๐ŸŽ Twenty Five

Dawson's alarm coaxed him from a dreamless sleep. After giving it a good smack to shut it off, he hummed with amused pleasure as Layla wriggled in his arms. The sun was rising, painting his room with light and making the ember hair strewn across his pillow shimmer with every sway of the willow tree outside. Sometime after everythingโ€”that mind-blowing, life-changing everythingโ€”that happened last night, the two of them had fallen asleep, sated and exhausted.

Hours later Layla was still in his bed, still in his armsโ€”an undeniably good sign. She hadn't run away.

"Morning," he murmured, trailing his hand up to her shoulder and tracing feather-light patterns among the smattering of freckles. He never knew one person could have so many, all over. If he had it his way, he'd give each and every one it's own personal show of appreciation.

"What time is it?" she asked, eyes still shut.

If he told her it was early, she'd probably stay. But they both had work to get to, and if Layla wasn't there for the workout with Kenzie and Marshall, his sister was bound to come looking.

He wished he could tell Kenzie and everyone else the truth right now. The truth about Colin, and that he and Layla were involved. But it wasn't his choice to make, and it wouldn't do any good if finding the two of them in bed together was how Kenzie found out.

"It's six fifteen," he answered, and she sat up with a jolt. He didn't bother pointing out that the sheet fell, or that she was still naked. He liked the sight a little too much to risk her going modest.

"Oh, shit. I have to get ready." Apparently modesty was the least of her concernโ€”she threw the covers off, hurrying over to where she'd discarded her dress the night before.

Despite what a wonderful sight she made, a sinking feeling settled inside of him. She wasn't even looking at him. This was hardly the sleepy, sensual round two that he'd been hoping for in that second after the alarm went off.

Since he knew she had too much respect for herself to fake the night before, he knew she wasn't bowing out because of a bad time. The reason he suspected, though, hurt just as much: it didn't mean as much to her as it'd meant to him.

"Layla," he said her name as he sat up, finally getting her to turn around once the dress was over her head. God, she looked pretty, bed-head and all. "Generally it's a bad sign, when someone runs out the morning after doing what we did."

"It's not... No." She sat down on the corner of the mattress, at last slowing down and taking a second to breathe. "It's not like that."

"So you didn't just use me for my body, then?" His voice was coated in humor, but there was the slightest hint of a genuine question that he couldn't manage to hide.

She smiled, a sight that Dawson hadn't realized he'd been waiting for. "No. Even thoughโ€”and this is me speaking as a woman, not a trainerโ€”it's a very, very impressive body."

That was better, he thought with a satisfied grin. He'd gotten her to flirt rather than to flee. Still, though, they needed more time. She needed more time, he thought. If he wanted her to not only feel the way he did, but admit to it... five more days wasn't enough time to get there. "I wish you'd stay, Layla."

"Well... I would, but... What if Kenzie comes looking for me, or if Jack comes to get you?"

That was good to knowโ€”that she'd stay now, if it were an option. That what happened between them wasn't just a one-time thing. But it wasn't what he meant. "I should have worded that better," he ran a hand through his hair, attempting to smooth down the locks that had no doubt gone wild in his sleep. "I'm bad at asking for things."ย 

Bad at being vulnerable, he corrected himself. Because if asked this and she said no, the sting would be hard to bear.

"You mean stay in Red View," she gathered.

"Kenzie's wedding is less than three months away now, and you're already invitedโ€”I mean, you'd have to come back anyways, so why not just stay? You could tell your parents that if this is really the last boot camp, then you're extending it. Then you can stay through the wedding, and... it'll give us more time. It'll give you more time to think about what you want."

"And what you want?"

"I think we've been over that. I know what I want, Layla." He held her gaze, giving her the answer without words.

When she nodded at the suggestion, murmuring that she'd have to check with Kenzie and Marshall just to make sure, relief flooded through him. He sat forward to reach for her hand, but in caressing her fingers he realized something was missing. "Your ring."

She shrugged, flexing her hand as if testing the freedom of her bare finger. "I took it off when I got home last night. It didn't feel rightโ€”or fairโ€”to come over here and talk to you about... everything, with it on."

Dawson moved closer, planting a quick kiss on her lips. When he pulled away, he was pleased to see the flush of pleasure on her skin. "You might not be sure of what you want, Layla. But it seems like you're damn sure of what you don't. I'd say that's half the battle."

Her lips curved into a soft smile, eyes looking down at their entwined hands. She'll stay, he thought hopefully, lifting her hand to kiss it. Either that, or I'll lose my mind trying to convince her to.


Even the intense workout and the thumping bass of her curated playlist couldn't get Layla out of her own head.

She slept with him! She slept with the brother of the bride she was working for. It was just about the most unprofessional thing she could have done. And all she could think about was how and when they'd get the chance to do it again. And again, and again, and again.

