Chapter 8: I Don’t Have to Hide a Body, Do I? (Layla) - Once I Find You

I didn’t even get his name! How will I ever find him again? I can’t believe this went like this. I round the side yard and walk back to the street, wiping my nose with my sleeve as I try to stop letting the tears fall.

What do I do now? Lose my only opportunity? I shake my head, sniffling as I look down the road.

Wait. The road! He drove here, right? So he parked somewhere? I pick up my pace, wanting to beat him in case he comes out before I can find his car. If I was him…what car would I have? Definitely not this Prius, not this van. “Hm…” I say as I wander down the block, turning the corner, and then I see it. It has to be his. There’s an old red truck that stands out like a sore thumb in a neighborhood like this.

I quickly pull my phone out, taking a picture of the license plate and then round the corner to make sure he doesn’t see me. I’m walking down the road, trying to find the bus stop I came here on, as I stare down at my phone screen. How do I even look someone up with a license plate? Is it legal?

I’m startled when my phone rings in my hands, almost dropping it as I quickly try to answer. “C-Crystal! Hey!”

“Um, where are you right now?”

“Huh?”

“Why are you in some neighborhood two towns over? I’ve been worried but now it’s late and I checked again and it looks like you’re just wandering around? What’s going on?” she asks, sounding concerned.

“Oh…um yeah I mean I totally just left Clark’s house!” I lie into the phone.

“Seriously? You’re saying he wouldn’t take you home?”

“Oh! I insisted! I have the bus card and⁠—”

“Layla, cut the crap. You’re lying. Please let me come get you, I don’t care if you don’t want to tell me what happened but I’m panicking seeing you out somewhere you don’t know so late,” she begs.

“Okay,” I reply easily, hearing my voice tremble as I feel the lingering disappointment rise to the surface again.

“Just…stay where you are, okay? I’m coming right now!” she says, and I can hear the keys in the background as she hangs up.

I stop and sit my ass right on the curb, anxious but thankful. I know she’s going to drag it out of me eventually. I lied so much, and there’s no way I can make it up to her. I’m a bad friend. All the while, she was diligently checking my location like usual, up late and worried. I should’ve just told her not to get me, or maybe I shouldn’t have even answered. I should’ve just…

“You should’ve kept your big mouth shut. Do you even understand what you’ve done? Spreading your bullshit, trying to ruin me? Don’t act like you’re so innocent, Layla. You’re the one who's been lying for years. You think anyone wants to listen to a brat who doesn’t know how to tell the truth? Huh?”

I shake my head, wiping my eyes as I look down at my feet, lost in my memory when I see headlights and hear a car door open. “Layla? Hey!” Crystal’s voice gets closer as I feel arms wrap around me, lifting me from where I sit. “Are you okay? Did he hurt you?”

I shake my head, the tears still flowing. I don’t even know why I’m crying. Am I crying because I’m a liar? Because the man I love rejected me? Because these horrible memories suddenly resurfaced and I’m reminded that I’m just a mess of a person?

I don’t know.

“It’s okay babe, come on, get in the car. You’re coming back to my place.” Her voice is soothing as she leads me into the passenger seat. The next thing I hear is her driver door close, and we finally move.

“Sorry,” I eventually squeak out.

“What? Why? You don’t have to be sorry Layla. It’s your life. You’re allowed to have secrets, okay? Even from me. Just please don’t keep dangerous ones from me, because you know I’ll do anything for you. Even hide a body. I don’t have to hide a body, do I?” she asks, turning for a moment, and I let out a small chuckle as I wipe my cheek.

“No. No bodies.”

“Whew okay, ‘cause I would, but I have no fucking clue how to do that, girl.”

“I met him,” I blurt out.

“Oh, yeah, how was the date with Clark then? I’m assuming it wasn’t⁠—”

“No, Crystal. I didn’t see Clark. I met him.”

“Layla, why the hell are you talking in riddles? Who are you saying you met?”

“The Hangman.”

The car stops in the middle of the road, and my back hits the seat.

“Layla Ryan, look me in the eye and tell me I just misheard you,” she asks as she turns to me.

“I…I really met him. I found him, Crystal. And…he didn’t even give me a chance.”

“No, no, no. Layla. Please, for God’s sake, you tracked down a serial killer, surprised him, and confessed?!” She shakes her head with a sigh.

“Well, when you put it that way, it sounds kinda bad, but really I had no other choice.”

“No other choice? Girl!”

“I’m sorry, okay?” I say, waving my arms. “I know you’re mad and worried, but can you please pretend that part was normal because all I want is to tell you about him and have you maybe understand?” I beg.

She takes a breath and looks at me again. “Okay, okay. I can handle it. Lay it on me.”

* * *

“So, now what? You…seriously are going to try to find him again?” Crystal asks, sitting back on her bed with me, now with a bowl of popcorn as promised.

“I have to. Maybe I caught him too off guard, so he wasn’t able to think about what I was really trying to say. If I go see him when he’s…less stressed out, maybe he’d hear me out,” I say as I grab a handful of popcorn.

“I love you, but I don’t know if this is a good idea. I am a proud advocate for supporting women’s rights and wrongs, but this is just…a lot, Layla. I’m worried your expectations are higher than he can ever reach.”

“Do you think he could love me?” I ask, looking down at the bowl.

“What? Who would be stupid enough not to love you?”

“I don’t know. I have a lot of problems.”

“We all do! People don’t fall in love despite someone’s problems, but because they embrace them. If he doesn’t embrace you, you gotta walk away. Even if you’re obsessed,” she adds sternly.

I ignore her comment. Is it wrong to be a little obsessed, anyway? “So, tell me how! I want to give a good impression this time. Once I figure out how to find him, I want to go there and…show him that I’m confident and worth paying attention to. I want him to really see me.” I smile, imagining what it would be like.

“Well…how are you finding him this time? ‘Cause I am not letting you put yourself in a dangerous situation again,” she says.

“All I have now is his license plate number, but I’m pretty sure it’s useless, because you can’t look those up online.” I sigh.

“Well, my cousin works at the DMV, so just text it to me. Consider this the only thing I’m willing to do to help my friend date a serial killer.”

I launch forward, hugging her tightly. “You’re an angel! I can’t believe it! You’d really do that?”

“Against my better judgment…yes. I guess my love for my best friend overshadows the bright red, flashing sirens going off in my brain. Just promise you won’t keep anything about this from me again. Okay?”

I nod.

I feel…lighter. It’s a huge relief to be able to tell my best friend everything I’ve been keeping from her. I can tell she’s holding back some of her harsher opinions, but I appreciate that she’s attempting to be as supportive as possible.

“For now, let’s sleep. We’ll see what my cousin says tomorrow,” she says as she reaches over and switches off the light on her nightstand.

The next morning is uncharacteristically sunny for us, but I’ll take any ounce of sunshine I can get. For once, as I step onto the bus, I’m not covered in rain and looking at the darkness. My phone dings in my pocket.

This is good. I shouldn’t have told them anyway, I was just so excited to see him I wanted to tell someone something. But now they think I was way off base, so now his secret is safer.

I swipe out of the group chat and open my photos. I smile to myself as I see the screenshotted driver’s license I now have saved.

I promise I’ll be better from now on about keeping your secrets, Kane Mercer.