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Layla

When I met Daniel, I had a ladybug in my hand. The cute ladybug had landed in my hand and didn't want to leave. I carried it around almost all day, making sure not to hurt it until the ladybug finally decided to fly and stay in a nearby tree outside Dad's office.

Danny noticed I had been carrying the ladybug around all day. He came over and held the ladybug for a while before giving it back to me. This is why he began to call me ladybug. He said it was a cute gesture of me to take care of the ladybug.

I had just turned nineteen, and when he knew my birthday had just passed, he surprised me with a necklace with a tiny ladybug pendant. I wore it from that day forth, never wanting to take it off.

Until the day after we had been together, the day he broke my heart. I took it off, put it away in my jewelry box, and never wore it again.

I drove toward his house; the car was too quiet. "Let's see what you listen to these days, Danny-boy," I said as I reached forward and turned the volume on his radio.

I chuckled at the sound of '80s and rock music. "I guess some things never change." I chuckled as he stirred a little, turned toward me, and laid his head on the seat. His hair covered his eyes. I slowly moved it back, combing it with my fingers.

He felt my hand, grabbing my hand and kissing my knuckles while still asleep. His hand was unwilling to let go until I pulled my hand back to drive safely.

Thirty minutes later, we finally arrived at his house. I waited for his gate to open and pulled the car to the front of his house, "Danny. Danny, we're home." I tried to wake him, but it was of no use. He grunted and turned away.

"God, you're so frustrating. Danny!" I yelled his name out, making him jump in place. He looked around, disoriented, as he took off his seatbelt and yawned, stretching his hands out. "Fuck. How did I get here?" he looks around and sees me sitting on his driver's seat.

His face turns into a smile as he leans his head on the seat. "Layla. And here I thought you didn't care. You brought me home? And you drove my baby?" he says, still slurring his words.

I rolled my eyes, opened the door to get out, and went to unlock his house. "Come on. Or do you need me to carry you too?" I say, making him chuckle.

"No," he says, waving his finger in the air as he begins to pace behind me, but he stumbles as the alcohol in his system still affects him.

"No, I got it. I got it," he assures me. He pats his front shirt pocket and his pants, then goes back to the car, making me groan in frustration. "Danny, where are you going now? The house is this way," I point to the entrance to his house.

He lived in a beautiful home. It had a gorgeous ocean view on one side, with a beautiful backyard, a pool, spa, and outdoor lounging. The front was just as beautiful, pretty modern design, with tree shrubs neatly trimmed, but the best was the view. You could see the entire city of Los Angeles right in front of his house. It looked breathtaking at night.

"I just," he stumbles, opens the door, and reaches for the glove compartment retrieving a case of cigarettes with a lighter. "God, you still smoke?" I was not too fond of his habit. It bothered me to see him smoke because I knew how bad it was.

He takes a cigarette out, lighting it as he crosses his foot over the other and rests against the car. He takes a puff, tilting his head back as he exhales. I can't help but become irritated, crossing my arms over my chest as I thump my foot on the ground.

"The stars look pretty tonight, don't they?" he says, making me roll my eyes. "Danny, we're in the middle of LA county. You can barely see Orion from here, nonetheless any other star." I say, undoing my arms and walking toward him.

I take the cigarette away from his lips as he takes another puff, making him look at me. I throw it on the floor and step on it, taking the box away and tossing it back in the car.

"Stop smoking, Danny. It's not good for you."

"Yeah, well, neither is drinking, but here I am!" he says, raising his hands and laughing. "God, you're unbelievable. Come on, get in the house, will you? I need to get home. It's late." I say, holding his hand and trying to pull him toward his house.

He looks around as I make him loop his arm over my shoulders and begin dragging him toward the house. "You're going home? Why? You can just sleep over tonight. Like old times, remember, ladybug?" he says, making me groan.

He weighs a ton, and I'm stumbling along with him as we finally make it to the front door. I grab the keys and begin wondering which damn key it is? I try the first one, but nothing. I put the second key and sigh in relief as the door unlocks.

"Your hair smells so good, Layla. It smells like flowers and candy," he says as he grabs some of my ha9r and buries his face in my hair as I try and switch the lights.

I flip the switch and dim them a little to avoid the room being so bright. I pull him and begin to walk toward the sofa. I will definitely not make it with him to his room. He's just going to have to figure that out on his own. I seriously need to get home. I see the clock on his wall, and it reads three am. "God, it's late." I protest, stumbling on his rug, but manage to stay upward.

He grabs a strand of my hair and puts it on his lips, giggling. "Dan- what are you doing?" I look at him in disbelief, holding my hair away from him. He chuckles, caressing my cheek.

"You're so cute when you're mad, ladybug." that's it. I need to get out. I unhook his arm around my shoulder, letting him fall seated on his couch.

He lays his head on the backrest, resting his arms up on the backrest as well. But seeing him in this state is killing me. I can't just leave him here.

I'm not even sure his sisters even live here anymore. He lays on his side, resting his body on the sofa. "Oh, no. Come on. Let's get you into bed. The last thing I want is for you to fall off this couch and wake up with a bruise somewhere. Come on, big guy." I pull him up, struggling to get him on his feet.

"No. Just leave me here. It's ok," he says, trying to go back to sleep on the sofa.

"Danny, cone on. Please. Stop being so stubborn. Go to your bed." I put my hand on my waist, sighing as I pull the bottom of my dress down.

My feet are getting sore. I decided to kick off my shoes and give it one more try. If I can get him in bed now, I can call an Uber and get home before four in the morning. Mom has a meeting with a caterer in the morning, which I don't have to attend.

But Karly is expecting me to go with her to see her dress at dad's studio tomorrow. I can't oversleep. I really want to be there for her.

"Daniel, I mean it. Get up." I say sternly, pulling in his arm and struggling to get him up. He protests, but he gets up anyway.

We stumbled a few steps back while walking him up the steps; I was scared to fall on my face or have him roll down the stairs. But we finally made it to his room.

He lets himself fall into the bed face down. I sigh as I gather my breath. I go over, pull his shoes off and flip him to try and get him into his covers. Once I do, I sigh.

It was a mission getting him in, but I did it. "Good night, Danny," I whisper, pausing as I'm tempted to kiss his lips, but I don't.

I comb his hair back with my fingers and smile. He's even more handsome than I remember. I look at him one last time and turn to leave.

His hand slowly holds mine, and I feel butterflies in my stomach as he stills me. "Please don't leave me, Layla. I don't want to be alone. Stay, at least for a while longer." I close my eyes as I'm standing away from him. His hand feels rough and masculine, yet, he holds my hand delicately, making sure not to hurt me.

"I... I can't."

"Please. I promise I won't touch you or try anything. I just want to be close to you a little longer." he says, sitting up a little.

I look at him. The sad expression back on his face. I sigh, closing my eyes. I just know I might regret this, but I can't just leave him like this.

"Ok. But only for a bit longer, ok? Then I have to go." he smiles slightly, moving over as I go under the covers and lay with him.

"Thanks, ladybug." I can't help but smile at him.

"Good night, Daniel."

"Good night, ladybug," he whispers, caressing my cheek and going to sleep.

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