I awake to someone repeatedly poking me in the shoulder. Grumbling under my breath and blinking my eyes open, I look to the side to find the source of the disturbance. Sophie stares back at me with a smile, her head tilted slightly to the side. I raise an eyebrow at her in question to which she asks, "Why is Layla in your lap?"

It is then that memories of yesterday come flooding back. Sophie fell off the deck at home and we all came to the hospital then Layla and I stayed the night with her. It was cold in the hospital so I gave her my hoodie but she was still freezing so I moved her into my lap to hopefully share my body heat so she wouldn't freeze to death.

I look down at the girl that is currently snuggled up to me in my lap and I physically feel my heart soften in my chest. Her legs dangle over the edge of the armchair. One of her hands is resting on my chest, over my heart with her head tucked up under my chin. Her other hand is curled around the back of my neck with her fingertips resting just under the collar of my t-shirt. Her familiar vanilla scent completely engulfs me. My arms are wrapped around her small frame which is practically drowning in my hoodie.

I swallow, blinking a couple more times before looking back at my youngest sibling, "Last night she was cold. So I put her in my lap to keep her warm."

Sophie grins, "I like Layla," She pauses before asking, "Do you like her, Reecey?"

I look down at Layla and immediately know my answer, "I guess she's kind of grown on me."

Sophie is silent for a moment before she asks, "Is that a yes or a no?"

I laugh quietly, trying not to wake the sleeping girl in my arms, "Yes."

She grins, "Do you want her to be your girlfriend?"

My eyes widen as my face suddenly feels as though it's on fire. I splutter slightly, choking on thin air, "What?"

"Do you want Layla to be your girlfriend?" She repeats innocently.

"No. Sunshine and I are just friends," I say but immediately start doubting myself. Are we even friends? Or does she just hang around me because she's friends with Anna? Or Liam?

"Oh," Sophie says, looking a little deflated, "I like her better than Arden. I'm happy she's not your girlfriend anymore."

My mood instantly darkens at the mention of my ex-girlfriend. "I like her better too," I reply, hoping that she will drop the conversation.

Sophie smiles, "Good," Then she holds out her hand, "Can I play on your phone?"

I roll my eyes with a smile and dig my hand into my pocket, careful not to disturb Layla. I hand her my phone and she happily walks back over to the bed, pink cast, and all.

Layla shuffles in my lap a little, her head moving to the crook of my neck as she mumbles a few incoherent words. I stiffen a little as I wait to see what she'll do next.

The sound of annoying game music suddenly fills the air and I groan, looking towards Sophie. "Can you please turn the sound off?"

She pouts, "I like the music."

I huff and dig my hand into my pocket again to try and find my headphones, but I come up with nothing. I frown before coming to the realization that they are in the pocket of my hoodie. The hoodie that Layla is wearing. I swallow roughly before carefully moving my hand into the pocket of the hoodie, trying my best not to disturb her. Pulling out the headphones, I hand them to Sophie before relaxing back into the chair.

My eyes fall closed when the hand Layla has at the back of my neck slowly starts tracing circles into my skin with her fingertips. She must be waking up. For a few moments she stays in dreamland, slowly coming to her senses. Her smooth tracing of my skin dips under the collar of my shirt briefly and I shiver. Her touch is something else.

Layla lets out a soft sigh against my neck before slowly moving her head back to look at me. She flashes me a small smile before mumbling, "Good Morning."

I can't help but smile back, "Good Morning, Sunshine."

She looks around for a moment before she smiles sheepishly. Her hand slowly moves up to play with the hair at the nape of my neck. "Thank you for keeping me warm last night."

I smile back, forcing my cheeks not to heat up. "Anytime, Sunshine."

A small gasp comes from the hospital bed we are sitting beside making us both turn our heads in the direction of the noise. Sophie is grinning back at us, "You're awake!"

Layla chuckles, "I am. How did you sleep, Princess?"

"Good!"

The door opens from behind me and I crane my neck to see the doctor walking into the room. Layla lets out a quiet squeak before jumping off my lap and straightening out her clothes. A blush tints her cheeks and I can feel my smile widen.

"Hello everyone. How are you feeling, Sophie?" The doctor asks, giving Layla and I a not-so-subtle smirk. That really makes me want to punch him.

