‹ Prequel: Chasing The Laughter
Shooting Star
0018.
“Tonight, so far, has been wonderful,” Greg smiled, “And I can only hope you feel the same.”
Layton nodded with a soft smile, “Of course. It’s been great.”
Greg had picked Layton up at seven, right on time. Layton had been a bit nervous at first, but after a little while she began to feel more and more comfortable around Greg. He was sweet and seemed like he was just genuinely a nice guy. Layton knew for sure that she most definitely wanted to go on another date with him someday, but she wasn’t sure if he felt the same way or not.
They went bowling first, wanting to have some fun and lighten up a little bit with each other, which definitely worked so far, and then Greg took her to a sea food restaurant on the beach for dinner. They had just placed their order and were trying to get to know each other better while they waited.
“So tell me about yourself,” Greg said.
“What do you want to know?” She asked.
“Have you always lived here in Huntington?” He questioned.
Layton smiled, “I wish. My parents divorced when I was really young, so my dad stayed here to live and my mom took me to North Dakota. I came down to visit every summer and knew that someday I wanted to live here,” She shrugged.
“When did you move?”
“Not too long ago actually. I’m still pretty new,” She said, “What about you?”
Greg smiled, “I’ve lived here my entire life. Born and raised.”
Layton reached over for her drink and took a small sip, “You’re lucky. I would have given anything to have been raised here.”
He shrugged his shoulders, “Sometimes it could be great being a teenager around this town but sometimes it could be hard too. Going to Huntington High sucked for me.”
She laughed, “What year did you graduate?”
“1999.”
Layton smirked, “Really?”
“Yep,” He chuckled.
“I think I remember you,” She murmured.
Greg raised one eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” She said, “I was at graduation that year to see my best friends graduate and I remember you being at that huge party on the beach with Val and Michelle Dibenedetto.”
“Wow,” He laughed, “So I guess we’ve kind of already met before.”
“Yeah for like a second,” She nodded, “Until my friend pull me away from you.”
A grin stretched across his face, “I remember that. You were that young girl hanging around the mighty Matt Sanders and his friends.”
“I sure was. We were inseparable.”
“Do you still keep in touch with them by any chance?” He asked.
Layton nodded, “We lost touch for a while but when I moved back we ran into each other.”
“They were always so nice,” He said, “Well to me at least. I remember they used to get into so many fights and now they’re these huge rock stars with millions of fans around the world.”
“It’s strange how things have changed, huh?” A soft smile curved at his lips.
“It sure is,” He agreed.
So far, Layton was having a great time with Greg. He was so nice and easy to talk to and she definitely liked him, but she was nervous that when he found out about her having a daughter with Matt, he wasn’t going to want to go on another date with her, which she could totally understand but hated. She was willing to give things a try with Greg and see how a relationship could blossom and turn out between them, and hoped that maybe he felt the same way even under the circumstances.
“So how come you’re not married yet?” Layton smirked slightly.
Greg laughed, “I have no idea. I guess I just haven’t found the right woman yet,” He said, “But what about you, huh? You’re a beautiful young woman and yet no one has taken you off the market.”
She sighed softly, “That’s because I have daughter, Greg,” She admitted.
His smile faded faintly and his eyes widen, “Oh, I had no idea.”
“I know, and I’m sorry about that. I should have told you the other day. I completely understand if you want to end this here and now,” She told him.
“Are you crazy?” He chuckled, “Layton, I wouldn’t jeopardize having a relationship you just because you have a daughter.”
She raised one eyebrow, “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
She drew in a deep breath, “There’s more that you should know then.”
He only smiled and said, “It’s okay, you can tell me. I would rather know the truth now and everything that goes along with it.”
“Well…I had an ongoing relationship with Matt Sanders for several years after I turned eighteen, and right before my twenty-first birthday I found out I was pregnant…” She explained, wanting to tell him the complete truth.
When she finished telling him what all he needed to know, Greg leaned forward and reached for her hand. “Thank you for telling me. You are one honest woman, and I would very much like it if you would allow me to take you on another date,” He smiled.
Layton couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t running in the other direction because she had a daughter, and he also didn’t seem freaked out or nervous about getting involved with her. She was happy about that, because so far, she liked him and could possibly see a future for them down the line, but there was still the fact that nothing would happen between them until Marley met him and approved of him.
“I would love that.”
Soon their food came and they began to eat while they conversed about their lives and what they hoped their future had in store. Their night was relaxing and peaceful and overall had been a huge success. Layton had no idea what was going to happen in the future with Greg, but she kind of hoped that everything worked out between them, because at that point, he was the only other man besides Matt she could actually see herself with.
