Counting Sheep

Chapter 14

Hey everybody! I hope you are having an awesome day! I am sorry it took me so long to update, but I had a really, really bad flare up with my conditions and it just got to the point that I couldn't do anything and I had NO energy whatsoever and it sucks because writing makes me so happy. So, today, I forced myself up and out of bed to write this chapter for you guys! I hope that you guys enjoy it oh-so much and I will be updating as soon as I can. Keep your eyes open! I love you oh-so much. -Hannah <3

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CHAPTER 14: When Layla got back to the Amaro house, she hadn't known what she was expecting. To say she was surprised with what she found was an understatement. A bag of clothes in hand along with a pair of brown boots, Layla made her way through the foyer and into the living room.

Upon entering she found Alice, Ethan, Sydney and Antony sitting together on the living room floor—the couch ottoman pushed back up against the wall along with the coffee table. Alice sat in Ethan's lap, watching with a bitten back smile while he chuckled softly. Antony had an eyebrow quirked, his broad shoulder leaned against the couch while Sydney scowled at Hazel across a deck of cards.

Layla kept back, watching with curiosity.

"How do you do that?" Sydney groused with a frown. "Seriously. I never lose! Just ask everyone here." She said again emphatically.

Hazel looked like she was trying not to giggle.

Antony nodded his head from where he sat, watching. "She's right, you know," He grinned. "Usually when we play a game of cards she whoops our a—" Antony was cut off as Alice hissed at him with a warning glare.

Antony flushed, clearing his throat as he amended. "She whoops our butt. You've got some serious skill there, kid." Antony said and Hazel shifted where she sat, smiling down at the cards as she picked them up to silently begin shuffling them again.

Layla decided it was time to make her presence known, unable to help the smile that curled her lips at how easy their time together was going.

"I see everyone is getting along okay." Said Layla with a smile as she adjusted her grip on the bag of clothes.

Hazel's head snapped up and she quickly dropped the cards to run over and catapult herself against Layla's legs.

Layla almost fell, but managed to catch herself at the last second as she laughed quietly. Kneeling down and setting the bag on the floor, she hugged the eager little girl, tucking her hair behind her ear.

"Miss me?" She asked and Hazel's only reply was to tighten her grip around Layla's neck. When Layla had finally managed to successfully untangle herself from the little girl's grip, she flashed a quick smile at her wonderful group of friends.

"Everything go okay?"

Sydney grabbed the cards and began to get them back into order while Alice spoke. "Yeah! Hazel slept until just around twenty minutes ago when Sydney got here. Then, she woke up and we decided to play a game of cards," Alice looked at Ethan over her shoulder with a wry smile. "She has beaten each and every one of us since we started playing."

Layla looked at the little girl and she blushed prettily as they got to their feet. Sydney walked over after putting the cards up, the room having gone silent. Kneeling down so that she was eye-level with the child, she had a stare-down for a few moments and Layla was surprised when Hazel didn't break the gaze once.

"Listen, Shortcake, I don't know how you managed to beat me, but you did," Sydney pulled out a bag of cookies. "That means you get Natalie's famous cookies this round, but I'm tellin' ya, we are going to go at this again and you are going to either show me your ways, how you count cards or I am going to beat you. Deal?" Sydney asked.