A Heart Worth Loving

Stood outside her gran’s house two weeks later, Layla released Brandon from her embrace and wiped away a stray tear that was rolling down his cheek. Crouching down beside the car as she fastened his seatbelt, she kissed his cheek and handed him his book.

“Be a good boy for dad, okay?” Layla said, earning a nod from Brandon and standing up, “I love you.”

“I love you too.”

Closing the car door, Layla stepped back and waved as her gran pulled away. Heading back inside, she laid on her bed and let her mind drift back to the conversation she’d had with Damon a week before.

‘Sat in the Grill, Layla stared into her empty coffee cup and looked up as Damon joined her.

“Anything interesting going on in that head of yours?” he asked with a smile.

“Just thinking,” Layla admitted, knowing what she needed to do and pushing back the tears that were threatening to fall as she continued, “We can’t see each other anymore...”

“What?”

“It’s dangerous being around me,” she told him, standing up and refusing to meet his eyes, “Tell the others that I’m sorry, but it’s just better for everyone... I’m sorry.”

Walking out of the Grill, she returned to her gran’s house and locked herself in her room as all of her pent-up emotion broke free.’

Getting changed ready for the day ahead, she swung her bag over her shoulder and walked to school. She had gotten pretty good at avoiding the others, but today was different and she found Damon waiting outside for her.

“Can we talk?” he inquired, grabbing her arm gently as she moved to walk past him, “Layla... please, I just want to talk.”

“I don’t have anything else to say to you.”

“Then just listen,” Damon added, causing Layla to look over at him and nod to show that she was listening, “I know that your mom has got inside your head and convinced you that you are just like her, but she’s wrong.”

“Damon...”

“No, you are nothing like her, Layla and this notion that she’s instilled in you that you’re a danger to be around is crazy,” he continued, “She’s trying to isolate you from the people that care about you and I won’t let her do it... I can’t. I don’t have all the answers, but I do know one thing for sure and that is that I love you.”

“I...” Layla started, before falling silent and swallowing past the lump in her throat, “You can’t.”

“What are you scared of, Lay?” Damon stated as a look of realization crossed his face, “Layla, tell me what you're scared of?”

“Me,” she shouted, finally admitting it out loud and sagging in defeat, “I’m scared of myself...”

“There was a time just after becoming a vampire, when I was afraid of myself and what I had become,” Damon confessed, moving to stand in front of her again and tilting her head back slightly, “You don’t have to be frightened of the person that having magic has made you because you haven’t changed...”

Hearing Damon’s words, Layla searched his eyes for any signs that he was lying and found that he was being nothing but sincere. She missed him... she missed her friends and being around people that understood her in a way that no one else ever had.

Not knowing what to say, she made a decision and kissed him. Feeling his arms wrap around her waist as they fell into the moment, she pulled back and rested her forehead against his.

“I love you too,” she mumbled with a small smile that Damon returned.

Her magic still scared her and Damon’s speech wasn’t going to change that, but it was a start. Only time would tell if she was destined to follow in her mom’s footsteps, but for now, she was still her and she wasn’t alone.