LAYLA KEATING ↳ 4x18

closed starter for @rhysbradley

when a craving hit, a craving hit and there was no way she wasn't going to head straight toward tasty treats and grab that cinnamon roll that she was already practically drooling over. she walked in, stood in line, and then almost immediately frowned as the man in front of her ordered the last one. "excuse me," she started, her fingers tapping against his shoulder, "i'm not this kind of girl but i came all the way here for one of their cinnamon rolls and now you have the last one and- well, i'll pay double what you paid."

closed starter for @cassiasalas

when daphne was sick, she was sick. these allergies, the cold, whatever is was, well, it was kicking her ass and the last thing she expected was for her friend to drop something by. "you really didn't have to do this, you know," she spoke, wiping her nose and then looking at her friend in an affectionate manner. "you have no idea how much i appreciate all of this." she cooed, "you'll have to let me treat you when i'm all better."

closed starter for @jaydenlucas

there was no way she was going to win a game against jayden, especially with him being a pro but that didn't stop her from talking a big game or from cheating her way through the supposed game. as he went to move past her, she attempted to slap the ball out of his hand and instead of slapping the ball, she ended up slapping him. gasping, she followed it with a loud laugh. "jayden, i'm so sorry." though, it probably didn't seem like it with the giggles spilling from her lips.

closed starter for @shivanixrao

daphne hadn't seen much of the girl since the two had decided to take their girls trip to new york. it was short lived but it was definitely something she'd needed. still, she felt as though she needed to catch up with the other, especially since she was seeing sara and she was relatively thrilled with their development. "so," she started, smiling to herself as she poured herself a glass of wine, "i'm seeing someone. i would've told you sooner but i wanted to make sure it was going to be something, you know?"

daphne wasn't trying to be mean by any means because well, if she were being honest, she didn't have a single mean bone in her body but she also wasn't going to allow other people to hurt her without any consequences, despite how long it'd been. she nodded in agreement to the man's words, "sure. i'll see you around. i hope you find something that makes you as happy as tennis does."

Amos knew she was right to say that to him, but it still made him feel like he would never be able to make things right by her. As much as he'd moved on, Amos knew he'd hurt her and he wished he could make it better, he just didn't know how. "Nah, it's not like that. Like I said, I'll always care about you, Daph." He took a deep breath and then shook his head. "I should probably get going though, have dinner at my dad's tonight. Guess I'll--um, see you around?"

daphne wished there was more she could do to reassure the girl that there was nothing wrong with over buying, especially since she was so willing to donate what she didn't always use. grinning at what her friend said next, she couldn't help but let out a giggle, "whatever you want. you know what? i know you're not going to choose, so why don't we just skip over the back and forth and hit lunch at your favorite?"

“Okay when you put it that way, you make a good point.” Kimberly chuckled softly and continued packing the last couple of non-perishable food. "I know...I know...It's practically the best of both worlds." Looking over at her friend, she couldn't help but roll her eyes again once more as soon as she saw her infamous pout. "Oh wow!!!!!" exclaimed Kim. "You know how I hate when you use that look on me...It's like, how can I say no!?" She was doing everything she can to not cave, but it's moments like this where she knew she couldn't win. "Mmm...Depends, what kind of treat were you thinking?"

daphne was an understanding person over all but it was the whole being married thing that threw her off. a big part of her wished that he would have just been honest with her but at the end of the day, everything happened for a reason and she was convinced at this point that the two of them weren't really meant to be together anyways. after all, she ruined things already and she was kind of seeing someone now. "i never hated you. hate is a strong word. i just wasn't your biggest fan when you weren't honest with me." she lifted her shoulders up in a shrug, "anyways, it doesn't matter now though does it? what's done is done."

"I know," he gave her a small smile because before everything went to hell--he'd really liked getting to know her. He'd thought she was absolutely stunning and incredibly intelligent as well. He just wished she'd have let him talk. If he had told her the truth--perhaps this wouldn't have happened but without her signature on a non-disclosure agreement, he'd not only be jeopardizing his own life but Asha's as well seeing as she'd be implicated as well for going along with immigration fraud. "That's...understandable," he told her, wishing once more that he could explain that it wasn't even an open marriage and that when Nik was focused on a woman, she was the only woman for him. "I'm just going to hope you don't hate me anymore? Can I safely assume I might be right there?"

daphne could be a bit of a bold woman but she wasn't at all mean. in fact, she wasn't sure she could ever get upset at the other for something like this. "come on, why would i do that? i'm not only helping you but we're helping the homeless too." she pointed out and nudged the other gently with her elbow. "plus, i get some time with my girl. you know how much i love spending time with you." she added, offering the other girl a smile. kimberly was one of those people she always felt comfortable around and she felt lucky to have a friend like her by her side. "please? my treat?" she pouted as she peered over at the girl.

