The Hurt You Sold

.:.Present time.:.

"Please don't look at me like that." Lyla requested noticing that familiar stare from Mikey.

"I'm just in shock that you're actually here." Mikey defended closing the passenger door for her.

"God this is embarrassing."

"What is?"

"You guys seeing me like this. I didn't want you guys to find out I was back this way."

"Well how long did you think you could hide from us? I'm an idiot, I should have put it all together. My God, you're a mom! No wonder Mason is so awesome."

"Yeah he's an amazing kid." She sighed wishing he would drive faster.

"Amy looked like she was about to rip your head off when Frank spoke to you." He chuckled.

"Yeah I bet." She responded looking down at her hands.

"I don't want this to be weird. That's why I'm talking to you as if you never left."

"I know Mikey. I'm just...this has all happened faster than I prepared myself for."

"I'm sorry." He sighed pulling into the driveway.

"Well thank you. I enjoyed our dance." Lyla said quickly exiting the car.

"Lyla wait! We need to talk about this!" Mikey called after her chasing her inside.

"Where's the fire?" Linda asked.

"You, big trouble." Mikey informed pointing at Linda.

"Oh dear." She sighed sitting back on the couch. "How did you boys find out?"

"Tony of course showed up! Started a fight with Frank and Lyla instantly jumped in and started going crazy on him. He slapped her mask off of her face and there she was." He explained.

"I'm sorry. I respected her wishes and didn't tell you boys. She wanted to tell you all when the time was right."

"Sounds like someone's here." Mikey stated hearing a car horn beep.

"Where is she!?" Gerard's voice echoed through the house until he met Mikey.

"She ran to her room."

"Well she's gonna come out of there." He said beginning to march down the hallway.

"Give her some time." Linda insisted grabbing his arm. "She's really shaken up."

"This is insane! How could we be so dumb? Like we should have noticed it was her through those sunglasses she always had on! Hell Mason even looks like her...well kind of around the eyes. Oh goodness this is crazy!" Gerard ranted before plopping in the chair to gather his thoughts.

Lyla could hear the raised voices just outside of her bedroom door but she wasn't ready to face them. She got out of her dress and into some pajamas. She left her hair up and removed her makeup. After a few more minutes of mentally throwing a tantrum she decided to go out and face the music.

"Hi." She awkwardly smiled leaning against the threshold of the living room.

"Lyla." Gerard got up and stood a few inches away from her to just look at his old friend. Comparing what she used to look like to what she looked like now. He walked over and cupped her face in his hands before pulling her into a hug. "You look so different."

"I know, so do you guys."

"I'm going to head on home." Linda said getting up.

"Ok, thank you for watching Mason." Lyla smiled.

"No trouble at all. I'll see you later."

"So! What's new?" Mikey clapped his hands together to get some form of conversation going.

Lyla and Gerard just looked at Mikey like they used to when he'd ask a stupid or ill timed question.

"So tell me how much of a terrible person I am for never writing or calling in these last 11 years. Or being here almost 7 months and not saying anything to you." Lyla express, expecting to be screamed at.

"Lyla no one is holding any grudges." Gerard explained.

"Maybe not you guys, but I know Frank hates me." She spoke just above a whisper avoiding eye contact.

"He doesn't hate you. He hates what happened to you guys. He know's you had to leave. I think he's just upset that you've been gone for so long." Mikey corrected.

"3 months I stayed in a coma. When I woke up I was pregnant, hundreds of miles away and had a long road of recovery. At first I was so mad at you guys for not coming to see me. But after a while I realized we couldn't recover together. I'm still embarrassed as to how you guys found me. It would have just been a constant reminder staying here. But I got some of my sanity back and began to relive my life again. And some how 11 years just flew by. Had I have stayed I know I would have killed myself. I know that I would have lashed out at you guys and Frank and I wouldn't of lasted. I was able to keep the good memories with me."

"That's crazy, I'm just glad to be looking at you again. This is something I have longed for, for so long." Mikey confessed.

"That's Frank." Gerard whispered squeezing her shoulder.

"I'm not ready." She panicked wiping her eyes.

"Yes you are. Just breathe." Gerard cooed.

Frank rushed through the door scanning the room remembering how it used to be in here when he came to see Lyla. He walked through the kitchen to get into the living room and he locked eyes with his first love. The only woman he truly fell in love with. The first woman he had sex with. The only woman that truly was flawlessly beautiful to him. The woman he so longed to see, to touch, and to speak to for these last 11 years. Lyla was finally in his sights again and he had nothing to say. So many emotions running through his brain and he just couldn't find the words.

"Please say something." Lyla begged watching Frank mentally rage a war with himself.

"I don't know what to say." He confessed.

"Sure ya do!" Gerard insisted patting his friend on the back before taking a seat beside Mikey.

"Frank everything happened so fast. I seen Mikey at Angelo's one day and got so scared I ran home and ran right into your mom! I just..I don't know I panicked and couldn't find a way to talk to you guys."

