Mama, I’m in love with a criminal. Chapter 7.
One day, Nick is walking from the gym back to the barracks. He spots Layla by the vending machine.
“Ah, if it isn’t the little ballerina.” He says, grinning at her. She only laughs.
“And if it isn’t the big bad criminal.”
She just laughs again. They go off together, sitting under a tree. She looks really pretty in this light, like an angel or some cheesy shit like that.
Listen, he’s no poet, but he knows a pretty lady when he sees one. It’s just the way the sun hits her hair, the way her eyes sparkle when she laughs. He can’t get enough of her.
He wonders what it would be like to kiss her. Are her lips soft? They look like it. Is her body soft, or hard? Is she more muscle or curves? He wants to find out the answers for himself. So, maybe he does something stupid, like reach out to hold her hand.
He expects her to pull away, but she doesn’t. She just squeezes his hand back. They look at each other for a long moment, and just for a second, he thinks she might lean in.
“Hey, love birds! Get off your lazy asses and get to your barracks!” The shout of the drill sergeant pulls them out of their haze. They say their goodbyes, and separate for the night.
But then, he dreams of her again. He imagines just loving her. Coming home after a long day, holding her in his arms.
Maybe it’s too soon for all that, but he’s never done things slow. He’s always lived his life in the fast lane, and his romantic life is no different.
Although, to be honest, he doesn’t know if he’s ever even had a romantic life. Sure he’s had hookups, and girlfriends, but they were only momentary distractions. They never lasted long.
He’s by no means a virgin, but he’s never really done the whole ‘love’ thing. He thought he was in love, once, but it ended poorly. So, he’s swore off.
The next day, they have some momentary free time. Something about a day off because the DIs are busy talking to NCIS or something.
All the others have gone out to a bar for the night, Nick stayed back. As terms of his deal, he’s not allowed to drink while doing his time.
Layla is here too. She manages to sneak away from her own platoon to come sit with him. They just sit on the floor, eating shitty vending machine food and talking about life.
“You ever been in love before?” She asks, looking over at him, sipping on some soda.
“I thought so, once. We used to fight like crazy, and makeup by having sex. I thought that’s how love was, you know? Bruises and sex, all the time. Eventually, she got sick of my shit, and left me. I never really fell in love again after that. What about you?” He returns the question.
She shrugs, “Yeah, I’ve been in love, or what felt like it, at least. After I had my injury, I was dating this guy, Brandon. He promised to be there for me, but we started fighting. He said he didn’t sign up to be the boyfriend of a cripple. Long story short, I broke up with him. When I healed, he tried to come crawling back, but I didn’t let him.”
“That’s shitty. You deserve someone who’d treat you well.” He doesn’t say that he wants to be that person. She picks up on it anyway.
“You’re pretty cool, Nick.”
“You’re pretty cool too, Layla.”
They stare at each other again, and this time, they do lean in. There’s no annoying drill sergeants to interrupt them now.
Their lips touch, and it’s like an electric current going between them. He puts his hand in her hair, pulling her close. She’s everything he imagined she’d be and more.
All those questions he had earlier, they all get answered. And for once in his life, he thinks that maybe this one is worth trying for.