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But then I remember my car is back at my apartment building, and chances are Ian and Tyler have a car close by. They’ll have a huge head start on me.
Shit.
Layla walks out of the bathroom huddled against Ian, who has his arm securely around her as he walks her down the hallway.
I move to follow, but Tyler stops me with a firm hand on my shoulder. “He meansourplace,” he clarifies. “Not the parents’ house.” And then he follows after them.
As I watch them walk away, I notice blood on the sleeve of Layla’s hoodie. Damn it, she did hurt herself.
As they disappear out the front door, I immediately feel the void left behind from Layla’s absence, like there’s suddenly a gaping hole in my chest. How did she become such a big presence in my life so quickly? She’s a complicated girl, one minute smiling and laughing, and the next minute she’s suffering a level of emotional pain that I have no experience with.
I hand our server more than enough cash to cover our bill and a tip and head for the exit. Right now, I just want to be with Layla. It stung when I realized she’d called her brother for help rather than me. I guess I haven’t earned that level of trust with her yet.
But that’s something I’ll rectify, no matter what it takes.
* * *
I pull up in front of Ian and Tyler’s townhouse and park in the driveway behind Tyler’s black BMW. Ian’s bright blue Porsche is parked under a makeshift carport, as they’ve turned the old carriage house, which used to serve as a garage, into the offices for their new private investigation business.
I race up the steps to the front door and knock. The door opens almost immediately, and Tyler steps back to let me in.
“How is she?” I ask.
“She’s okay. She’s resting right now, with Ian.”
I glance around the foyer, trying to get my bearings. There’s a living room to the left of the front hall and a smaller room to the right—something that looks like an old-fashioned parlor. Straight ahead is a staircase, and beyond that is the kitchen. “Where is she?”
“Before I take you to her, let me remind you that Ian’s been her lifeline since childhood. She trusts him.”
“Are you saying she doesn’t trust me?”
“She hasn’t known you that long. Layla tries hard to keep the more painful aspects of her life private. She’s not going to spill her guts to you and let you know how much she’s hurting.”
“But it’s my job—”
“Your job is to keep her physically safe. She holds her emotions pretty close. I think Ian’s the only one she lets see her as she truly is.”
I scrub my hands over my face and blow out a long breath. I hear what he’s saying, and I get it. Ian has a long track record with Layla, and I’m new to her life. But damn it, I want that level of trust with her. I meet Tyler’s dark gaze. “Can I see her?”
“They’re up on the roof, in the greenhouse. Ian told me to send you up.”
With a grateful nod, I head for the stairs, taking them two at a time as I rush up to the roof.
Chapter 27
Layla Alexander
A lot of people are out on the lake this afternoon. As far as the eye can see, countless boats skim across the glassy water’s surface beneath a pale blue sky. Up here in the greenhouse, three floors above the ground and surrounded by lush ferns and potted trees, we’re in our own magical world.
Ian loves his greenhouse—it’s his escape when the world gets to be too much. And at the moment, it’s mine too.
I take comfort in my brother’s arm wrapped around my shoulders, and I lean into him.
“D’you want to talk about it?” he asks quietly. His head is pressed close to mine.
“Not really.” Sniffling, I press a tissue against my nose. I’ve been crying since we left the restaurant.
“Come on, Layla. Tell me what upset you.”