Puffing her cheeks and refraining from letting out a frustrated sigh, Kimberly was begrudgingly boxing up a bunch of unused non-perishable food. "Daph, you are too sweet for your own good." The heiress wasn't perfect and so she had a tendency of not only overspending, but over consuming as well. Therefore, after doing a bit of spring cleaning in her kitchen, she realized she had a lot of food that she no longer wanted...again.

"I'm surprised you haven't cussed me off at this point. I swear this is like the third time in like...six months that this happened." The brunette eventually caved to her friend's kind words and rolled her eyes playfully before brushing it off, "Okay fiiineeee...I am making a difference either way. Oh, pft...Daphne, no need for that. I insist!!! I love giving back to a good cause! Plus it's a bonus if I'm helping out my bestie."

daphne tried to be understanding but when it came to going out with people who were still very involved with someone else, even if she didn't know the entire situation. "i suppose i reacted before i could think things through and give you a chance to explain yourself." she sighed. it's not like she meant to react that way but she...well, didn't want to get her hopes up or her heart broken. surely, he had to understand. "i apologize for my reaction but," she shrugged her shoulders, "i can't say i would have stayed after you told me. i'm not the kind of girl to be okay with an open marriage."

That was one step in the right direction, Nikhil thought as she agreed for a split second that she understood why he hadn’t been completely truthful with her from the very start. It hadn’t been easy even finding someone interesting enough to ask on a date, but with Daphne—it had felt right and so he’d asked her out. Of course then things went south pretty quickly and Nik found himself deactivating the account all together. “I would’ve but we barely even got to speaking Daphne, you just realized and stormed off…when could I have told you about my situation?” A part of him wished he could be completely honest and tell her why he’d gotten hitched the way he had, but…that was going to compromise his immigration process and getting her to sign an NDA when she’d barely agreed to listen to him didn’t seem like a feasible option. “I feel like…I would’ve been able to be more truthful with you if you’d stayed to listen…and none of this would’ve happened in the first place.” 

she assumed that something would come up for the other. after all, he seemed to be more about his career than anything else and she doubted that mindset would ever change. daphne wasn't going to point that out though, so instead she offered him a smile and followed it with a nod. "i'll keep that in mind, even if i'm sure your ex girlfriend is probably the last person you want to hear from."

"Yeah, I'll figure it out. Something will give." Amos said easily. It felt almost weird to discuss his future with Daphne because at one point, he'd thought he would share his future with her. They had never discussed it, but when they'd had good moments, they were good. Amos had moved on and he was certain that so had Daphne, so revisiting this, now without him having to even think about tennis in a few months, felt like a sick joke. It was too late. "That's awesome, Daphne. I know how much you've worked for the shop." He realized they'd got stuck with small talk so Amos cleared his throat. "By the way, I do mean it, you know? If you ever need anything I'm here, Daphne."

daphne didn't see anything wrong with him being dramatic, especially since the two of them were just messing around anyways. "hey, that's okay. me too." she replied with a soft laugh. daphne always felt as though she could be herself around kian, which was one of the many reasons that she enjoyed spending time with him. "you should take some down time. you know, outside of volunteering and working. you deserve some time to yourself." she informed him, pausing for a moment as she dug for her wallet. "me? oh! i'm thinking about that potato soup. i know it's hot outside but god, it's so good and you're totally let me treat you. don't fight me on it."

Was he dramatic? Yeah, probably. But this was a conversation between friends, so he felt like he could be. “When I’m hungry, I tend to be.” He said with a chuckle. "Nah, nothing like that. Just burning the candle at both ends lately with the store and I’ve been up late watching tv shows. I guess it caught up with me," It’s what he got for thinking he could do it all. His mom warned him on this. ‘Slow down, Kian. Take care of yourself first,’ she would often say. Not that he’d listen and end up suffering. "You're right, though. We're here for a good reason," he agreed. Volunteering gave him a purpose. It felt right to do it. "I'm thinking a sandwich might do the trick. What about you? Any favorites catching your eye?"

