He flicks my forehead. "Just do it. And give me your hand."

I do it and feel a small square shape in my hand. I open my eyes and smile at the white box with a white ribbon wrapped around it. Aw.

"I do!" I look at him with googly eyes. His life flashes before his. "I'm kidding!"

"Jesus Christ..." He gasps for air, looking at me like I'm death knocking on the door.

I cackle. "That's what you get, bitch." Got to take my frustration out for that sexual assault.

"You're not funny." He lies.

"So what is it?" I grin ear to ear. "Hm? I thought you don't do gifts." He's so in love with me.

"I also thought I wouldn't date an orangutan, but here I am."

He's so funny I can't even be offended. "Good job, your jokes are getting better."

Death. That's what he says with his beautiful and flat face. I don't know, maybe he fucked my brains out. Was I stressed out about something?

"Layla."

"Hm?"

"Open the fucking gift already."

"Oh." I giggle and look down at Lucas's love confession. I hope it's a heart-shaped necklace with 'Lucas+Layla' on it.

I'm fucking kidding, I'll vomit on it.

No... I hope it's a miniature charm of his monster weapon. On a classy, silver necklace.

"Is it your dick?"

Lucas laughs. "Cute."

He's so cocky. Oh my God.

"Okay, let me see what ridiculous thing you got me." I roll my eyes and open his gift.

Oh...

"Lucas..."

"I thought of you when I saw it."

It's one of those hair accessories, shaped like a comb that pulls the side of your hair back. Except the details on it are flowers. They seem real. Muted pink, green, and white. Delicate and dainty.

"This is so pretty..." I say in utter amazement.

"It's so that..." Lucas grabs the accessory and looks at me with soft eyes. He lifts one hand to the side of my face and brushes his fingers down my locks, stroking my cheek and jawline. My heart grows a hundred sizes larger and my eyes close as he pushes the comb through my hair, the scratch on my scalp creating goosebumps.

"So that you have flowers in your hair anytime you want." He murmurs, eyes slightly wide with enchantment as his eyes travel around my face. "And a reminder to be true to who you are."

Oh my God. Daddy is so cheesy.

Did I say that.

"Lucas..." I say his voice like an endearment and wrap my arms around him. And my legs around him. And I kiss him.

"Do you like it?" His husky voice drips across my lips.

"I do." I say quietly, afraid that my voice will break.

He cups my face and kisses me slowly. I shut my eyes so tears don't spill. His hands tighten around my waist and push me against him. As if we weren't tearing each other apart a few minutes ago. This time though, my head is high with happiness. Unbelievable. I feel so lucky.

"Thank you..." I pull back and look at him. "Thank you for not doubting me."

He stares back quietly, eyes swimming with unknown thoughts. I cup his stubbled cheek.

"And for the record..." I say, brushing my thumb over his smooth lip. "I don't care if you get the position." I look up at his fixated gaze, smiling a little. "I'll be happy for you."

His eyebrows knit for a second and he takes a shallow breath. I wonder it's because he thinks he'll get it too. I've been so unfair to him.

"You're incredible at what you do." I continue. "I can't imagine how amazing you are at cooking if that's your real passion. But to be this good at something you don't care about?" My smile widens. "Now that's some real strength."

Lucas swallows and looks down for a moment, then lifts his eyes with a small smile.

I walk out first and take the elevator one level up, where the regular offices are. The space is alive with chatters about the upcoming happy hour and the announcements.

I smile to myself, for once liberated from anxiety. Walking and not dreading the unexpected. Genuinely content with whatever might happen, knowing I'll be okay.

"Layla? Can you come to my office?" Grant says behind me, standing by his door. He doesn't look happy.

"Now?" I stand still, trying to think of what he might want. "My review is in fifty minutes."

"I know, we need to talk." He turns around, walking side. "Close the door."

"What's going on?" I tentatively take a seat across from him. He puts his forearms on the desk with a heavy sigh.

"Look..." He opens his palms, voice calm. "You've been... with us for years now. I consider you family. So as family, I'm going to be upfront with you and hope that you'll do the same."

"Okay..." I drawl, unable to hide the concern from my eyes.

Grant exhales a tired breath, eyes on me. "Have you... started your own business?"

"No." I frown.

"Because I've seen your Yelp account." He sits back with pride. "Social Media Consultant. Very similar to this job. You could say, it's a competitor to this company."

Oh God. He can't possibly think that was my plan. Can he?

"And then I realized..." Grant sits forward again, pretending to think deeply. "You and Lucas are dating. You've grown even closer. You look out for each other."

Where the hell is he going with this?

"And I realized, it's my mistake." He raises his eyebrows. "I trusted that Lucas would stay professional and not let his feelings get in the way."

"Grant, I'm sorry. I have no idea what you're talking about." I seriously don't.

