Submitting to My Best Friend's Dad by Scarlett Rossi
Chapter 206 -

Allegra.

Mentally recovering from what happened with that heartbreak had been a lot, but I was coping well enough. At the moment, I was laying down on the couch, trying not to burst into tears again. 'Well enough' being relative, of course. On the bright side, I had a runway show soon. I was adapting very well to the new place, and the people here were very kind. I thought about the boss and how he was very accommodating to people in general. Now that I was settling down and had hopes for the future, maybe I could look into therapy. With my new position, my health costs would be covered by insurance, and it may be healthy for me. I needed to let Layla go, but it was so difficult. That question hung in my mind like a tick to a dog. 'Do you think Layla has any regrets?' I had asked Neal that, and he had denied that it mattered. Really, he was right. It shouldn't. Things had gone horribly with the Michaelsons, but they could have gone much worse.

Layla surely knew that. Maybe she didn't know until after they started working with Sergei's son. His first name slipped my mind and honestly wasn't important enough to remember if Neal was taking care of him.

My brother had a lot on his plate, enemies-wise. Hopefully his plans, and his connections, wouldn't run into any trouble. Did Layla understand the gravity of the situation? Sweet, innocent Layla? Wait, no. She wasn't sweet; she wasn't innocent. I cursed myself inwardly for still being stuck on this, unable to crawl out of my hole of despair. She was gone, and I needed to accept that and move on.

I stood up from the couch, heading to the shower and approaching the mirror. Those bags under my eyes would be erased with make-up. If only it could do the same thing for my emotions, too. A shower would help, though.

I started up the water, letting the steam fill the area and stepping into it. Lathering my hair, I forced myself to focus on the upcoming, huge show. I had so many mixed emotions; I was both confident and nervous about it. It'd been a while since I was on the runway.

The hot water dripped down my skin in a relaxing manner, causing me to sigh and hang my head. Here I was, with a job, Neal was ensuring my safety for the future, and everything would be okay. Tears didn't pour down my face this time. Slowly, I was getting better.

I got out of the shower and stepped onto the mat, stretching and giving a yawn. That show would be in just a few days. I could get in some last minute exercise, something I would work on later today.

Wrapping myself in a towel, I went into my bedroom, arriving at my well-organized walk-in closet and stepping inside. What should I wear today? I was taking the time to get myself situated for the show, a few errands here and there, but didn't need anything complicated.

Eventually, I settled on an ocean-blue blouse with frills lining the bottom and simple black pants. I entered the bathroom again to apply my makeup. Crisp, perfect lines. I couldn't cry now; that'd mess everything up. Some motivation not to cry. I shook my head, smiling at myself before returning to the living room. Collapsing on the couch, I debated whether to read a book or watch television, then settled on a book. Something fantasy-related would get my mind off of everything. Fantasy romance was even better. I began to get lost in fictional characters' struggles again when I heard a knock at my door and frowned. I grabbed my phone, checking the time and realized it was about 10:00 PM. It would be bed time soon. Not many people bothered me this late.

An icy cold feeling shot through me as I wondered if the Michaelson brothers had gotten away from Neal and were back. That paranoia had me stunned there for a moment, but another knock snapped me out of it. I could just look through the peephole, right?

Swallowing, I put my book down and shakily got up from the couch, my stomach twisting. If there was any danger, they wouldn't waste the time and knock on my door, they'd break in or something. Surely, common sense would mean I'd simple been paranoid.

Which meant answering the door at this time was safe. Or, at least, approaching the peephole to see who it could be. It wasn't like my door would come swinging open, and I'd be grabbed and thrown into a van. I always made sure to lock it. Eventually, I slowly walked over to the door, intentionally taking my time. The fact that this wasn't a normal visitor at a reasonable time, and that I had no missed calls or indication as to who this could be really put me off. When I looked into the peephole to see who was there, my world was flipped upside down. I almost wished it was the Michaelson brothers because that would have been easier to handle emotionally than who I saw standing there, wide-eyed and shaking.

Layla.