Layton nodded with a soft smile, “Of course. It’s been great.”
Greg had picked Layton up at seven, right on time. Layton had been a bit nervous at first, but after a little while she began to feel more and more comfortable around Greg. He was sweet and seemed like he was just genuinely a nice guy. Layton knew for sure that she most definitely wanted to go on another date with him someday, but she wasn’t sure if he felt the same way or not.
They went bowling first, wanting to have some fun and lighten up a little bit with each other, which definitely worked so far, and then Greg took her to a sea food restaurant on the beach for dinner. They had just placed their order and were trying to get to know each other better while they waited.
“So tell me about yourself,” Greg said.
“What do you want to know?” She asked.
“Have you always lived here in Huntington?” He questioned.
Layton smiled, “I wish. My parents divorced when I was really young, so my dad stayed here to live and my mom took me to North Dakota. I came down to visit every summer and knew that someday I wanted to live here,” She shrugged.
“When did you move?”
“Not too long ago actually. I’m still pretty new,” She said, “What about you?”
Greg smiled, “I’ve lived here my entire life. Born and raised.”
Layton reached over for her drink and took a small sip, “You’re lucky. I would have given anything to have been raised here.”
He shrugged his shoulders, “Sometimes it could be great being a teenager around this town but sometimes it could be hard too. Going to Huntington High sucked for me.”
She laughed, “What year did you graduate?”
“1999.”
Layton smirked, “Really?”
“Yep,” He chuckled.
“I think I remember you,” She murmured.
Greg raised one eyebrow, “What do you mean?”
“Well,” She said, “I was at graduation that year to see my best friends graduate and I remember you being at that huge party on the beach with Val and Michelle Dibenedetto.”
“Wow,” He laughed, “So I guess we’ve kind of already met before.”
“Yeah for like a second,” She nodded, “Until my friend pull me away from you.”
A grin stretched across his face, “I remember that. You were that young girl hanging around the mighty Matt Sanders and his friends.”
“I sure was. We were inseparable.”
“Do you still keep in touch with them by any chance?” He asked.
Layton nodded, “We lost touch for a while but when I moved back we ran into each other.”
“They were always so nice,” He said, “Well to me at least. I remember they used to get into so many fights and now they’re these huge rock stars with millions of fans around the world.”
“It’s strange how things have changed, huh?” A soft smile curved at his lips.
“It sure is,” He agreed.
So far, Layton was having a great time with Greg. He was so nice and easy to talk to and she definitely liked him, but she was nervous that when he found out about her having a daughter with Matt, he wasn’t going to want to go on another date with her, which she could totally understand but hated. She was willing to give things a try with Greg and see how a relationship could blossom and turn out between them, and hoped that maybe he felt the same way even under the circumstances.
“So how come you’re not married yet?” Layton smirked slightly.
Greg laughed, “I have no idea. I guess I just haven’t found the right woman yet,” He said, “But what about you, huh? You’re a beautiful young woman and yet no one has taken you off the market.”
She sighed softly, “That’s because I have daughter, Greg,” She admitted.
His smile faded faintly and his eyes widen, “Oh, I had no idea.”
“I know, and I’m sorry about that. I should have told you the other day. I completely understand if you want to end this here and now,” She told him.
“Are you crazy?” He chuckled, “Layton, I wouldn’t jeopardize having a relationship you just because you have a daughter.”
She raised one eyebrow, “Really?”
“Yes, really.”
She drew in a deep breath, “There’s more that you should know then.”
He only smiled and said, “It’s okay, you can tell me. I would rather know the truth now and everything that goes along with it.”
“Well…I had an ongoing relationship with Matt Sanders for several years after I turned eighteen, and right before my twenty-first birthday I found out I was pregnant…” She explained, wanting to tell him the complete truth.
When she finished telling him what all he needed to know, Greg leaned forward and reached for her hand. “Thank you for telling me. You are one honest woman, and I would very much like it if you would allow me to take you on another date,” He smiled.
Layton couldn’t believe it. He wasn’t running in the other direction because she had a daughter, and he also didn’t seem freaked out or nervous about getting involved with her. She was happy about that, because so far, she liked him and could possibly see a future for them down the line, but there was still the fact that nothing would happen between them until Marley met him and approved of him.
“I would love that.”
Soon their food came and they began to eat while they conversed about their lives and what they hoped their future had in store. Their night was relaxing and peaceful and overall had been a huge success. Layton had no idea what was going to happen in the future with Greg, but she kind of hoped that everything worked out between them, because at that point, he was the only other man besides Matt she could actually see herself with.