closed starter for @kmadrigalsoto

"-you know," daphne started, a smile resting over her lips as she helped box some of the uneaten cans of food that the other was willing to give up, "i think this is really great of you. some people aren't so willing to donate things like food, you know, in today's economy. i think that even if they're not planning on eating it any time soon, they're rather hold onto it just in case, even if it'll go back before they get to it." she rambled and lifted her shoulders up in a shrug, "but you're not like that. you have no idea how thankful the shelter is when people donate. you'll have to let me buy you lunch as a thank you."

daphne was trying not to hold anything against him, especially since their break up had been so long ago. still, deep down, a part of her couldn't help but hate what happened between them even if she no longer had feelings for the man. "well, i'm sure you'll find something to take over your time. who knows? maybe you'll find a new hobby outside of being on the court." she didn't know why she was trying to make him feel better but a part of her knew that's just who she was. "business is great. i really have a good thing going and i love what i do. that's the important part."

Amos nodded slowly at her words, his eyes scanning her face slowly. He knew it was unfair of him to try to read her, or to even try to make it better after so long. Perhaps, she'd forgave him if he'd been this honest and selfless when they broke up, but he understood it was a little too late. Amos just shrugged, not wanting to come off as rude or careless. "A lot of people want to be, but I don't think Amos de Leon wants to coach anyone? I don't think I could stay in the tennis world if it's not playing. I don't know if that makes any sense...but it just feels like I'd just be torturing myself." He admitted as he looked ahead once again and then looked back at Daphne. "Enough about me though. How's your business?"

despite not knowing whether or not she was going to be able to trust him, daphne was curious as to why the man was married and on a date website. then again, it wouldn't be the first creep that made a profile despite his relationship status and she was sure that it wouldn't be the last. as he went on, she probably shouldn't have been surprised. that made sense but still, a part of her wanted to ask his supposed wife how true that was. "right." she paused for a moment, trying to figure out what to say next. "well, maybe you should lead with that. not all girls are up for sharing, open relationship or not."

It was good of her to actually stick around and listen to him. Mainly because he didn't like the idea of someone out there despising him based on something that wasn't entirely true. Sure, it was a little true since he was legally married, but what he and his wife shared--was nothing more than a marriage of pure convenience, all for him to get an expedited green card. Telling Daphne all of that would only result in more people knowing his truth and potentially letting it leak. So he had to be careful with what he said. "Thank you," he said softly before letting out a soft sigh. He'd liked her quite a bit when they'd first met, it had been a nice date until all hell broke loose.

"I am married, and I was on the app because...my wife and I have an agreement of sorts, kind of like an open marriage. Obviously it's not something we advertise to every single person we meet. Especially with my career, it's better to keep it on the down low...I don't always know who I can trust, you know?"

daphne was at the front counter, her eyes on her schedule for the week when she heard the bell ding and indicate that someone had walked inside of enchanted gowns. a smile graced her lips at the sight and she greeted the other with a small nod of acknowledgement, "i'll do what i can. what's going on? what can i help you with?"

WITH: daphne st. claire // @daphnestclaire LOCATIONS: enchanted gowns

It was on days like this that Ruhi wondered if it was time to start hitting the gym again. Where she had fallen out of her usual routine, it wasn’t every day that she was trying to wrangle an extremely heavy wedding dress out of her car and into the store where it had been purchased. Fighting with the layers of fabric while ensuring that it did not touch the ground, the little bell at the door indicated her arrival. And though she could not immediately see Daphne in her line of vision ( blocked by the tulle explosion in front of her ), she pressed the fabric down and greeted the woman with a smile. “Just the woman I was looking for, and hopefully my saving grace.”

laughing at the other's words, she shook her head at the man in front of her. "i think that's a bit dramatic." she joked. it wasn't like she hadn't been dramatic just moments before but either way, she liked the playful banner that was going on between the two of them. "nothing wrong with that. did you just want a couple of more minutes or was there something keeping you up? or rather someone?" she teased, nudging him gently. she didn't know much about the man's love life but she was curious to know whether or not someone had grabbed his attention. after all, he deserved to be happy as far as she was concerned. "yeah, if it were normal work then i would get it but we're doing this to help. let's just fill our bellies and get back to it."

"I know what you mean. I'm starting to feel like my stomach is staging a full-on rebellion," Kian said with a grin, his own hunger pangs growing more insistent by the minute. "Maybe I should have planned ahead and grabbed a bite before diving into all this work. But sometimes, a guy needs some extra sleep." It wasn’t always. Today was one of those days where he needed to drag him out of bed. “Might want to do that or we’d never get back to work. I’d say let’s play hooky but I feel bad.” Always one to be responsible, he couldn’t bring himself to slack off. It made him antsy.