"Layla, you don't need to protect him." Grant says more bluntly. "He won't get fired for telling you, but it just escalated into something unnecessary. Had you talked to me first, I would've explained and shown you the roadmap we've made for you."

I put my hands together and speak slower. "I really... really don't understand what you're talking about."

Did I miss an email? Or is he getting too old?

"I know he told you that he's going to become the VP." Grant presses his lips, containing his annoyance. "Now what I want to know, is when? Was it in San Diego? When he said he had a bee sting and didn't come to work?"

Uh.

What?

I laugh. "You're telling me he knew he was going to be VP when we were in San Diego?"

His seriousness remains unmoving. And I slowly stop smiling. I blink a few times. I feel stupid.

"What?" I ask.

Grant furrows his eyebrows and tilts his head.

Am I not understanding English today or did he say that Lucas knew this whole time who was going to get chosen?

"But I asked him who he thinks will get it and he said he doesn't know." I say.

"You... you didn't know?" Grant asks quietly, genuinely surprised.

My heart drops to my stomach. I feel sick. I need to get out of here.

"I... I need to go." I stand up and rush out of the office, not waiting for his reply.

Fuck. Fuck. This can't be. No. I'm dreaming. I don't understand. What the hell.

I grab my purse. I can't breathe. My feet take me to the elevators. My hands press the call button. The doors open. I step in. I'm not in my body. I can't believe this. The doors start closing.

"Layla!" He puts his hands on the doors and looks at me with wide eyes. "What's going on?"

I can't believe it.

"What happened? Why do you look like that?" He asks, letting go of the doors as they slide open. He steps inside, looks back to the right at someone. "Take the next one."

The doors close and trap me with him. He looks down at me. Expression unreadable. Serious but calm. Studying. Learning.

A couple of minutes ago I was swooning over him studying me.

Now... I'm terrified. Who is he? He's been using me. He's been controlling the truth from me.

"Why?" I ask him. My voice broken and low.

All that moves is the rise and fall of his chest. "You know."

"Why?" I get more desperate. God. Please. No. I need to stay strong.

"I was scared." He says quietly. "You were so obsessed with it that you'd turn into someone else at work. I didn't think you'd be able to separate that from what was going on between us." He looks at me tentatively, swallowing. "I didn't think you'd be able to handle it."

I chuckle, heart shattering to pieces, eyes blurring with tears. "What an idiot I've been."

"No." He furrows his eyebrows. "You haven't. What are you saying?"

I cover my mouth, laughing and crying. The elevator doors open and Lucas presses the top level button. Backing by the door to make sure no one enters, but not taking his eyes off of me.

I look down, covering my face with my hair from the few people over his shoulder. The doors close again and somewhere in the middle of the lift, Lucas presses the stop button.

His eyes focus on me with anger. But I assume it's towards the situation.

"So what... " I look him up and down, tilting my head. "You thought... let me lie to Layla and pretend to train her, get close to her, learn what triggers her, then make her feel like she matters." I cross my arms, mouth tight so it doesn't tremble. "Let me just screw her brains out and toss her aside. I'm going to be her boss anyway. Let me enjoy it while I can."

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Lucas exhales breathlessly, horror taking over his eyes. "Fucking, Christ. No. Is that what you think of me?"

"You lied to me, Lucas!" I yell at him. "I completely opened up to you! Emotionally, mentally, physically! And you knew the one thing that meant everything to me. And you acted like you didn't! And why?" I wipe under my eyes, chuckling. "Because you thought I'm too weak for the truth."

He shakes his head, hands clenching into fists. He unclenches and steps forward, lifting his hands towards me.

"Don't you fucking dare." I back up against the wall, gritting my teeth. "Don't ever think about touching me again."

"Layla, you're blowing this out of proportion. Just let me explain."

"Explain what?" I cry. Careless about how pathetic I'm being. Hell, he's already made a joke out of me. I'm done pretending. Why should I? "You lecture me about making assumptions and you've been making the biggest assumption this whole time!" I get in his face, growling with the urge to hit him. "Even if you were right, you didn't have the fucking right. Who do you think you are to control the situation?"

"Layla it's complicated!" Lucas opens his hands, eyes widening. "Do you fucking understand I couldn't go behind Grant's back and tell you what he told me? Do you know what he's done for me? I'm indebted to him! I couldn't have told you, cause that would cross the professional boundaries!"

I stay silent, processing his words and the way he looks at me. Convinced that he's right.

"What don't you understand?" He asks.

"You crossed the professional boundaries thirty minutes ago when you fucked me over the table."

I look at him with pity and heartbreak. Distant. He's done. There's nothing he can say to fix this.

"Layla—" He steps forward.

"Blue." I say firmly. Shock paints his face as he stills. "Fucking blue."

~A/N~
Well, shit. What the hell just happened?