LAYLA ABRAHAM

She couldn't sleep again. Her phone screen read 2 am.

When she had woken in the middle of the night yesterday after a nightmare, she had been able to fall asleep to the sound of Alejandro's light snores as he slept on his waterbed on the floor.

Today, there were no snores.

Turning on her bedside lamp, she peered over the side of her bed to find his waterbed empty and his new duvet strewn, half of it on the floor.

A quiet hum sounded through the door which suggested that he was on the phone.

Still sleepy and not thinking straight, she opened her bedroom door and followed the sound of his voice into the kitchen where she found Alejandro leaning forward on the counter, eating her Mc Flurry with his phone pressed against his ear.

"You're right. He needs a new bodyguard assigned to him by the morning." He paused. "No, I don't think it would be a good idea to keep the same guy on, even if just waiting for a replacement." The frustration was clear in his voice.

She had no doubt he was talking about Byron and his bodyguard.

"Look, you probably won't like it but I have a guy who can do the job. His name is Neil Lowry." He chuckled slightly. "Technically, he starts tomorrow. Look I get it, but we haven't got much of a choice. How about we put him on Byron just temporarily, until you find a replacement or one of my more experienced guys frees up?"

Alejandro glanced up, surprised to find her standing on the other side of the kitchen counter, watching him through tired, curious eyes. He paused for a second before grabbing another spoon and sliding it over the counter in her direction.

Her lips turned up slightly as she moved forward and sat down on the counter, suddenly awake enough for some ice cream.

The original plan was to enjoy it all by herself but she was too tired – and very much interested in his conversation – to complain about having to share it with him.

"Sounds like a plan." He spoke into the phone.

He held her eyes and she was unable to decipher the emotions that swirled around his pale orbs. "I'll talk to her about it, but no promises."

When he hung up, she licked some ice cream off her spoon and looked up at him expectantly. "What do you need to talk to me about?"

A barely-there smile played on his lips. "Other than you eavesdropping on my phone calls?"

"If I was eavesdropping then I would have stayed in my room. Plus, you're eating my ice cream."

"Touché." He grinned and raised another spoonful to his mouth. "Hardy wants you to start seeing a therapist."

Her eyebrows shot up in surprise.

"He wants all of you to see a therapist." He was referring to all of the victims.

"And if I don't want to see one?"

"You haven't got much of a choice. He's really putting his foot down on it."

Layla sighed and rubbed her hand down her face. "I don't see how a therapist can help me."

He was careful with his words, his eyes studying her. "It might help with those nightmares you've been having."

She pressed her tongue against the roof of her mouth and savoured the mouthful of ice cream. There was no solid reason as to why she didn't want to see a therapist, but rather, the idea of it made her feel uncomfortable. Thinking about what had happened to her was hard enough and tormented her on the daily basis. Having to speak to someone about it would just magnify all those dangerous thoughts and feelings that were swirling through her mind.

Or maybe it would do the opposite and help.

"I'll think about it." She made no promises.

A few days later, their words had manifested and Layla found herself in a room with a therapist, mentally preparing herself to speak about her feelings to a total stranger. Alejandro had thoroughly checked the room before he left her, of course. She was just glad that he was waiting outside, readily to leave whenever she was done.

He had reassured her that if things got too much and she felt the need to leave, regardless of whether the whole hour was up or not, he would be waiting outside for her.

Over the past few days, they had fallen into a comfortable routine and she began seeing a close friend in him. He was more than just her bodyguard now.

She actually considered him a friend, one which had been by her side as she navigated through the emotional turmoil – even if he was technically paid to do so.

Layla glanced up at her therapist, Simone Neilly, who was sat on a large black swivel chair a few feet away from her. She was a tall woman, most probably in her late thirties. Her hair was dark in colour and softly chopped into a classy bob. Her features were soft and her body language open and welcoming, but her eyes were sharp. Like she was watching her every move. Well, she technically was. That, and writing it down on the notepad she laid down on her lap.

"Layla, how are you today?" Simone asked with a large smile.

She shrugged and rested her hands on her knees, not really sure what to do with them. They were suddenly feeling very clammy. "I'm good."

"That's good to hear." Simone smiled. "Is there anything you want to talk about?"

Layla raised her eyes to meet her therapist's. "You don't want to talk about the bank robbery?"

"Only when you're ready to talk about it."

"I've already spoken about it multiple times to detectives and police officers already. Now shouldn't be any different."

"But now you have a choice." She stated, as if it was as simple as that.

"What do you mean?"

"You were required to give statements and talk about what happened to you before but in here, during these sessions, we talk about whatever you want. And if you want to talk about what happened to you, you get to decide it and we move at your pace."

Layla was rendered speechless. Simone was completely correct.

Every other time that she spoke about what happened to her, it was because she had to, because someone had been questioning her. There hadn't been any other choice.

But it was all in her hands now.

The answer was quick. "I don't want to talk about what happened."

Simone nodded, a small smile on her face. "That's fine. Is there anything else you want to talk about?"