"I feel a lot better than yesterday." Sophie replies happily.

"That's good. The cast isn't causing you any discomfort?" When she shakes her head, the doctor smiles, "Great. You're free to go home then," He turns to me and Layla, "Just make sure you sign her out at the front desk before you leave." He then leaves the room.

I stand up and turn to Sophie, "You ready to go?"

She nods and gets off the bed, skipping over to me and taking my hand in hers. She hands me back my phone with my headphones, so I tuck them back into my pocket.

Then I turn to Layla, "Ready, Sunshine?"

She nods with a smile, standing up from her crouched position where she had been putting her shoes on. "Sure am."

We head out to the main desk and I sign all the necessary forms to get Sophie released. Once that is done, we walk out of the hospital. As we walk outside, my phone starts ringing. Checking the caller ID, I see that it is Mom and quickly answer it.

"Hey, Mom." I greet her, checking that the road is clear of cars before crossing the road with Sophie's hand in mine.

"Hey, Sweetie, is everything okay?"

"Yeah, everything's fine. We're just leaving now."

"That's great. Can I talk to Soph?"

"Of course," I take the phone away from my ear and hold it out to Sophie, "It's Mom."

She grins, taking the phone, and pressing it to her ear, "Hi, Mommy."

She pauses for a moment as she listens to what Mom is saying. We stop beside my car and I use my now free hand to dig my keys out of my pocket. I unlock the car and we all hop in.

I start the car with Sophie still chatting away happily to Mom in the back. I look in the rear-view mirror to check that her seatbelt is on and when I see that it is, my eyes flicker to Layla to see that hers is on too. I pull out of the carpark and start the drive towards Layla's house. The radio plays quietly in the background, mixing with Sophie's chatter.

It is when I pull up at a red light that Layla speaks, "Y'know, I haven't seen you smoking since the first time we spoke."

I turn to her and meet her gaze, seeing the red light across her face turn green before forcing my eyes from hers to continue driving. I swallow as I realize what she says is true. I have barely even glanced at a packet of cigarettes since then. My parents hate that I smoke. It's a habit I picked up from the guys at the gym where I box. And from my past relationship. I was offered one. I took it. Since then I smoke pretty often. Mainly when I'm nervous or agitated.

"I haven't smoked since then." I tell her honestly, turning the steering wheel to the left.

"Really?"

"Yeah. It's good, actually. I tried to quit a few times, but it never stuck."

I can basically hear the smile in her voice as she replies, "That's great, Reece."

"Yeah, it is." I mumble.

I pull into her driveway and stop the car before turning to her. She unbuckles her seatbelt and turns to me with a smile. "Thank you for taking me home."

A smile lifts my own lips, "Thank you for staying at the hospital with me."

She grins, "Anytime, Reece," The she turns to see Sophie who has now ended the call with Mom, "Bye, Princess."

Sophie leans forward and wraps her good arm around Layla in a hug, making her laugh. "Bye, Layla." She hops out of the car and waves to us as I drive away.

~

With my headphones in and my head down like usual, I walk down the school hall. My hands are shoved into the pockets of my hoodie as Queen blares in my ears. We Will Rock You to be more specific. Someone knocks their shoulder against mine causing me to turn and shoot a glare at their back reflexively. I continue walking towards the cafeteria, my feet unintentionally moving to the beat of the music.

A hand taps my shoulder and I turn around, ready to glare at whoever is planning to annoy me. But when my gaze lands on a beautiful bright smile, my shoulders relax. A smile pulls up my lips automatically. "Hey, Sunshine." I murmur as I continue my walk down the hall, knowing she is right behind me. I take one headphone out of my ear and let it hang as Layla steps up to that side, her voice greeting me instead of the music.

"Hello, Reece." She hurriedly moves closer to me as some Freshman almost knocks her over. I shoot him a glare and his eyes widen, pace quickening as he walks away. I roll my eyes and focus my gaze back in front of me as Layla continues speaking. "I still have your hoodie. I'll grab it from my locker after Art and give it to you in Calculus."

