Losing His Temper

Ryan wrapped his arms around Layla as they walked past Felix and Denise and left the restaurant, he felt as happy as he looked, and Layla was surprised that he could be this merry.

“I am starting to think I like you better when you are drunk,” she joled.

“Everyone tells me that,” Ryan laughed as they got to the car. “Am I really that boring when I am sober?”

“A little,” Layla nodded. “You are a tight-ass meany when you aren’t drunk, and you are too calculative. For instance, you wouldn’t have made Denise feel like a complete fool the way you did just now if you weren’t drunk.”

“Hah,” Ryan laughed. “She did look like a fool, didn’t she? Well, it’s a shame no one got it on camera, I would have loved to see her face when I sober up,” he said, took out his keys and handed them to Layla. “You are driving me home.”

“I don’t even know where that is,” Layla complained as she got him into the back of the car.

“Th-There’s a GPS,” he pointed at the screen. 

“I know there is a GPS, I don’t know the address.”

“Check the history,” Ryan said and rubbed his face. “God I hate being drunk,” he groaned.

“Why?” Layla asked as she got into the car. 

“It hurts… it is energy consuming… Did I mention that it hurts?” Ryan replied. 

“Your sentences are still well structured for a drunk man,” Layla noted. “Are you sure you aren’t just trying to trick me into coming to your place?”

“Well, you can hand me the steering wheel and find out just how sober I am,” Ryan laughed.

Layla chuckled and started the car. “Just try to get some rest, but don’t sleep,” she warned. “I don’t have the energy to carry anyone. I’d just leave you in the car.”

The ride to his duplex was a fifteen-minute drive, a silent fifteen-minute drive. She got to the house and the gates auto opened after recognizing the car as one of Ryan’s cars on its database.

“Fancy technology,” Layla nodded, impressed. 

She drove to the front of the house and parked the car. Luckily for her, Ryan wasn’t asleep yet.

“Don’t you have anyone here? No security?” she asked as she helped him to the house. 

“Nope, it is one of my getaway houses. Most of its functions are automated,” Ryan replied drowsily as they got inside. 

She helped him up the stairs and into his bedroom. Got him out of his shoes and suit and loosened his tie.

“I’ll get you something to help you with the headaches,” she said and went to his kitchen. 

“For a house without anyone most of the time, he sure does like to keep it stocked,” she thought to herself as she went through the cupboards. 

She found the items she needed and brewed it for him. It was to help him sleep easier and wake up without too bad of a hangover.

“I really should stop believing online gossip about people,” Layla sighed as she was about to leave his room to get some sleep. As she got to the door, his phone rang, it was Denise.

She took it and answered without a word.

“Ryan, Ryan, are you alright? Did you get home safely?” Denise said immediately the call was answered.

“He is asleep,” Layla answered.

“W-Who is this?” Denise stuttered, surprised by the voice.

“Does it matter?” Layla replied.

“Oh… you are the lady from earlier, Layla, right?” Denise asked.

“Ah… she knows my name,” Layla feigned happiness. 

“Will you be staying with him tonight?”

“I don’t think that is any of your business Denise,” Layla replied. “It has been a long day and I would like to get some shut eye. If you have any messages for him, I will deliver it to him, if not, I guess this is goodnight.”

“Wait!” Denise called out. 

“What?”

“Do you love him?” Denise asked.

“What’s it to you?” Layla shook her head perplexed. “Didn’t you leave him for Felix?”

“I know what I did, you don’t have to remind me. I just asked a question. Do you love him?” she asked again.

Layla sighed, tired of the back and forth. “He is a lovable man, yes, I do like him.”

“Hmm. You wouldn’t think he is so loveable if you knew what he did behind your back,” Denise replied. 

“Yeah? What did he do?” Layla played along.

“Ryan is a hard man, he knows what he wants and he goes for it. He wanted you, he wanted you to hurt me, so he went for you. He ordered everyone, banks, loan sharks, cooperatives, everyone that’s anyone, he ordered and threatened everyone to not loan you anything, that is why everyone has been rather stingy towards loaning anything to your family for the past month.”

“That past month?” Layla laughed. “He only just met me a few days ago.”

“No… you were the one that just met him a few days ago. Go through his contacts, his social media… I will text you the passwords. He has been studying you for months,” Denise replied.

Layla turned to Ryan who was sleeping on the bed, but she said nothing.

“Look, Layla, I am willing to send you a million dollars right now, a million dollars for you to leave Ryan and start a life for yourself,” Denise offered.

“A million dollars?” Layla laughed mockingly. “You should ask your boyfriend what he offered me today and how I turned him down,” she sneered. “I am not a beggar Denise.”

“Then I will make it ten.”

“Keep your money to yourself Denise, goodnight,” Layla said defiantly and cut the call.

She turned to Ryan and looked at him for a while as she considered what Denise had said. She took a deep breath and decided to let it go for now.

~.~.~

Morning came quickly, and Ryan woke up, expecting a terrible migraine as he remembered the previous night, but he felt nothing.

“Huh… her drink really worked,” he muttered to himself and got into the bathroom to freshen up.

When he was done, he went downstairs to the dinning table where Layla was already having breakfast, pancakes and orange juice.

“Simple, I like it,” he said and fastened his robe around his waist. “Thanks for the tea by the way, it really worked wonders, you should teach…”

“I don’t teach dishonest people,” Layla replied with a spiteful tone.

“What?” Ryan cocked his head slightly, confused.

“Are you a cruel person?” she asked, but he was still confused. “A call came in last night, it was Denise, I answered.”

“What did she want?”

“To warn me about you,” Layla said as he joined her at the table. “She said you had the whole city deny me access to loans. Is that true?”

Ryan sighed and nodded. “I wanted you to come to me,” he said and shrugged.

Layla scoffed at his nonchalance. “Are you mad?”

“What? I did what I had to do okay? I ensured nothing bad happened, I also…”

“To hell with your precautions Ryan, you can’t go around messing with people’s lives like that.”

“Your life was already pretty messed up. Harison was already seeing Evelina when I found out about you. I helped you get out of that bad relationship; I helped your family stay out of further debt trying to maintain a lifestyle they couldn’t afford. Sure, it was not the nicest way to do it, but from my perspective, I helped you. The least you can do is to thank me!” Ryan snapped, enraged.

Layla was stunned by his self-righteousness. “To hell with you,” she said and poured the entire jug of orange juice on his head.

Ryan looked at himself, taking deep breaths to calm himself before he did something they’d both regret.

“Get out,” he ordered. “GET THE OUT!” he yelled and pushed her away, unable to stand her presence.