Chapter 29

LAYLA

I hear Jake tell me that he is thankful for the outfit that I made for him but then he turns around and walks out of the room as if we did not just share a few moments. I realize now that everything I am feeling and thinking about him is all just in my head. He is clearly choosing someone from the world that is at his feet.

I do not know what it is about his tone of voice but it just sounded different from the rest of our conversation tonight. It is almost as if he wanted to cut things short. As the door closes behind him and he disappears I know that I will not be seeing him soon again.

I shake my head trying to get my thoughts in order and then I close my laptop so that I can see if I can find the first van back to the hotel.

JAKE

As I make my way to the backroom everyone congratulate me for a great show. I know that I should feel good but for some reason, my mind is only on Layla. I realized that maybe I have not reacted the right way and that I might have come across as cold. I just have so many emotions going on ever since I knew I could turn into a wolf.

Then, just as I got to the backroom door. I put on my fake face and then I open the door. I really can not deal with this right now but I know that these people have worked hard to see me. I will sign what they need me to sign and smile where I need to smile but my heart will remain with Layla.

Just as I get through the door my manager leads me to the signing table and then the screaming girls start to line up. I enjoy talking to each and every one of them but none can touch my heart the way that Layla does.

It feels like I have been busy for hours but I know that my manager usually stops the signing after an hour. He knows that I am very exhausted after the show and that he does not want to tire me out unnecessarily. Then after signing the last poster, I stand up and make my way backstage.

It is a very different picture than what it was before. Everything is almost packed up already and it seems like only the skeleton staff is working right now. There is no stage for me to get on anymore but I look at the place where there was a crowd once.

I realize that I am very fortunate to have this job because to me it is not a job it is something that I love to do. Then I feel how weak my knees are and I know that I need to get to food and my bed. Tonight has been very exhausting but I wish that I could go back to my room and maybe just talk to Layla for a while.

Then Bruno walks up to me with my bag and he says.

"I am ready for you when you are, sir"

It doesn't matter in which country we are I do not trust any other driver except him. So, I nod my head and say.

"Thank you. I will be right there"

I can not stop myself just to go and check if Layla is maybe still here. I have no idea what I would tell her when I see her and I would probably make up some lie. But when I knock on the door and open it, it is just an empty room.

I stare at the room for a while as I remember how Layla used to sit there just captivating me by just being her. I take a deep breath and then I make my way back to the limo. I am just about to get into the limo when I see the forest that I ran into when we just got here.

I remember the wolf that I saw there and I remember how many questions I have. I have to find a way to get there again. I know that we would be leaving for the next country by the day after tomorrow. I am sure I can find a way.

I get into the limo before anyone sees me and then we make our way back to the hotel. This time I am not wearing a hoodie or sunglasses as I am ready for photos. This time as we stop at the hotel I get out and start to sign some of the people's posters who are just waiting for me to come back.

I have ignored them for the entire time that I stayed here and I know that we will be leaving soon. Then I make my way into the hotel and to my room. I can not help but wonder in which room Layla is. But I do not let myself think too long about it because I might just get depressed.

Finally, I am in my room and ready to just fall on my bed. Then as I do exactly as I thought I would...I can not help staring at the clothes that I have on. She has truly made me look good tonight and I am very glad that we have her as my stylist.

I know that I will be dreaming of her tonight and I hope that maybe there is a chance that she might dream about me too. If we can not be together in real life maybe we can be together in our dreams.

LAYLA

As I make my way back to the place where we always eat, I am happy to find Rita there.

"You remember how you told me about that van that always takes the first wave of crew members back to the hotel?"

"Yes?"

"Tell me that van has not gone yet?"

She stops what she is doing and then she turns to me.

"That van has not gone yet..."

I can not help but hug her because out of pure appreciation.

"You are wonderful, do you know that?"

"I can not...breathe...do you know that?"

I quickly release my grip on her and then I say.

"I am so sorry. I am just so tired"

"So how did your big debut go?"

"I think it went well but Jake's not really somebody that says a lot"

She laughs and then she carries on with whatever she was doing. Then she says.

"He is definitely not a man of a lot of words but more like actions"

I can not help but let my curiosity get the best of me.

"What do you mean a man of action?"

She hooks in my arm and let me sit next to her. Then she looks around her and looks as if she is going to tell me something top secret.

"Well, he used to pick the most beautiful girl out of the crowd after every show and then would invite her to his house. You know...to do...you know? The nasty nasty?"

I can not believe that the man that I have met is the man she is talking about. He seems to be so shy and humble. It is almost as if she is talking about somebody else.

"Really?!"

"Yes, after each and every show but there is a rumor going around"

"Yeah?"

"Well, it was after this last girl he invited to his home...suddenly he withdrew from everyone and attending any meetings. It is like he has distanced himself from everyone. Not even Mark could see him. Basically, it was like he fell off the face of the earth and now...this world tour is the first time we are seeing him again in months"

I never thought that I will hear her say this to me about Jake. It is clear that there are deeper things that are going on with him that no one knows about.

"So what is the rumor?"

"That she broke him...Because ever since that girl...he never picked a girl out of the crowd again"

Even though it sounds like something horrible that happened to him it does give me a bit of a piece of mind. Because the thought of him sleeping with every girl just makes me nauseous. This just kind of confirms that he would never fall for a girl like me.

Then she stands up and carries on with her work. I just sit here being completely speechless. I never thought that he would be who he is. But I can not put those two men together because the Jake that I met is not at all the Jake she just spoke about.

Then I stand up without a word and make my way to the van. As I get into the van I know they wait until the van is full before they leave. Everyone is sitting and typing on the phone or sleeping. It is clear that everyone is exhausted. Then finally the last person gets into the van and we make our way to the hotel.

I stare out of the window and suddenly I am not tired enough to sleep because my thoughts are completely consumed by Jake. I start to wonder what happened to him that night and whether he really slept with so many girls. I thought I had a chance but maybe I was just kidding myself.