D E R E K ' S P O V

I liked this bar before a couple weeks ago. I love it now.

Walking inside, the place is packed with people and the music is so loud I can barely hear myself think. Barely. I think the memory of fucking Layla over the bathroom countertop is too vivid to ever be silenced.

The girls all push their way through the crowd in search of a booth while Spencer and I head to the bar to order drinks.

"We'll take two whiskeys, a vodka soda, one of the fruitiest cocktails you have with a little umbrella and..." Spencer turns to me, a crease in his brows. "Do you know what Layla drinks?"

I nod at the bartender. "A vodka cranberry."

He slides the tray full of drinks over to us and I scan the crowd, spotting the girls in the back. I nod at Spencer in the right direction and we miraculously make it to the table without spilling any drinks.

Penelope and Averie are seated on one side of the booth and Spencer slides in beside his wife and I slip in beside Layla. I slide her drink over to her with a wink.

Her lips circle around the straw when she mumbles, "You remembered."

I flash her my brightest grin. "I'd never forget."

"Derek?"

"Hm?" I hum, reluctantly tearing my gaze away from the blush now creeping up on Layla's cheeks. I look across the table between them all because I can't even tell which one of them said my name. "What was that?"

Spencer blinks at me. "I asked how the renovations are coming along at your house."

"Good," I smile. "I'll have everyone over when I'm finished."

Practically all my free time is spent on renovating my house. Everyone that's seen it has said it's beautiful, perfect even, but I feel like I'm never satisfied with it. For some reason I always feel like there's something to fix or add, almost like something is missing but I can't put my finger on it yet.

"I'm getting shots," Layla says, slipping out of the booth. She grins at us. "Everyone like Tequila?"

When she walks over to the bar, I sink into my seat, wondering how the hell I can somehow convince her that we need to do body shots. There is no way I'm passing up an opportunity to lick the salt off her neck and take that lime wedge from her perfect plump lips. Or her doing it to me. I'm not picky.

"Oo," Penelope gasps, catching my attention. "Look at that guy Layla is talking too."

My head snaps up and my eyes find her immediately at the bar, and rage fills my body when I see the guy beside her, so clearly shooting his shoot. Im not naïve, of course she's going to get attention. She's the hottest person here but it doesn't mean that I have to like it.

"He's cute," Averie says, grinning. "Good for her."

He's not cute, he looks stupid and I hate him.

It's like a car crash happening in front of my eyes. I want to look away but I can't. He leans in to say something to her and Layla laughs and places her hand on his chest.

My eyes zero in on his hand when it lands on her hip and he dips his head to whisper something in her ear.

He's touching her.

Layla.

My girl.

This weird feeling settles in the pit of my stomach, swirling up and sending anger shooting throughout my whole body.

I hate it and I hate him.

With my drink still in hand, I stalk towards the bar before I can even think twice about it. I push my way through the crowd, eyes narrowed at him the whole way.

When I reach them, I step in behind Layla and my arm slides around her stomach and I pull her back into my chest, shooting him a glare over her shoulder.

"Get your hands off her and go away. Now."

The guys eyes quickly scan over my face and he laughs slightly, not sure if I'm kidding or not. "Dude—"

My jaw ticks. "Go. Away. You want to hear it in Spanish? Vete."

Fuck knows if he's even Spanish but it's the only other language I know that word in. I have to work with what I've got.

The dude sighs when he finally retreats back. He knows I could take him and I will if he touches my girl again. He gives Layla a small smile. "It was nice talking to you."

When he disappears into the crowd, I smile at the fact that I've got her alone again. Layla on the other hand, doesn't seem too happy about what just went down here.

I don't know what reaction I expected from her, to be honest I hadn't really thought it through, but I can already tell it's worse than anything I could have anticipated.

She wraps her hand around my wrist from where it's still resting on her hip, and pushes it off of her like I just burned her.

Her jaw clenches when her fiery eyes meet mine. "Outside. Now."

Oh, I fucked up.

She doesn't even wait for a response before she's walking towards the door and I down the rest of my drink in one gulp before I follow after her.

This isn't going to be good.

The second the door closes behind me the music from the bar dies down and the murmurs of people talking become distant.

Layla is standing about three feet away from me and if it's possible to look angry from behind, she does.

She's on me the second the door clicks closed and we're alone. I should clarify, not on me in the way I'd like, on me in a 'I'm about to beat your ass' kind of way.

"What the fuck was that for, Derek? That was so rude."

My jaw ticks in annoyance. "He was staring at you like you were a piece of meat."

A humourless laugh passes Layla's lips and she crosses her arms over her chest in defence. "Oh yeah? And how is that any different to how you look at me?"

