Layla

My eyes fluttered open, my head pounding as I lay on my stomach. My hands lay out next to me, I tried rolling over but let out a groan as I grabbed my stomach in pain. I was sure I had a few broken bones ribs and fractures from the fall during the explosion.

How the hell did the explosion happen?

Everything was fine, we had our escape plan and the next we knew the building blew up and I opened my eyes to reach for Vi before blacking out.

My body was screaming at me to stop moving and my head was bleeding, I could feel it running down my temple. My hands had glass stuck in them from going through the window and I think my shoulder popped out of place because I'm having trouble moving it to look at my surroundings.

I try to not think about the pain and instead focus on the fact that I'm picturing a woman's face who looks very similar to me.

I'm going to take a wild guess that she's my mother.

The explosion must've jogged some of my memory because I remember her, I know her name.

Elena.

I'll think more about it later, right now I have to focus. Images of Mylo and Claggors dead bodies on the second floor flashed through my head, making bile rise in my throat. I put a hand over my mouth to stop myself from throwing up when I remembered seeing Vi unmoving underneath something before I lost consciousness.

Once I looked down in front of me I see Vander lying there unmoving. That put me over the edge and I pushed up on my hands and knees before turning to my left and emptying my stomach. I cried in pain and for the loss of my friends, I wrapped one arm around my stomach before leaning back on my knees and looking around. I saw the window we must've fallen through, I had already blacked out when we were on the second floor.

I whimpered, feeling my vision going in and out as I crawled towards him. Vander laid on the ground, his head turned towards me with shimmer streaming out the side of his mouth. I dropped my head on his cold shoulder as I cried, feeling hopeless about what to do next. I couldn't do anything, not tonight. I had to get home to the kids who were probably scared shitless. A sob wracked through my body as I reached over to close his eyes so he could rest now.

I pushed up from the ground, clenching my teeth from the pain. I groaned before standing up, holding my side before started my walk home. I couldn't stop the tears from falling on my way to Ekko, I had to stop multiple times to catch my breath from the pain burning on my skin. I leaned against the corner of a familiar looking building, I looked up seeing The Last Drop at the end of the street. I limped the rest of the way there, shoving the door open before walking into the empty bar.

"Ekko!" I wailed, my voice hoarse from all the crying I've been doing, when I didn't hear a reply I started to panic. I frantically limped down towards the basement where I had left him last, I prayed to god him and Powder were safe. "Powder, it's me, Layla!" I scrambled down the stairs, yelping in pain before throwing open the basement door. I looked around at the empty dark room, a panic attack clawing its way up my throat, they were here we told them to stay here. I grabbed my hair with one hand as I held my side with the other, my sobs becoming louder and louder as I kept repeating their names.

Before I could fall to the floor, I heard a squeak from above. I shut my mouth, walking slowly towards the sound to see who it was, I looked up to see light curly hair poking out from behind one of the big vents covering the ceiling. "Ekko?"

He hesitantly lifted his head before his eyes widened as he saw me, "Layla!" He screamed before jumping down and running towards me, throwing his arms around my waist tightly. I held in a scream, his grip hurting my probably broken ribs, but I wrapped my arms around his small frame before sighing in relief. "I'm sorry Layla, I'm so sorry I tried to stop her I really did but she wouldn't listen to me. She just kept saying she would help them, she kissed my forehead and told me to stay here, I was too scared to go with her I'm so sorry."

He cried in my arms, as I froze realizing who he was talking about, Powder must've followed us to the warehouse thinking she could help. My knees weakened at the thought of her being killed during the explosion as well, without any of us knowing she was nearby.

My heart beat faster painfully in my chest, I can't even digest it all, I'm still waiting for Vi to walk through the door to pull me over to the chair so we can sit together like we always have. I'm waiting for Benzo to march downstairs to yell at Ekko and I again for not coming back to his place before curfew. I'm waiting for Vander to pick Ekko and Powder up to spin them around, making them dizzy and giggly before setting them back down on their feet so we can watch them step 2 feet before falling over. I'm waiting for Mylo to come and tell me his new crush he has, since he only ever opens up about girls to me. I'm waiting for Claggor to tell me a bad joke just to make me smile, even though he always tells them wrong. I'm waiting for someone to say it was all fake. But that didn't come.

So in silence I pulled Ekko along, swallowing the pain, before walking us back to our bedroom at Benzos. We'll stay there until we figure out a plan...I don't know when that'll be but I can't think about it now.

I limped slowly home, holding onto Ekko for support. I tried to ignore the pain in my body but it was so hard, I winced every step I took. Even as we walked through the door my head was running a mile a minute, but everything went quiet when I saw the paper on the table.

With my name on it in Vi's horrible handwriting.

I stopped in my tracks, E looked up at me in confusion before following my gaze. He walked us over to the counter and grabbed the paper. He knew I was injured and wouldn't be able to stand much longer so he dragged us upstairs before lying me on the couch in our bedroom. I yelped and he apologized quietly before handing me the letter. I pulled him to me, he lied down with his head on my lap.

I took a deep breath before opening the note and reading the inside:

Hey Superstar,

I know what you're gonna say, so first I just want to say how sorry I am. The talk Vander and I had on the bridge made me realize how much I fucked up on the job yesterday. It was my idea so if I turn myself in, none of the others need to take the fall for my idea. I know I'll be going away for a long time and they're not gonna go easy on me. But I promise you Layla, I will come back for you. For all of you. This is the way it has to be. Take care of everyone, keep Mylo from picking on Powder and never stop telling her how much I love her. Tell Claggor to stop worrying all the time and tell Vander how much he's helped me. Protect the family like I know you always will. I'll be back before you know it, and when I do I'm not letting anything cone between us again. It's always been you, Lay, you're my home. I promise I'll come home to you and make this right. I love you, Superstar. Don't hate me.

Vi

My heart shattered into little pieces and a sob worked its way up my throat. Ekko wrapped his arms around my waist and we cried together until we had no more tears left.

I would never hate her...I couldn't.

I think better when I'm with V, but now I don't have her to lean on and I have to learn to live with that.

We had a date planned, just us for the first time ever. And I'm going to spend it in pain and suffering without the girl I want more than anything in this world.

I've never felt so lost.

Come back to me, Vi.

Please come back for me.