He took one look at my damp face, saw the suitcase by the door, and went ballistic. “What the fuck are you doing?” he exploded.
I shrugged. “Packing.”
“No. No way.” He shook his head, making his over long hair fall in his face. His blue gray eyes looked wild. “Where is Angel?” He never called her Lana anymore. Everyone knew who he was talking about when he said ‘angel’. I guess to him she was his angel.
“I thought she was with you.” They were like each other’s shadow. Where one was the other was sure to follow.
“Jesse grabbed her and left. I figured she would be here.” Drake glared at me. “Why are you packing, Layla? Why are you crying?”
“Because we are leaving.” I told him and saw all the color fade from his face. It hurt me to hurt him like that, but I couldn’t stay. Not when I knew Jesse was about to crush me. Oh, fuck. I was already crushed. “Look, you will still see Lana anytime you want. Just because we leave doesn’t mean you have to stop being friends.”
“No. You aren’t leaving!” He practically shouted. “I can’t…You can’t…” He broke off, unable to speak he was so upset.
“Drake.” I took a step toward him, wanting to comfort him. Hurting him was the last thing I wanted. He had been through so much already. Finally, he had found something that made the world seem like a better place and I was going to take her away from him…
The door opened and Lana walked in. Drake saw her and nearly crumbled. “You can’t go, Angel!” He grabbed her hands tight. “Tell her!”
Lana looked from Drake to me then back to Drake. Seeing his pain she pulled him into her arms. “Of course I’m not going anywhere.”
He seemed to sag with relief. Somehow he made it to the couch, taking Lana with him. She landed on his lap, and he buried his face in her thick black hair. She stroked her fingers over his face, but her gaze when straight to me. “What are you doing, Layla?” she demanded quietly.
“Packing. We are leaving, Lana. Tonight.”
“Why?” she asked, looking worried. “Why do we have to go?”
“Because Jesse doesn’t want me anymore. I heard them talking today. Emmie and him. She’s already finding my replacement, and I bet he is too.” Scalding tears burned my face as they poured from my eyes. I scrubbed them away. “So we’re leaving.”
“You think that Jesse doesn’t want you anymore?” Lana jumped to her feet. “Have you lost your mind? Do you not see how much he loves you?”
“I know what I heard, Lana.” I turned toward the bedroom once more.
“You only think you do!” she yelled. “Go talk to him. Let him explain.”
“No thank you.” It was bad enough that I knew he didn’t want me anymore. I wasn’t going to embarrass myself by having him make excuses. “I’ve heard all I need to know.”
“Drake, go get Jesse. Get Emmie too,” I heard Lana tell him. “Tell them to hurry.”
“Don’t bother.” I called from the bedroom doorway, but he ignored me as he practically ran from the guesthouse. I glared at my sister. “This won’t change anything, Lana. We are still leaving. Make this easier on you and Drake both, and just help me so that we can go.”
She just stood there, crossing her arms over her chest. “I can’t believe you would doubt how much Jesse loves you. Even for a second. God, Layla! I get sick of hearing him say it, but I never doubt him when he does.”
“He hasn’t been the same lately,” I told her. “I can feel the emotions churning in him.”
“That isn’t because he has stopped loving you, idiot!”
“How the hell do you know?” I exploded. She opened her mouth to say something but I didn’t want to hear it. “I’m through talking about this. I have things to do.”
Behind her the door swung open. Emmie came into the living room like a little tornado. “Lana, seriously! What the hell have you done to Drake now?” she stormed. “I couldn’t make sense of anything he was saying except that it was about you.”
“I haven’t done anything!” Lana pointed at me. “Layla’s packing and apparently it’s your fault. She heard you and Jesse talking earlier today.”
Emmie’s eyes widened. “Then why are you leaving?” she demanded. “You don’t like the house? I can sell it and buy another one.” She frowned. “It isn’t as close, but if it’s what you really want…”
“This isn’t about the house,” Lana informed her. “She doesn’t know about the house.”