The shed was extra lively today, thanks to Annie joining in for another session. And now that it was getting close to the end of the two weeks, the workouts were only getting more intense every day. Kenzie and Marshall were getting stronger, though, and weren't quitters. Even on the most difficult moves she threw at them, they did every rep she asked. Annie, who had less on the line, didn't seem to feel to guilty about tapping out when necessary.

There was a pressure in the air that made it hard for Layla to focusโ€”it felt like somehow, everyone knew what she and Dawson did. When she'd passed Jack on her way out the door that morningโ€”after managing to sneak back to her own roomโ€”she couldn't help wondering if he somehow, even all the way down the hall, had heard them talkingโ€”and then, well, not talking.

When Kenzie had gone inside to refill her water bottle, and Marshall followed her to head to the bathroom, Annie had made small talk about the run and then asked out of the blue if Layla thought Dawson would be willing to be photographed for some of the pictures for the website.

"I don't know," she'd answered, a little too quickly to sound casual. "You should ask Kenzie."

"I would, but I don't want her to try and convince him, if he doesn't really want to. I just wanted to ask you, since you seem to know him a lot better than I do."

She'd almost choked on the water she was drinking, at that. Yeah, after last night, she guessed she did know him pretty damn well.

And speaking of knowing people, Kenzie and Marshall had spent a lot of time with her over the past eleven days. But it was crazy to think they'd know, as if she had some flashing billboard on her head that read, I had sex with Dawson!

On top of the pressure, there was guilt. Pretending that she and Dawson weren't all tangled up in each other nowโ€”literally and metaphoricallyโ€”was just another lie to add to the pile she hated lugging around. The McAden's, Annie, Marshall, Adam... while she knew some better than others, they were all so kind to her. She was beginning to think ofโ€”and acceptโ€”these people as her friends. Would she ever be able to be honest with them?

Even under all the questions and all the emotions that made her want to scream, there was something stronger. Something that rose to the surface and shaded them all. The blinding thrill of being with Dawson. The burning desire to be with him again.

After their cool-down, when the playlist finally changed into the songs she used for stretching, even she was exhausted. Her brain was getting as much exercise as her body, this morning.

She guided them through a few upper body stretches, knowing she needed to calm her mind a bit before she started the conversation she needed to. Once they moved on to legs, sitting down on their mats, she broached the subject.

"So, you know how I told you guys this'll be the last boot camp?"

"Yeah?" Kenzie answered with a grunt as she reached for her toes, which were just a few inches too far in front of her. "And we told you that you should open your own new and totally awesome gym in Red View?"

Annie's head perked up. "That sounds like a great idea."

Layla laughed, wondering if there'd ever been a more optimistic group of people. She wasn't used to such immediate support, such encouragement for an idea that had barely gotten off the ground. "Well, yeah. It does. But I'd need more time to think about it, and... How do I put this?" With a sigh, she led them into pigeon pose.

"Just let it out, Layla." Kenzie closed her eyes as she relaxed into the pose. "You've seemed distracted all morning."

"Oh. Sorry." She silently scolded herself for letting it affect her while she was working. Things like that had never really been a problem, back home. She never had anything important to be distracted with. "I hope it was still a good workout."

Marshall barked out a laugh. "Are you kidding? It was brutal. But if you're thinking about the gym, I wanna know. Don't hold backโ€”I can try to answer any questions you might have about cost, or timelines."

"I'm not quite there yet." Yet, she repeated in her head, surprised by her use of the word. Would she get there? "That's sort of what I'm trying to say. Or, ask, rather." She led them into the same stretch on the other side.

"Layla," Annie laughed. "You're leaving us on cliffhangers, here."

"Seriously!" Kenzie's amused voice was muffled as she tucked her chin, bending from the hips. "Whatever you have to say, you can say it."

At the encouragement, she let it come rambling out of her. "I've been thinking about staying longer, to consider my options. And I was wondering if, for free of charge, you guys would want to extend the boot camp all the way up to your wedding. Well, free of charge, except... in exchange for letting me stay here. If not, I completeโ€”"

She was cut off by a squeal, and looked up to see Kenzie release her pose, too distracted to stay in it. "Don't even finish that sentence. It'd be a miracle to have you here for more time! You can stay as long as you need."

"Training us free of charge?" Marshall repeated. "Are you sure?"

Layla shrugged, unable to stop herself from smiling. "It's the least I could do. And, as an added bonus, it'll irritate my parents to hell and back."

"A taste of their own medicine." Kenzie clapped her hands once in delight. "I love it."

And so did Layla. Now, the only thing left was the hardest part: actually giving them the medicine.ย 


I hope this chapter doesn't have any mistakes--I spent all day writing (working on book 2 ๐Ÿ˜‰) and am a bit brain dead at the moment lol ๐Ÿ˜… as always thank you for reading! I hope you guys are excited to see how things play out now that Layla and Dawson have really started something ๐Ÿ‘€

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