"Why would you be afraid of seeing me? You know what you meant to me." Frank's voice got a little higher than he anticipated, frightening her. "I'm sorry." He lowered his voice taking a step back.

"I couldn't just show up to your doorstep and say hey guys i'm back lets pick up where we left off!"

"You could of wrote a letter. Saying you were back but you weren't ready or comfortable to meet just yet!" Frank shot back pacing the floor.

"Frank just calm down." Mikey requested noticing Lyla's scared body language.

"I know. I had to think of Mason. I wanted to keep him from here. He's so smart I didn't want to have to explain to him what happened. And when I was forced to come back here I didn't know how to manage. I had every intention of meeting you again but on that day I seen you with your girlfriend and I lost my confidence. I didn't want to embarrass myself."

Frank grabbed Lyla's hands and led her over to the couch. He tried to think long and hard before responding to her. He was angry and sad at the same time, he didn't want to say anything that would hurt her feelings. "You could of spoken to me. You should know me, I would have accepted you."

"I'm sorry." She sniffed looking away.

Frank cleared his throat before speaking again. "You look different." Was all he could think of to say.

"Yeah, having a baby alters your appearance a bit."

"You look more mature, and you've lost some weight. You've darkened your hair as well. You're still so beautiful."

"Well I see you guys have done wonderful for yourselves." She cleared her throat wiping the tears with her sleeve. She didn't want to be drawn into Frank's charm it was to painful to hear him call her beautiful knowing he was going to go home to another woman.

"That's not important." Mikey protested.

"Yes it is. The misfits of Bellville High became big rockstars. Who'd of thought you'd be the ones to make a name for this little town? I'm so proud of you guys." She smiled trying so hard to not break down in front of them.

"Lyla we don't want to talk about us. We want to know what you've been the last 11 years." Frank stated.

"Being a mom and taking care of my father. Trying to repress all my bad memories. Memories that were just awoken by that son of a bitch tonight." She ranted standing up. "Anyone want a drink?"

"Lyla please sit down." Gerard requested watching her pace around uncomfortably.

"I'm sorry. This is to much right now. I have to check on Mason." She was trying to fight off an anxiety attack.

"What the fuck am I going to do?" Frank whispered rubbing the back of his neck.

"I'm not sure. We can't blame her for any of this. This was just a no win situation." Mikey answered.

"We can't abandon her, we have to be here for her now." Gerard added.

"I still love her." Frank confessed fighting back tears.

"But you're with Amy now. You have to be her friend now. She seems like she really needs our support now rather than a rekindled love." Gerard added.

"How do you stay just friends with someone you share a history with? Someone who you shared your virginity with? My first fucking love Gerard." Frank broke down.

"I don't know but you're gonna have to try. I know I'm not leaving her side." Mikey stated.

"Ok I'll see you tomorrow." Lyla said hanging up her phone, reentering the living room. "So." She huffed sitting down next to Mikey, facing across from Frank.

"Lyla I feel like we have os much to talk about." Frank stated.

"Well lets talk."

"I don't want to bombard you this evening. can I take you to lunch or something tomorrow?"

"That'll be fine." She hesitated before answering.

"I can hang out with Mason!" Mikey cheered.

"Jesus Michael." Gerard teased his brothers dorky remark.

"Don't pick on him." Lyla defended slapping Gerard on the leg.

"Thank you." Mikey grinned putting his arm around her.

"You always baby him." Gerard whined.

"He's the baby." She laughed.

For a moment Frank felt like they were teenagers again. Lyla scolding Gerard for picking on Mikey. He was in a trance almost being back in this house with the whole gang together. Frank watched at how Lyla tried to laugh and carry on with the boys but really she was screaming on the inside. He knew her long enough to be able to read her uneasiness.

"Well I think we should all hit the old dusty trail." Gerard suggested noticing Frank's wandering thoughts.

"I'll be over tomorrow to watch little man." Mikey smiled hugging Lyla.

"We aren't going anywhere. We need to hang out again." Gerard reassured before leaving.

"Look." Lyla tried to begin but was cut off by a tight embrace.

"I have waited so long to just be able to touch you again." Frank sighed breaking down again. "Even if you have a southern accent now."

"Don't try to make me laugh."

"I'm not I just don't know what else to say now."

"uh Frank! You know of blocked us all in!" Gerard shouted from the driveway.

"Guess you better go." Lyla half smiled pulling away.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Ok."

"Please don't go anywhere."

"I won't." She responded looking straight into his eyes. "I promise."

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow." He smiled gushing over those beautiful green eyes of hers. He planted a kiss on her forehead and then took his leave.

Lyla waited at the doorway until all three cars were out of her sight. He slowly closed the door and made her way into Mason's room. He was sleeping so soundly she didn't want to disturb him but she just needed to be close to him. She laid in bed next to her son and stared at the ceiling. She couldn't wait to see Maura tomorrow to get everything off of her chest. It was time she faced her demons head on and try and fully recover from what happened to her and Frank all those years ago.