Chapter 62

LAYLA

Jake just finished putting on my bandage and I can not help feeling this thick attraction between us. This is not a normal attraction because every time we get close to each other, just a little bit, it feels like I can not breathe anymore.

Now I have to watch him putting on my bandages and his muscles are performing a perfect show in front of my eyes. With every movement of his hand, his arm muscles start to bulge even more than what they already do. I can not get my eyes to look away from him. Then before I know it, he is finished and asking me if there is anything else that I need him to do.

Every last fiber in my body wants him. I can feel my heart rate starting to increase rapidly. I know that I am a lost cause in controlling anything right now.

JAKE

I can feel the way she is looking at me and I know that when I look up and see her eyes I will not be able to keep myself back any more. I did not even know why we are so close but when I lift my head and I am an inch away from her. I could feel how much I want her.

Then we stare at each other for a moment while I am waiting for her to answer my question. I wish with my entire heart that she asks me to kiss her but then something happens, I move closer and I swear she moves closer too. Then without another moment wasted I put my lips on her lips.

Maybe time stopped when my lips met hers. My heart pound in my chest and my knees get weaker. I can only focus on how soft she felt against my mouth, how addictively she invaded all my senses.

LAYLA

Heat raise from my stomach to my chest. His lips are getting closer and my heart decided to skip a beat, the smell of him hypnotizes me beyond reason. I part my lips and feel him washing over me like a wave of warmth, curling my toes. The taste of him nearly silences all thoughts.

My entire body tingle with the feel of him. He pulls me in, claiming my mouth again, hungry and intense, until I can not breathe anymore. I realize that I never want to let go of this moment and everything he is doing to me is perfect and right.

But then there is a knock on the door and we both jump away from each other. It feels like we are back in high school when no one is supposed to catch us making out. Then the door opens and it is Mark. He always seems to get in here at the wrong times.

"Are you guys about finished? We are ready for the sound check"

JAKE

I am still in a trance about what just happened. I can not believe that I had the nerve to kiss her like that. I just could not control myself any longer. I know that I need to get away otherwise, I will do much more than what I did. We have not even had time to look at the outfits and then I look at Mark and back at her and say.

"I think we are done here? I will be happy with whatever you come up with...I am sure"

She looks at me and I can see that she looks just as shocked as I am and then she says.

"Yeah, I am sure we can work something out. You go ahead and do the sound check. I will be ready for you backstage"

Mark is already out the door and then I want to follow him but I do not see the frame in front of me and I smash right into it. It hits me straight on my forehead and I put my hand on the impact that it gave me. I feel like a fool and then I say.

"Sorry, I did not see that there...I...I have to go now"

I can see that she still wanted to say something but I am out the door as quickly as I can. I have no idea why I just did what I did. I told myself that I should not go for her because I would have to lie to her but then I convinced myself that I should try.

"Fuck!"

I realize that I said that aloud as everyone is staring at me and so I lift my hand up trying to apologize. But that is how I feel inside. I just do not know what to think of it.

LAYLA

I am standing frozen in time. I am not moving a muscle because I am still staring at the door. What the hell just happened? I thought it was only me that feel that way but it seems like he has been feeling the same way. I do not even know how to proceed from here on out.

Does this mean that we have something going on now or was it a mistake? But at the same time, I remember every feeling of his lips against mine and I realized that this was an undeniable and real kiss. There is no way to deny what we are feeling for each other.

I have to physically pull myself away from the spot I have been standing on for the past few minutes. I have to get his outfit sorted and get myself backstage. I try to focus on what I am supposed to do but my thoughts run back to that moment every now and then.

Finally, I have taken my place backstage and everyone is exactly where they need to be. I put his first outfit in his dressing room as he was not in there when I got there. I hope he understands how he is supposed to look and then out of nowhere he appears right next to me.

My heart starts to race immediately and then I see him giving me a slight smile while saying.

"Did I put it on right?"

I can not help but smile back at him because he did not put it on exactly the way it is supposed to be. Without even asking I move closer to him and started to amend his shirt.

JAKE

It took everything in me to come and stand next to her to get her approval for my outfit. I know that we need to work together and that if my outfit is not right the show will not be as good. But then when I come into her existence I catch her scent and all my justifications instantly withers before my eyes.

She walks closer to me and starts to work on my shirt. I can hear my breathing starting to increase as she gets closer to me. Flashbacks from that kiss start to flirt before my eyes. I start to clench my fists because I need to somehow control myself.

I want to put my hands around that perfect body of hers and I want to feel her lips against mine again. Then when she is finished her hands are still on my shirt and she looks up at me with those blue eyes and then she almost whispers, saying.

"All done"

I want to communicate but I can not seem to find the words and so I just nod my head and take my place to get on the stage. I know that I will sing my heart out tonight not because of the fans but because of Layla. She has given me a new found vigor to let me sing even better than what I already do.

