felt a twinge of empowerment and excitement
as Nick moaned into me, clearly loving what he knew I was about to do to him.
Still pinning him with one hand, I used the other to move my hair off of his
face and away from mine and I could see him looking up at me, wondering if I
had the guts to go through it. And I did. I bit his lip. And when he tried to
kiss me I pulled away, not letting him touch me.

"Baby quit with the foreplay and let’s
get on with it. You’re gonna kill me." I’m going to kill him? Only if he’s
lucky.

I stretched my body over his, elongating my
torso so that I laid over him completely. I could feel his body reacting under
me, and it only drove me further. I put my lips on his Adam's apple and slowly
puckered. His breath caught in his throat and his body went stiff.

"God Layla," he whispered. His
voice was so deep it made me look up. Was I really driving him to feel this? He
swallowed and his lips remained parted, trying their best to bring in fresh
oxygen. "Don’t play with me like this." Okay, fine.

I crawled onto my knees and just stared at
him, wondering what was going on in that head of his. A vain in his forehead
was popping out and I could tell that he was feeling the intensity of the
situation. Finally I let go of his hands and nearly fell into him as he wrapped
them around me, pulling me into him. I let him kiss me this time. I opened my
mouth wide to him and let him feel me, let him want me more.