Speak Low, If You Speak Love

Leighton Walsh was a reserved girl. She observed from afar and preferred to be behind the scenes rather than center stage. She was never one to put herself out there. She was too shy for that. That's why when she heard Alex Gaskarth ask everyone to listen up, she stayed in her seat. She could listen up fine from there.

"I knew exactly what I was going to say last night." He laughed nervously. "But I guess this is supposed to come out natural anyway."

She was curious as to what he was going to say, but part of her already knew. It was something that had been brewing for over a year now. It was itching its way to the surface and it was now ready to pop.

"Elysa," Alex said softly, cupping her hands in his. "I've loved you since the first time I laid eyes on you."

Leighton watched as Elysa took a deep breath in. She could see the nerves taking over her normally poised face.

"You're the only girl who could ever put up with my antics and it makes me love you more and more every day."

She was crying. Leighton didn't understand how someone could still look gorgeous with mascara running down their cheeks. It was like she was some sort of robot programmed to always look stunning.

"I can't see my life without you."

Leighton held her breath as Alex fell to one knee. A small black box was held tightly in his right hand and he was shaking. He lifted the top to reveal a glowing ring.

"Elysa Isabella Marino, will you marry me?"

The whole room gasped. Leighton watched as Alex and Elysa's parents covered their mouths. Time stood still until Elysa moved her perfectly-plump, gloss-coated lips, "Yes."

The large living room erupted with cheer and everyone watched in awe as Alex and Elysa kissed. They watched as he spun her around and they watched as they mouthed 'I love you'.

If anyone should have been happy about this, it should have been Leighton Walsh. After growing up resenting Elysa Marino for her exotic looks, her perfect body, and the way boys turned to jell-o around her, she was finally off the market. But this was only going to make it worse.

Her eyes traveled to the other side of the room where they landed on Jack Barakat. The expression on his face read clear to her, but not to anyone else in the room. He was dead. His heart broken into a million tiny pieces. It was pathetic, honestly.

For as long as Leighton Walsh had known Jack Barakat, he'd been in love with Elysa Marino. And considering Leighton and Jack had been best friends since they were five, it had been a long time. He fawned over her like she was a shiny new toy. He went on and on about how he'd never find another girl like that and how it was so unfair that Alex always got what he wanted.

Leighton stood up from the couch she was on. She thought it would be appropriate to go congratulate the newly engaged couple. She barely got to straighten out her dress before someone grabbed her arm.

"Let's go."

Leighton looked up and furrowed her eyebrows, but she didn't get a chance to open her mouth until they were outside on the sidewalk in front of the Gaskarths' house. "What the fuck, Jack?"

"Can we go back to your house?" he whispered in a tone that Leighton knew all too well.

"No." She shook her head, sending her blond hair in every direction. "Not tonight."

"Please," he pleaded, his big brown eyes growing to twice their size. "I can't deal with this right now."

Leighton gave in. She always gave in when it came to him. It was something she hated about herself. All he had to do was smile, or laugh and she caved. She was just as pathetic as he was.

The walk to her house was only about five minutes, but it felt shorter because of Jack's impatience practically dragging her down the street. He pushed open the door to her white fence and guided her up the stairs. Leighton handed him her key and he unlocked the front door.

Her house smelled of the gingerbread cookies her mother had baked earlier, but she couldn't enjoy the scent because Jack was already pulling her up the staircase. Leighton barely had time to catch her breath before Jack had her pinned up against her teal-coloured walls. His lips were on hers almost instantly and she could feel his fingers starting to unbutton her dress.

She hated that this was what their friendship had come to. A hook-up. An easy fuck. Thirty minutes of meaningless sex that helped Jack Barakat forget that he could never have Elysa. Thirty minutes of Jack Barakat settling for less-than-perfect Leighton.

When it was over he left. He always left. He never said more than 'I'll see you later' and kissed her on the forehead. As if an innocent kiss was going make up for what happened half an hour prior.

It was her own fault.

She could never say no to Jack Barakat.