What was she doing here?! I gasped, placing a hand over my heart and needing to compose myself for a moment. She reached over to knock again, tears streaming down her beautiful face.

I opened the door before she could do so, causing her to jump a bit. My eyes fixed on her, I asked softly, "What are you doing here, Layla?" I wanted to say more. I wanted to scream at her. She had caused me so much pain, so much suffering.

I could only manage that question in a choked tone, though. My heart pounded so hard I could hear it in my ears, and tears began to pour down my face. Layla locked eyes with me, and I detected a sense of longing there. Did she still have feelings for me?!

Layla gasped, "Take me back, Allegra. I am so sorry, I-I didn't know it would turn out this way. I had no idea until it was too late, a-and then, by the time I found out, I had already messed up. I was too afraid to say anything. I'm so sorry." My lip quivered as I stared her down, and I reached up and wiped away some tears. Here she was again. I needed to look out for my future and not be hung up on the past. I wanted to tell her to go away forever.

It would be better for me if I did.

I muttered, "I don't forgive you, Layla." I shook my head. "But we can talk about this later. As you're well aware, I got the job and need to focus on that. You being here is going to distract me because I'm having a hard time letting go." "Does that mean you still care about me? Allegra, I-I'll do anything to make it up to you, I promise. Please, take me back. I really do love you, with all of my heart. I need you," Layla gasped, more tears pouring down her cheeks.

I swallowed, torn between wanting to invite her inside for a hug and screaming at her to go away. My emotions were incredibly mixed. I reached up and placed a hand on my forehead, more tears pouring from my face.

Finally, I said, "Layla, go. We'll talk about this later. I should tell you to leave me alone forever after what happened. But yes, I still care about you. You showing up here, now, is cruel. Let me sit on things and focus on my future. I don't know if you'll be in it."

With that, I shut the door. I didn't say a word further and just stood there for a moment with my head against it. I bit my lip, emotional pain washing over me like a tsunami coming toward the shore. Tears began to trickle down my cheeks as I let out a choked sob.

Layla had begged me to take her back. I wanted to, so badly, but I knew it wouldn't work. I needed to get my thoughts straight. Why did she show up now, right before a big show? One that could make or break whether I could make it in the industry from here on?

I dragged myself to my bed and collapsed onto it, burying my face into my pillow. For the rest of the night, I cried, until I managed to get myself to fall asleep. I wanted to move on with my life and replace someone who actually cared, yet Layla was back.

After all she'd done, I needed to say no. I wasn't sure if I could.

*****

On the day of the show, I felt very numb. It should have been an exciting occasion. Part of me felt the little dash of positive emotion, but another part of me was entirely stuck on Layla.

I couldn't get my mind off of her anymore.

She had the decency not to spam calls or texts. She just sent one simple one. 'I will be here when you're ready. Please, I meant it Allegra. I still love you.' I closed my eyes, hanging my head from behind the curtains.

My boss walked up from behind me, placing a hand on my shoulder. "Allegra," he asked in a soft tone, "is everything alright?"

"No," I replied simply. "But that won't stop me from blowing everyone away." When I opened my eyes again, I felt a new kind of determination. Whatever happened with Layla shouldn't impact me here. This was my future. Layla could be there, or she couldn't. I didn't know.

Either way, I walked down the catwalk with my head held high. I was on top of the world as the flashes of the cameras met me. The crowd's chattering was encouraging, flowing in a positive manner as I displayed the latest fashion trends on the runway.

There was a kick to my stride, a certain sway of my hips that emphasized just the right parts of the outfits. The 'ooo's and 'aaa's encouraged me further, and before long, my dilemmas faded into nothing for just a moment.

I met the excited, encouraging gazes of the people watching the show. Their keeling cheers and applause for my performance lifted my spirits. When I smiled, it was a radiant one that met my eyes.

When all was said and done, I met with my boss at the end, who wore a very excited, wide grin. He said, his voice dripping with enthusiasm, "Allegra. You killed it out there. KILLED IT! I expected a lot, but that? You were positively radiant!" I smiled at him and nodded. In a determined tone, I said, "Looks like I'm back on top, doesn't it?"