Her guarded stance has me immediately taken back. Is that all she thinks I think of her?

I won't deny it, I absolutely do look at her like she's the best thing that has ever walked this earth because she quite literally is, but there's so much more to her than that.

I like it when she gets a flicker of hope in her eyes when she's talking about something she loves. I like it when her nose slightly scrunches when she laughs. I like seeing her after a long day when her makeup is all washed off and she finally puts her glasses on. I like how I can be myself around her. I like how she makes me smile more than anyone else. I like that we have the same humour and can spend so long talking and laughing without even noticing the hours go by.

And to say I felt nothing but amazement last week when she took down the unsub three times her size all by herself and muttered asshole as she carted him off to the back of the cop car, would be an understatement.

When I don't respond, Layla continues.

"You don't get to kiss me, say it was stupid, then act like a jealous cave man whenever any guy comes near me."

Considering the way her tone sharpened with the word stupid, I now understand where this is all coming from and why I was right about her being a little weird with me the past few days.

I'll admit I fucked up on that one as well. Big time.

The only reason I said that the kiss we shared was stupid was because I was trying to convince myself that it was nothing. But in reality, I liked that kiss..really liked that kiss.

I've kissed a lot of people and it has always been mundane, an act of just going through the motions. Every kiss I've shared with Layla felt different than that. So much different.

I felt it that night at the bar, but brushed it off as being the heat of the moment. I felt it again when I kissed her in the pool and there was absolutely no denying it then.

And quite honestly, it freaked me out. I've never felt anything like that before. I don't know what it means or what I'm meant to do now.

So, it was easier to let her think I thought the kiss was stupid rather than fumbling through an explanation and there being a chance she didn't feel the same.

But standing here in front of me now, Layla looks like she has her mind made up about us. I can already tell she's set on not letting us have any more slip ups. So I don't get to act like I have some claim over her when I don't.

"I'm sorry," I say sincerely, finally speaking up. She's made it clear to me that she only wants to be friends with me and I have to respect that. I sigh, scrubbing my hand across my jaw. "You're right. I had no right to do that in there."

Both standing there, I struggle to come up with that to say next but Layla's serious expression breaks and the corners of her mouth quirk up before she breaks out into laughter.

"Spanish? Derek, what the fuck was that?"

I smile at the fact that she can't even stay mad at me, even though she wants to. I shrug. "It's the only other language I knew that in. I had to work with what I had."

She rolls her eyes, still laughing. "You're an idiot."

"I don't like you being mad at me," I say, frowning. I open my arms up for a hug. "Can this be done now?"

Layla smiles softly before she steps into my hold. Her hands lock around my neck and my arms circle around her back when I pull her into me. I tuck my head into the crook of her neck when I inhale her scent. Layla always smells so good. It's comforting and delicate, but at the same time her perfume is mysterious, warm and sultry.

If a friend is the only way I can have her, I'll take it.

"Make up sex?" I ask and Layla rolls her eyes, slapping her hand to my chest. "What?" I laugh. "Too early for jokes?"

Amusement clouds her eyes. "We're friends. Want to hear it in Spanish, Amigo?"

Laughing, I sling my arm over her shoulder as we make our way back inside the bar.

Completely forgetting that Penelope, Averie and Spencer probably saw what happened over by the bar, I try to act as nonchalant as I can when we slip back into the booth.

Luckily, I know Penelope has the attention span of a gold fish when she's drunk so it's not surprising that she doesn't even know anything just happened, her clouded mind obviously not thinking much of it so we don't get questioned from her.

Spencer is oblivious as is, too busy ogling at his wife through glossed over eyes.

Averie however, her eyes are floating between the two of us suspiciously. Her confused eyes finally zero in on me when she leans across the table. "Layla, come to the bathroom with me?"

A.k.a, Layla is about to get grilled.

"What are you going to say?" I whisper, shuffling out of the booth to let Layla squeeze out.

"I don't know," She whispers subtly back, shaking her head. "I'll think of something."

I sink back into my seat with a sigh when they trail through the crowd and look over to see Spencer's glossed over eyes following his wife.

"She's so pretty," He says, amazed. "How did I ever get her to marry me?"

I snort. "Your money."

Penelope shoots me a look when she rolls her eyes and mutters men. She leans into Spencer and smiles. "She married you because she loves you."

"Hey, let's make a bet," Spencer says, grinning at us. "Let's ask her when she gets back. Loser buys the next round."

While we wait for them to get back, I bet Averie is going to say his money, Spencer bets she's going to say his dick and Penelope bets she's going to say love.

"Averie, why did you marry Reid?" I ask as the girls approach the booth a few minutes later.

