Good Enough

Layla was frozen. She was certain she hadn’t heard Sylvia correctly.

“I’m leaving because I’m afraid they’ll come back.”

Layla could barely speak, she couldn’t move. Shelly had come closer to them and was sensing trouble.

“You need to be careful, Layla,” Sylvia warned. “I’m leaving tomorrow. I can’t stay here…”

“You never went to the police?”

Sylvia laughed, but her tears fell freely. “And tell them what? That I don’t remember who raped me? That I was given something at the bowling alley and whisked away by men I can’t even recall the faces of? I was thirteen, and everyone just thought I was a slut. I hadn’t even…”

She choked on her words, but Layla understood.

“I was a kid. I hadn’t had sex. I had never had my period. I’d never even kissed a boy, and this nasty man…”

Layla grabbed her and held her close as Sylvia let it all out.

“My parents don’t know because I wasn’t supposed to be at the bowling alley.” Sylvia frowned. “How stupid could I have been? I was more worried about getting grounded than telling on these fuckers who took everything from me!”

“You were a kid, Sylvia,” Layla soothed. “A child. You are not to blame for this at all.”

“I will be leaving tomorrow.” Sylvia sighed. “I won’t be able to stay here.”

“Why did you tell me?”

“Can Lucas provide security for me?”

“I think he can.” Layla nodded. “I am sure he can. I am so sorry this happened to you, Syl.”

Sylvia leaned into her as they waited for Lucas to show up. The cab for Shelly, Sylvia, and Layla was long forgotten.

“Hey.” Lucas rushed over to the women, kissing Layla on the lips before getting the information.

“I can have a few men securing you at all times until we get this under control. No one—and I mean no one—will know where you are. Are you sure you want to do this?”

“Yes,” Sylvia said. “Thank you.”

When Lucas gathered a few of his most trusted men from the area, he elected Heath to go with Sylvia to gather her things.

“I’ll kill anyone who goes rogue,” Lucas told them.

Layla could hear him from where she was standing with her mother, and she felt the old Lucas coming out.

“I swear on my life I will slit all of you from neck to nuts if anything happens.”

“Yes, sir!” one of them said as Sylvia was whisked away to her hideout.

“You don’t really believe her, do you?” Lucas said as he held Layla in his arms.

“Huh?”

“She could easily be on the wrong side of this, Little Hippie. Don’t be so naive and trusting.”

Layla frowned. “I didn’t think of that.”

“We’ll keep an eye on her.” Lucas nodded. “You ladies ready to go home?”

***

Heath’s men kept a vigilant eye on Sylvia. She’d relocated to somewhere in San Antonio with a cousin of hers, but as far as any more information, there was none.

“I can’t believe that happened to her,” Layla said as she and Lucas stood in the middle of his kitchen making dinner. “I mean, how many people did they take there?”

“I don’t know, baby girl,” Lucas said, chopping an onion. “I think I’m gonna go back with the boys.”

Layla dropped her glass, shattering it on the floor. Lucas was at her side in a second.

“Are you okay? What happened?”

“You aren’t going back there!” Layla sobbed, stepping forward and right onto the shards of glass.

“Oh, fuck, Layla!” Lucas picked her up and took her back to the bathroom. “Layla…” Looking down at her feet and then back up at her, he knew she wasn’t there. She was at that house.

~“Such a pretty girl…” he was saying, his sweat dripping on her as he hovered over her little body. “I bet that’s something you don’t get every day…my doll face.”~

~Panting, the man removed himself from her aura and walked across the room. Layla was staring at the ceiling, her body broken and bruised. She was so tired now and didn’t know how long she’d been there.~

~“I’ll come back later with some food, Doll Face.” The man’s breathing was still labored, but he was just a blur. Another voice echoed through the room.~

~“Is she awake?” the other man asked. “I don’t like it when she’s awake.”~

~“Then give her something. It ain’t my problem.”~

“Lucas!” Layla cried as Lucas got the last piece of glass out of Layla’s foot. “I’m sorry. I—”

“Don’t.” Lucas shook his head. “Where did you go? What did you see?”

“Two men,” Layla sobbed. “That’s it. They’re like shadows sometimes.”

Lucas nodded. He knew from his own terrors what that was like.

“Let’s get your feet cleaned up.”

“I am so sorry about your glass!”

“Stop apologizing, baby girl.” Lucas smiled. “I got you.”

“Thank you for being patient with me.”

Lucas roared with laughter.

“What’s so funny?”

“You thanking me for being patient.” Lucas cupped her chin. “Baby, you’ve put up with me for six months now. I should be giving you medals of valor. Can you walk?”

“I can. It stings a little…”

“We’ll get some socks so this gauze doesn’t fall off.”

They ate a nice stew and sat back to watch television.

“Why were you up all night last night?”

Layla smiled. “I am nervous about Oklahoma.”

“I’ll be there with you.” Lucas kissed her cheek. “I rented an Airbnb, but it’s about an hour away from the address you gave me. It’s by a lake.”

“Lake Texoma?”

“That’s the one.”

