The Music Teacher

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Chapter Thirty One:
Andrew was there for hours. He was shocked at himself. He was going back towards his old teaching ways. Pure control and abuse. He couldn't do that to her. He loved her. And the reason he was so shaken, wasn't because he almost lost his teaching licence or reputation. He was afraid of losing Layla. Although he could have done that himself now. He decided to get up. He walked out of the kitchen, and to the base of the stairs. 'Will she want to see me?', he thought before taking the first step up. He couldn't hear her crying. He walked up the next few steps. 'I almost hit her...I'm a monster...', he thought taking the next few steps. He got to the top of the stairs. 'I'm as bad as Lucas...', he thought before he slowly opened his bedroom door. His heart ached at the sight. She was lying on her side, the only motion was that of her heaving chest.

He closed the door and approached the bed. She didn't move, so he presumed she was asleep. He climbed onto the bed and pulled her body flush against his. He wrapped his arm around her waist. Tears streamed down his face and he nuzzled his face into the side of her neck. He had hurt her. Just like Lucas. She began to stir and Andrew held her tightly. She woke up. Her eyes were half open. She realised where Andrew was and she began to try and push him off. He tightened his grip around her and began to cry louder. He was obsessed with her. And he wouldn't know how to deal with letting her go. Layla kept pushing against him. He held onto her sobbing,"Please Layla..don't leave me..", she pushed against him harder. "Layla...I won't leave you...I won't let you go....", she rested. She stopped struggling. She just fell asleep. 

When morning came, Andrew's grip had loosened around her. She got up slowly, making sure he didn't wake up. She went downstairs and opened the front door. She took one last look at the stairs. She closed the door behind her, leaving Andrew to wake up without her. She walked down the driveway, thinking over everything that had happened within the past few days. First Lucas, then the police, then Andrew. She had been put through hell. And she blamed herself for all of it. 'He wouldn't have been mad if it wasn't for me..', she thought as she walked along the side of an empty country road.

He moved around slightly, patting the space beside himself....looking for Layla with his hands. His eyes opened slowly, squinting from the sun shining through the window. His eyes shot open fully when he realised she wasn't there. He got out of bed. "Layla?", he shouted, going downstairs. "Layla?!", he shouted as he checked every room. He ran outside and into the middle of the road. He looked left and right, there was no sign of her. She was long gone. He was losing the one thing he loved, maybe he already had. He held the back of his head in frustration. He ran back into his house and grabbed the keys to his car. He ran outside again and got into the car. He turned the key and the car started. He drove around for a while. He couldn't find her.

Layla caught a bus home. She was considering texting Andrew, to let him know she was okay. But she decided against it. She needed time away from him. Dani walked up to her. "Maybe I need to talk to my friends....it's been ages...", Layla thought out loud. She picked up her phone and called Willow and Harper. Willow picked up, "Hey Layla! Oh my god....so much has been happening. Are you okay?", Willow asked concerned, but happy to see her friend. "Where's Harper?", she asked noticing she didn't pick up. "Oh, pretty sure she's at gymnastics...", Willow answered. Layla only nodded. "Layla...talk to me...please..", Willow pleaded. "I'm sorry I dropped that on you guys...I didn't mean to. But....I do love him. And he loves me. I'm sorry if you guys don't accept that", Layla said. Her expression turning to sadness, remembering she's on bad terms with Andrew and all of her friends.

"It's okay Layla...I accept it. As long as you're safe. And happy", Willow reassured her. Layla gave a small smile,"Thank you Willow", she said. "I'm sorry to hear about Lucas", she said. Layla was a bit confused, 'Why? What happened?', she thought. Willow saw the confusion on her face. "Didn't you hear? He was released on bail...I guess because he's a teenager and all of that. Good news is he's expelled from school", Willow told her. Layla was a bit annoyed that the police never told her. The two talked for a few hours until Layla got tired.

Willow sighed after she hung up. Chris was at her house. "So? Is she..okay?", he asked walking over to where she was sitting. "She's good", Willow answered quickly. "Is she still with that creep?", he asked. Willow slammed her hand on the table. "Will you shut up?!", she shouted at him. He stepped back,"What?", he asked shocked. "This isn't working...not anymore...", she said. He walked up to her. "Those two shouldn't effect us...", he said trying to reason with her. "Don't blame them on our problems", she snapped. "But Willow-", she cut him off,"No. I don't want to hear it. Just leave Chris. You're no good for me", she said angrily. He left. And that was it. If Layla heard the two broke up because of her...

Andrew tried calling Layla multiple times. She wasn't picking up. He was extremely worried. He had just received notice that Lucas was let out on bail. He was in his house when his phone screen lit up. He picked up his phone straight away, hoping it was Layla. It wasn't. He opened his phone. The number wasn't from his contacts. His heart dropped when he read the text message,'I have her'. He ran out to his car. He texted who he presumed to be Lucas,'Where is she?', he sat impatiently waiting for a reply. 'I'll send you a location. Come alone or she dies'. He turned the key.