His Sunshine | ✓

Chapter Thirty-Eight - Back To Normal

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Reece's POV

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She's back. For good. Layla is back home for good. And I am about two seconds away from just grabbing her and kissing her like I so desperately want to.

After a lot of convincing, I ended up staying in school for the rest of chemistry class which was my last class of the day. I wanted to just go home with her and forget about school. My best friend is back for good and I don't want to waste a second of it. But Layla was having none of that and basically forced me back into my chemistry class.

Once she left, Ella started bombarding me with questions.

"Was that your friend that moved away?"

"Is she just visiting?"

"When will she be going away again?"

"She looks different in person, doesn't she?"

"Are you guys still really close?"

"Is she just a friend?"

I wanted to scream honestly. I ended up just telling her the truth, short and simple.

"She's moving back here."

Soon after that the bell rang – thankfully – and I was able to escape her questioning. The end of the day couldn't come quick enough, but as soon as that last bell rang, Liam, Anna and I were off towards Layla's house, Amanda and Mark just behind us in his car as well.

There were heaps of hugs that went around as everyone welcomed Layla and Bella back. My parents soon came around as well with Cody, Macy and Sophie and there were even more hugs and a few more tears shed. For a good ten minutes, Layla, Amanda and Anna were basically just a sobbing heap on their living room floor. Then the next twenty minutes were spent with them talking about everything that had happened while she was gone, even though they talked on the phone every day.

Eventually we decided to order some pizzas and have dinner together. My parents and Layla's dad moved into the dining room for tea and coffee after, while we all spread out across the living room and watched an episode of Friends.

Unfortunately, Layla and I didn't end up having a couch to ourselves, so we weren't able to do our thing. But I was more than content sitting on the floor with my back against the couch, Layla sitting on it behind me with her hands in my hair.

One episode of Friends soon turned into three and the three kids ended up passed out on the other couch. My parents decided to take them home and let us stay a while longer and I would drive us home later. Amanda and Mark left soon after that as well.

Bella, Claire, and Max moved up onto the couch that the kids were occupying before and soon ended up asleep as well. Max sits on one end of the couch, his head tilted to the side as he sleeps while Claire is on the other end, curled up in the corner. Bella ends up spread across the couch, her head in Max's lap and her feet in Claire's.

Anna and Liam take up the armchair, cuddling on that together while Layla and I finally end up with a couch to ourselves. So now, my head rests in her lap and her hand is in my hair. I feel really, truly at peace.

As the night goes on, I begin to get more and more tired. I end up shifting my head and arms so that my face is pressed into Layla's stomach and I have my arms wound around her waist. I feel her body shake with silent laughter once I have done so, her hand moving to scratch up and down my back soothingly. No one that isn't in my family has ever made me feel so loved. Too bad it's only platonic on her end.