Layla twirled her hair and Lucas knew she was scared—knew that this was a big deal for her.

“I promise to be on my best behavior.” Lucas chuckled.

“It’s not you I’m worried about,” Layla mumbled.

***

They headed out during Layla’s spring break at the end of April.

“It’ll be fine, darlin’,” Lucas kept reassuring her. “I have you, you have me.”

“We have Heath following us.”

Lucas smiled. “Is that all right?”

“Of course it is, babe.” Layla nodded. “I am thankful for the guys.”

“I can’t wait to get into that Airbnb and fuck you senseless.”

Layla sighed. “Is that all you think about?”

“No, but it’s something I had to think about when you were doing those damn yoga and Pilates poses in front of my face last night. Downward dog is going to be the death of me.”

“I thought cat cow was the position that turned you on.”

“Layla, everything you do turns me on.”

She didn’t even sit next to the door anymore. Lucas insisted she sat next to him in the middle and she loved it—loved his touch, loved his scent, his smile…

“I just don’t want you to run away when you meet my real parents.”

“Ron and Shelly are your real parents, Little Hippie.”

“You know what I mean.”

“I do, and I’m not running anywhere.”

Layla rested her head on his shoulder and grinned. It was so hard for her to be away from him, and he felt the same, but they didn’t tell each other. It was a feeling they didn’t understand.

“Heath will be down the road while we’re at your parents’ place. There’s some guys set up at the Airbnb next to ours. I don’t have any more information about Sylvia or Vegas…”

“You wouldn’t tell me if you did.”

Lucas glanced at her. “You’re right. Not until you were fully out of harm’s way.”

“Us, Lucas. When we’re both out of harm’s way.”

“We’re about ten minutes away. You ready?”

“No.” Layla smiled nervously. “I am not.”

“We’ll do it. We got this.”

He was holding her hand now and could feel her shaking. They watched as Heath pulled off and allowed them the privacy they needed to go to Layla’s parents’ home.

“It’s here,” Layla said, pointing to a dilapidated trailer park.

“You grew up here?”

“Yes…” Layla shuddered. “It was just as bad then as it is now.”

Lucas was appalled at what he saw.

This was where his little hippie grew up? In this neighborhood where windows were boarded up or shot out, a trailer was leaned up against another one, cars were flipped or stripped, and some asshole teenagers flipped them off when they entered the community?

“Jesus Christ, Layla…”

The deeper they got into the park, the seedier it became, until Layla pointed to a mobile wide that was in okay shape. It had a porch and a poor dog tied to it.

“That poor thing,” Layla sighed. “I’m already embarrassed.”

Lucas pulled the truck into a spot and cut the engine.

“You still want to do this?”

Layla turned to him. “Kiss me.”

Lucas smiled, pulling her closer and kissing her passionately.

“Okay, now I’m ready.”

The dog was incredibly friendly but was lacking water and the ability to get out of the sun. Lucas took the empty bowl and poured water in it. The mutt lapped it right up.

“It was always one dog after another,” Layla whispered. “We never kept any until I was adopted and got Dinah.”

Layla straightened out her blouse and smoothed her auburn curls back. Lucas stood behind her, ready to take on anything that could hurt his woman.

Layla took a deep breath and knocked on the door. No answer.

Lucas frowned, but Layla knocked again.

This time, a woman answered the door. She looked haggard and tipsy.

“Yeah?”

“Brenda?”

“Yeah?”

“It’s me. It’s Layla…your daughter.”

The woman didn’t budge. She didn’t move one inch except to blink. A man came up behind her and scowled.

“What the fuck are you doing here?”

Lucas stepped forward, but Layla held her arm out.

“Nick? It’s me…Layla. Your daughter? Y’all invited me here…”

“You still ain’t fucking told her, Brenda?”

“Told me what?” Layla was shaking, but Lucas put a hand on her shoulder to steady her.

“Come in,” Brenda said, her face worn from years of drug use.

“No, she’s not coming in.”

“Dad, er, Nick…what’s wrong? What did I do?” Layla’s voice cracked, and Lucas was confused as hell.

“I ain’t your fucking daddy, Layla.”

“W-what?” Layla asked so softly it was barely audible.

“Well, I’m Lucas Foster, and I am her fucking boyfriend. Are y’all fucking high because this is crazy. What’s going on?” Lucas was mad. He was beyond mad and losing control.

“The reason she ain’t here is because I ain’t her daddy. End of it. Your mama shoulda told you your daddy was a one-night stand that she don’t remember.”

“T-that’s why you gave me up?”

“I ain’t raising another asshole’s kid.”

Lucas snapped. He dragged Nick out of the trailer and pulled him into his face. “Stop talking to her like that. We’re all going in that fucking trailer, and we’re going to talk, ya got that, asshole?”

“Fine, but she ain’t gonna like what she hears.”

Lucas pulled Nick into the trailer as Brenda staggered into the kitchen. She didn’t even hug her daughter. A daughter she hadn’t seen in years.

“You’re not my dad?”

“I couldn’t even look at you.” Nick belched. “Your mother and I separated and she got pregnant during that time.”