She sighed and leaned back on the sofa she was sat on, by far the most comfortable sofa she had ever had the pleasure of sitting on; a typical therapist's couch.

"I've been having trouble sleeping." She answered with a small voice, surprised with her herself and her own honesty.

"What kind of trouble?"

"Nightmares." She watched as the woman noted it down, the movement of her hand quick and sharp.

"What happens in these nightmares?"

"What happened at the robbery just replays. No matter how much I try not to think about it during the day, I have absolutely no control at night."

"And have you noticed anything that helps with these nightmares?"

Layla bit her lip as she chewed over the thought. It was embarrassing to admit but she didn't want to lie to her therapist. That was what therapy was all about, right?

"Usually when I wake up, I hear Alejandro snoring."

If Simone was surprised, Layla couldn't tell.

"I guess, the sound of him snoring lulls me back to sleep. Stupid, right?" She joked, a poor attempt at humour to make herself feel less exposed.

"You mean your bodyguard?"

She nodded. "Yes, Alejandro. He sleeps on a waterbed in my room."

Simone nodded, writing something down.

"Is that weird?"

She shook her head. "Absolutely not. Everyone has different coping mechanisms and a way of handling things. Maybe this is yours."

Layla snorted. "So, you're saying me listening to him snore in the middle of the night is my coping mechanism?"

"After you fall back asleep, do you have another nightmare?"

She shook her head, no.

"And do you wake up again?"

Again, she shook her head. She didn't. In fact, she usually slept like a baby afterwards.

"Then I think you have your answer." She stated as if it really was as simple as that. Perhaps, it was.

Layla pursed her lips as she thought.

"More than the sound of him snoring, perhaps you could be craving some sort of intimacy?" When Layla stared back at her with a blank face, she continued. "Maybe waking up and knowing that he's there with you makes you feel safe."

"Maybe." She frowned. "I was scared to leave the house at first. The first day after I got out of the hospital. He needed to take me to the police station but I was so scared to get into his car. I couldn't stop thinking back to that day."

"And did you get into his car?"

She nodded. "He convinced me, and promised to stay under the speed limit at all times."

Simone hummed. "Sounds like you guys are getting alone well."

Layla nodded with a small smile. "He's been great." She replied honestly. Alejandro really had been great. More than a bodyguard, he had been there for her as a friend, which was a strange thing to say since they were still kind of strangers to each other.

"I'm really glad to hear that."

When the hour came to an end, Layla couldn't believe it. it felt like absolutely no time at all.

Maybe Detective Hardy and Alejandro weren't wrong about this, after all.

Bidding goodbye to Simone, she let herself out of the room. Just as he had promised, Alejandro was waiting outside in the waiting room, his focus directed on his phone.

"You all done?" He looked up from his phone, pocketing it before standing up to his feet and running a hand down his suit jacket.

She nodded and gave him a small smile. "Thank you for making me go."

He shrugged. "I didn't make you go. You chose to go."

"Thank you, anyway."

He nodded and placed a hand on her lower back, guiding her out of the building. "You want to head to the bakery?"

Layla nodded. She had called ahead and asked Hailey to open up the bakery for her again as she had a therapy session scheduled. At the time she had tried getting out of it but now that she had experienced what it was like, she was actually looking forward to the next session.

Her friend was surprised but happy for her, and willing to help out in anyway.

When they arrived at the café, Alejandro took a seat at his booth, the same one from the last few days. If it wasn't available when they arrived, then he usually stuck around until it was, and then he would occupy it for the rest of the day. He made calls and worked on his laptop while she worked in the kitchen and helped out Hailey in the front, both of them stopping to get lunch together.

When the bakery had gotten particularly busy during lunch hour a few days ago, Layla was surprised to find Alejandro stripped of his suit jacket with his shirt sleeves rolled up to his elbows, helping to serve the tables. He had even given up his booth when all the other booths and tables had filled up.

Her eyebrows had shot up in surprise at that and she couldn't help but stop and stare for longer than necessary, despite the busy environment around her; something which Hailey was sure to mention later that day.

He was a quick learner and soon, he had served all the tables with little help from the others.

She watched as he sat in his booth, his fingers typing away on his laptop as she retreated behind the counter, wiping it down as some coffee had been spilt.

"How was therapy?" Hailey turned up behind her, working through some orders.

She searched for the right wording on the tip of her tongue. "It was weird opening up to a stranger like that but at the end of it, I came out feeling..." she trailed off, at a loss of words to describe the feeling.

"Lighter?"

She nodded.

"I'm really proud of you, Layla." Hailey reached over and embraced her in a hug, rubbing a soothing hand down her back. "I know it wasn't easy for you but just know, it's going to get better from here and I'll always be there for you. No matter what."

Layla's eyes stung at the heartfelt words and she hugged her back, grateful and lucky to have been blessed with such a caring and loving friend.

"I love you, Hailey." She breathed in her warm, familiar smell.

"Don't get sappy on me," she pulled back with a light laugh to return to work. "But I love you back."

-

You can read ahead on Inkitt for FREE: https://inkitt.app.link/RA__illuminating_

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Layla Knight

15.05.2020