leylayilmaz: A little loving before we dash off in (maybe) different directions. ❤️
@alexislarsson @cassandra-acton @yvonne-rutherford @spencerberkeley @laurent--stpierre @felixrodriguez @silasagreste
It was probably one of the happiest trips she had ever been to. Somehow, this palace, the house that Laurent almost sold, became a bliss, a gift sent from above for all of the happiest memories. Just a couple of days ago, he had asked her a question she didn’t think he’d ever ask and so soon - she was surrounded by friends, laughter, and the promise of a future together. Leyla had felt a sense of serenity and hope wash over her, a blanket of safety and warmth that she didn’t believe could ever be blown away.
But now, as the sunset painted the sky, casting a glow over the horizon, Leyla's world shattered once more. The news came like a cruel twist of fate, a knife cut into her heart, as she stumbled upon the headline from the TWI flashing across her phone screen.
In our defence, we’d already sorted out the announcements. Sorry he’s dead or whatever.
She thought it was a joke at first. A cruel joke made by the woman who ran the paper. After all, she was Lara’s friend. Wouldn’t have taken much to do this sort of thing again. But then for what reason? Evidently, people not answering their phones, not telling her anything…
Well, eventually she understood the meaning.
As she began to understand what was happening, her breath caught in her throat, her hands trembling as she shut her phone off, still somewhat hoping against hope that it was all just a terrible mistake.
But the words stared back at her, firm and merciless. Berat was gone.
A numbness swept over Leyla as she turned away from her friends, her footsteps heavy as she made her way to an empty room. She tried to hold back the flood of emotions threatening to engulf her, to maintain the facade of strength for just a moment longer.
Was it so bad not to want her friends to see her break down again? Not to take the celebration away from her partner? She didn’t want them to see her like this, because it felt as lately it was all she was able to show.
But as soon as the door closed behind her, the dam burst, and Leyla crumbled to the ground, the weight of her grief too much to bear. It was as if the walls she had painstakingly built around her heart came crashing down, leaving her exposed to the agony of loss one more.
She had already endured the unbearable pain of losing her sister, and Jai. And just last year, Aurélie's death had torn through her soul like a hurricane, leaving behind a trail of devastation.
And now, Berat, a pillar of strength in her life, a person who had stood by her through the darkest of days, was gone. The tears flowed freely now, unrestrained, as Leyla allowed herself to succumb to the overwhelming sorrow that threatened to consume her.
Each sob resonated the ache in her heart, each tear screamed to the depth of her loss. In that, Leyla allowed herself to succumb to the pain. “Why?” She muttered over and over again as she trembled.
She loved Berat with all her heart, always had.
“You promised me.” Leyla muttered once more.
With trembling hands, Leyla reached for her phone, now feeling heavy with the weight of the news it had delivered. In a sudden surge of anguish, her grip tightened around the phone, her knuckles turning white with the force of her emotions. With a scream building in her throat, she lifted her arm and with all the strength she could muster, she hurled the phone against the nearest wall.
“You promised me!”
The impact echoed through the room.
"You promised that you wouldn't leave me," she choked out, Leyla's voice cracked with anguish, her words barely more than a whisper amidst the river of tears that streamed down her face. Each syllable was a struggle, torn from the depths of her shattered heart, a desperate plea to a universe that seemed intent on tearing her apart.
But there was no answer,there would never be an answer for her again. Just the utter silence of the room and the faint voices of her friends coming from somewhere in the house.
With trembling hands, Leyla reached out to the shattered remnants of her phone, her fingers tracing the broken edges with a numb detachment. The promise lay shattered before her, just like the pieces of her world that now lay at her feet.
But she wasn’t alone for long; one by one, her friends began to come through the door, with a soft knock and barging in anyway after they didn’t hear her answer. Alexis, Cassie, and Jess entered first, their expressions painted with concern as they gathered around Leyla, offering gentle touches and silent support. They brought her water, soothing words, and comforting embraces – a lifeline.
For a while, they remained by her side, they offered no words of empty comfort, understanding that sometimes, the greatest gift one could give was simply to be there, to bear witness to another's pain.
And then, as the weight of Leyla's pain began to ease, Laurent appeared, a steady presence in the middle of all the chaos. With a soft touch and a reassuring smile, he led her from the room, guiding her with quiet strength to their room.
And as Leyla's tears finally began to subside, she found solace in the presence of her friends, her partner; a reminder that even in the darkest of moments, she was no longer alone.