"His money and big dick," Averie says, shooting Spencer a teasing wink.

Spencer and I burst into a fit of laughter and Penelope huffs. She throws her hands up, frowning at us when she slips out of the booth. "Why is the person who believes in true love the loser?"

"What did you say to her?" I whisper subtly to Layla, wondering how she got us out of being caught because Averie no longer looks suspicious at all.

"I said I asked you to come up when you think a creepy guy is hitting on me," She whispers back, shrugging. "She bought it."

I relax into my seat. "Good."

Layla snickers. "I may have said something else too."

I cast her a quick side eye. "What?" I ask, carefully.

Layla can't even look me in the eyes, trying and failing to stifle her laughter behind her hand. "I also told her you confided in me about a little problem you were having."

Oh no. My eyes narrow. "What was the problem?"

My phone vibrates on the table and I unlock it to find a link from Averie. I look up at her while the page loads and she smiles and gives me a thumbs up before locking her phone and returning to her conversation with Spencer and Penelope. I drum my fingers on the table while the page still loads, wondering why the hell Layla is laughing so hard beside me.

The tab opens and it's...viagra.

My tongue traces the inside of my cheek, shoving my phone into my pocket. "Is that payback for my stunt earlier?"

Layla tries to hide her sly grin behind the rim of her glass. "I'm not that petty..but yes it is."

I know Averie, so if she thinks that it's true and a genuine insecurity of mine, she won't bring it up again or tell a single soul. But that doesn't help the fact that now she's going to be walking around, laughing to herself because she thinks I've got a limp dick like an eighty year old man.

Fuck my life.

-

"What's the best drunk food?"

I didn't know one simple question would result in Averie's, Penelope's and Layla's eyes all lighting up like it was the most important question in the world.

"Chicken nuggets," Penelope says and everyone agrees.

Averie grins. "You can't beat nuggets on the Uber ride home." She shoots Spencer a look. "Which we are getting by the way."

"No," Layla says, drinking the last drop from her glass. "Save them until you get into bed. Comfort is key."

Layla taps my shoulder, silently asking me to get up to let her out of the booth.

"Where are you going?"

"To the bathroom," She says, laughing at my overstepping question. "You want to come with me?" When my eyebrows raise at her invitation, she rolls her eyes, playfully swatting my shoulder before she walks off.

The point of our conversation stays on the topic of food for another few minutes until something across the room catches Penelope's eye and she nods her head for us all to look.

My eyes find her right away. Layla is across the bar, talking with the stupid guy again. He obviously caught her when she was coming out of the bathroom.

"What do you think they're talking about?" I ask, my eyes trained on them while I try not to grit my teeth.

He says something to her. She leans up to say something to him. He nods with the brightest smile across his lips that I want to punch off his stupid face.

"Oh, he's definitely making his move and she's going to leave with him and get layeddd," Penelope half slurs, slurping through her straw.

Averie grins. "Good for her."

Yeah, woohoo.

Good for her.

So exciting.

Fan-fucking-tastic.

"Hey," Layla winces slightly when she approaches us, reaching over to grab her purse. "So, I'm going to go..."

"...home with that guy," Penelope giggles behind the rim of her glass.

Say no, say no, say no.

She doesn't say no.

Averie catches her hand. "Share your location with me?" When Layla nods, she grins. "Good. Now, go have fun you little slut."

Layla laughs at that comment, stepping down from the booth. "See you guys on Monday," She says, not making eye contact with me once.

I. Fucked. Up.

I should have just told her I liked the kiss and then she wouldn't have built this wall between us and I wouldn't be watching her walk out the door with that guy right now.

Stupid, stupid, stupid.

Bouncing my knee underneath the table and trying to remain composed enough to not follow them to rip his hands off her again, my eyes float across the crowded bar in search of a distraction.

Bingo. I make eye contact with a blonde on the dance floor as she sways her hips to the music. When she keeps her gaze locked with mine and beckons me to come over, I decide I've fucked up enough tonight, one more mistake won't hurt.

"I'm out of here," I say to the group, downing the rest of my drink before I slide out of the booth and beeline towards the girl on the dance floor.

Getting straight to it and not putting a single ounce of creativity into it, I lean down to her and whisper 'wanna get out of here?' in her ear.

The first thing I notice is that her perfume is so overpowering that it almost chokes me. Way too flowery and sweet. If I had to imagine her scent as a color it would be barbie pink. It's absolutely nothing like Layla's, but maybe that's what I need right now to get her out of my head.

I didn't even ask the girl what her name is, nor do I care, but a smile crosses her lips and she slips her hand into mine before we leave the bar together.

-

A/N: 🫣🫣 I have no idea what to say right now other than please trust me :))