I am ready to go onto the stage but I look one more time in her direction. I feel Mark's hand on my shoulder but my attention is on her. Then I see her biting her lip and I swear if I could break something right now, I would.

I have to take a deep breath to try and discharge some of the sexual tension that I feel. Then the music starts and I run onto the stage.

LAYLA

I have no idea how we are going to handle this show. It feels like I want to rip off his clothes and declare him as mine. But I have to keep control over my emotions as I have to focus on what I am here to do.

I hear him sing and his voice hypnotizes me. I hear the crowd scream his name and I want to be one of them, screaming his name. Now, more than ever, I want him to be mine and mine alone.

Then suddenly a sharp pain shoots through my arm where the wound is. It is so severe that it brings me to my knees. I grab my bandaged arm trying to release some sort of anxiety that it brings. But nothing is helping. Then suddenly it stops.

I can stand up again but I need to know what happened to my arm. I open the bandage and then I am shocked by what I see. The wound is completely healed. I quickly look at my other arm trying to figure out if I have the right arm.

But I am sure it is the right one. All I can see are stitches but there is no trace of any wound. For some reason, I look around myself trying to see if anyone saw me. But there is no one around me. I quickly put back the bandage as I do not have time to think about this now.

I am sure that I must be hallucinating and that the lighting is maybe not good enough for me to see the wound. Then the song is finished and Jake comes running to me. I know that this is a quick change and that we must be as professional as possible.

I get his next outfit ready and then help him take off his shirt. The moment that I see his well defined abs and beautifully sculpted chest it just completely knocks the wind out of my sails.

I know that I should be professional but I struggle as my fingers fumble, trying to put on his clothes.

JAKE

I am still a bit exhausted from the flight and not sleeping the night before so after already the first song I am very tired. I watch her trying to fix my outfit but I can see that she struggles severely. I realize that it is partly my fault because of the kiss we had earlier and now she must probably be nervous around me.

I do not want her to feel uncomfortable as there is no reason for her to feel this way. So, I put her hand in mine and I make sure that we are only an inch away from each other like we were just a few hours ago. Then in nearly a whisper, I say to her.

"Are you doing okay?"

LAYLA

I feel a strong hand enveloping my hand and I can not help looking deep into his eyes, stopping everything that I am doing. I feel so protected with him around me and as he asks me if I am okay, I answer him.

"Now...I am doing okay"

A slight smile appears on his face and then he releases my hand. He turns around and runs back on the stage. He leaves me in an emptiness without him but yet a warmth is in my heart. I do not know how he gets it right but he has this way of making me feel as if I am the only person in the world when he is around.

With every outfit change, there are these undeniable eternities between us but we do not talk to each other as our looks are enough to make us both crazy. Finally, the show is over and I quickly make my way back to the makeup room.

As I close the door behind me I suddenly remember what happened earlier on. I was so busy focusing on Jake and the chemistry that was between us that I forgot about my wound. I quickly make my way to the table and then slowly open the bandage again.

Maybe I was just seeing things and the lighting was not good. I put my arm under a desk lamp so that I can make sure what I am seeing. When the last bandages are off I stagger backward at what I see. There are no wounds only stitches. I look again making sure that my eyes are not deceiving me. But what I am seeing is actuality.

How is that even possible? I am sure just a few hours ago that there still was a very deep cut in my arm and now, nothing as if there never was a cut. I do not know what to do about this. Should I go and see a doctor but why would I see a doctor if there is nothing wrong?

I have to figure things out for myself. But then there is another knock on my door and I know who it is. Rita always comes this time after the show. I quickly bandage up myself again and then the door opens. I am not ready to show her this yet. I want to do some research myself first.

"I got you a ride on the first van, I thought you might appreciate it?"

Tonight is probably the first night that I do not want to be on the first van. If I can choose, I would like to be on the last van. I want to stay here for as long as I can because I wish to have another encounter with Jake. But if I change my mind right now Rita would know that something is up.

"Thank you, I will be right out"

JAKE

I have done the last song and I have given my be best. This was probably one of the greatest shows that I have given yet, on this tour. The kiss that we shared earlier on has truly changed my entire behavior. It is as if I was in the mood to do a show again.

She gave me the encouragement that I needed to go on with the human life that I am leading. Then it is as if there is a voice in my head that says.

"Who do you think you are kidding? You are not human anymore. You belong to the wolves now"

I sigh loudly as I make my way back to the dressing room. I realized that what I am thinking is the truth but at the same time, I want to fight to live in the human world. Layla has given me a new lease on life and I want to have this life. I want to see where this will take us and if this might mean forever for me. Then the voice decides to say something again.

"How can you have forever if you have to lie?"