Lucas took Layla’s hand as a tear slipped down her face.

“I was tired of looking at you and seeing a kid that wasn’t mine, so your mother chose.”

“You chose him over me?” Layla’s lower lip trembled as she squeezed Lucas’s hand. “You gave me up for your boyfriend?”

“Honey…” Brenda put a hand on Layla’s arm. “You just don’t understand.”

“I think I do,” Layla said, her tears flowing freely now. “You loved him more than you loved me—and you love drugs more than anything.”

Nick crossed his arms and sat back. “I told ya that you wouldn’t like it.”

“How could you? How could you love him more than me?”

Brenda sighed. “I don’t know how to love you, Layla. I didn’t know what I was doing as a mother.”

“Who’s my dad?” Layla was broken. She was beside herself.

“He’s some guy down in Florida named Fred. Here’s his number. He knows about you, but—”

“He didn’t want me either,” Layla sobbed. “Why couldn’t you tell me any of this?!”

Nick grunted. “I fucking thought you knew, and that’s the straight truth.”

“Your brother and sister don’t even know about you.”

“I have siblings? What the hell is wrong with you people?” Layla slammed her fist on the table. “Where are my siblings?”

“Here…” Brenda scribbled a few numbers and names on a Post-it Note. “They’re in foster care…”

“Beatrice and Benjamin?”

“Twins. They’re twelve now.”

“Why did you keep them from me?!” Layla’s face reddened in anger. “If you didn’t want me, you didn’t need to keep my siblings from me!”

Nick stood up, as did Lucas, and the Tornado was ready to square off.

“When you left—” Nick started, but Layla didn’t care.

“I didn’t leave!” Layla stood up, letting go of Lucas’s hand and knocking the chair to the floor. “You gave me up! You didn’t want me!”

Brenda, too high to care, waved her hands around, laughing.

“Why did you let me come here if this was how it was going to be?!”

Brenda stood up, lighting a cigarette. “I was high when I agreed to it.”

Layla ran from the trailer. She couldn’t do it. She remembered how they had treated her when she was little, and now this? This was beyond anything she ever thought could happen.

Lucas, a man who really wanted to burn the place to the ground with Brenda and Nick in it, turned on his heels and walked out. He watched Layla get into the truck, but she’d stopped crying. She was in shock.

“Let’s go, mutt…” Lucas untied the dog, grabbing the bowls and bag of food. “I guess I got me a fucking dog now.” Lucas let the dog jump into the back of the truck, and then he got into the driver’s seat.

“Are you—”

“Don’t…”

Lucas sighed. It took everything in his power not to wipe the floor with Brenda’s and Nick’s faces.

Layla sat by the door, not talking, not moving. She had dried her tears on the sleeve of her shirt and watched as Heath pulled into the park where the Airbnb was set up.

Lucas nodded as Heath made his way to his own Airbnb a few residences down.

“We’re here,” Lucas said, cutting the engine and letting Layla make the first move. “Baby girl?”

Layla lowered her head. “I am nothing, Lucas. I’ve always been nothing.”

“What the fuck did you say?” Lucas grabbed her, pulling her closer to him. “Don’t do this.”

Layla wiggled free, jumping out of the truck and slamming the door behind her. She fled to the edge of the lake and screamed. She screamed so loud that Heath came out of his place, but Lucas motioned for him to go back in.

Lucas let the dog out of the truck, filled up the bowls with food and water, and then made his way down to Layla.

“Stop it, Lucas! I don’t care anymore! I am so tired of caring! I don’t belong anywhere!”

“You do belong somewhere. Look at Ron and Shelly. They love and cherish you.”

“It doesn’t matter!” Layla pushed on his chest, but Lucas barely budged.

“I don’t even deserve you! I have never deserved anything good! Paul told me that! My own mother hates me… I was raped, Lucas! Raped… I hate it! I hate this… I’m so sad.

“I’m so fucked-up in the head that all I ever think about is dying so it will go away. I try so hard to be calm and peaceful, and my heart just can’t take any more of this. I feel defeated… I’m not good enough… I just—I wish I was dead.”

Lucas grabbed her by the shoulders and pulled her into him, his nose touching hers.

“Don’t you fucking say that. Don’t you ever fucking say that to me again,” Lucas growled. “You are worth everything, Layla. You are good and you deserve every good thing that happens to you. You are beautiful and smart and kind and compassionate and you make me laugh.

“You are what this world needs. I can’t do this without you.”

“Do what?”

“Survive.”

“What?”

“Dammit, Layla…” He put his forehead against hers and closed his eyes. “I can’t live this life if you’re not in it with me. You are everything wonderful and more, and I never, ~ever~ want you to think otherwise.”

“Lucas…”

“You made me feel again, Layla. You made me feel like I was worth something.”

Layla sobbed into him. “You’re just saying this to be nice. You were doing fine before me.”

“But I wasn’t living, Layla. You make me live, not just survive! You made me…”

He trailed off, of course. This was not good. He was not good for her.

“I made you what?”

“You made me fall head over heels in love with you, Layla.”