I smile a little, looking down at the blonde girl beside me, "Don't stress, Sunshine. I can live without it for another couple hours," She rolls her eyes at me, her smile growing as we turn into another corridor. "Keep rolling your eyes, Sunshine, you might find a brain back there." I say, my lips lifting into a small smile.

She grins up at me, nudging me lightly, "Real original."

"Thank you." I reply, feeling my mood brighten for only a moment before I groan quietly at the change of song in my right ear. Grumbling under my breath, I dig my phone out of my pocket.

Layla laughs lightly, "What's wrong?"

I huff, "Sophie's been playing with my music. One of the songs from one of her stupid shows is on here."

She laughs again, "What song?" I take out the one headphone I have in and hand it to her. She takes it from me and puts it in her ear, her smile widening into a grin as she listens, walking a little closer than before so as not to pull the cord. "Doc McStuffins?" She asks, looking at me with her eyes twinkling.

I roll my eyes as I stop the music completely and she hands me back the headphone so I can shove them into my pocket. "Unfortunately."

She grins even wider, "Keep rolling your eyes, Reece, you might find a brain back there."

I can't help the small laugh that bubbles out of my chest then, "That's my line, Sunshine."

She narrows her eyes at me playfully, "Pretty sure it's not just yours."

We fall into a comfortable silence as we walk through the doors of the cafeteria. Joining the back of the lunch line, she turns to me, "So, how is Sophie?"

"She's good. Some things are a little hard for her to do with only one arm, but Macy is helping her out a lot."

"Hello, old best friend. Hello, new best friend." Liam's voice breaks through our conversation before he hangs his arms over our shoulders.

I raise an eyebrow at him, "I've been replaced? Thank God."

"Hey! We all know you love me." He says, ruffling my hair.

I glare at him, running a hand through my hair before stepping out of the lunch line with my full tray of food. "That's definitely questionable."

"Aww, he's lying, Liam. Don't listen to him." Layla assures him, patting his arm twice before moving out of line to stand beside me.

He turns to me with a grin, "See, at least someone cares about me," I scoff, laughing lightly as I begin to make my way towards our usual table. His voice calls across the cafeteria, "You love me, Reece Carter! Just admit it!"

I shake my head, mumbling under my breath, "My best friend's a lunatic."

~

Pushing open the doors of the cafeteria, I walk into the room, adjusting the strap of my backpack. It is now Friday and lunchtime has just started. A small smile sits on my lips as I walk over to our usual table where almost everyone is already sat. Everyone but one particular blonde. Where is Sunshine?

"Why are you in such a good mood?" Liam asks, looking at me skeptically as I sit down in my usual seat, "And why weren't you in chemistry class?"

My smile only widens as I zip open my bag. I pull out the large brown paper bag from my backpack and set it on the table, smirking. "You're welcome."

"You got McDonalds?" Liam exclaims happily, now grinning from ear to ear.

I nod, "Yeah, I didn't want to eat cafeteria food. So I skipped and got some McDonalds for everyone." I push the bag into the center of the table so that Anna, Amanda, and Mark can reach as well. "Dig in."

Everyone does just that and I'm quiet for a moment. I have already eaten some on the way back here. The question is on the tip of my tongue and I can't hold it back any longer. "Where's Sunshine?"

Amanda smirks at me, chewing on some fries, "You missing her?"

I roll my eyes and feel the tips of my ears start to turn red, "No, I brought her food. I need to give it to her so that I didn't just waste my money."

Amanda continues to smirk but answers my question, "She's in one of the Art rooms. B room I think."

I nod and look into the bag. There is a pack of chicken nuggets and a large fries left in the bag. Looking around, I see that the four of them already have a meal in front of them, so I roll over the top of the paper bag and place it back into my bag. "I'll go find her, then."

Standing up from my seat, I sling my bag over my shoulder before heading back out of the cafeteria. I make my way down the hall and towards the art rooms. I arrive at art room B and push the door open, walking inside. A slight scowl is set on my face – as usual – as my eyes scan the room. My gaze quickly lands on Layla and my lips quirk up into a smile as I walk over to her.

I take a second to look her over and note that she is looking beautiful as always. She is wearing a long-sleeved white button up top and blue jeans. Her hair is in its usual waves, falling softly across her shoulders. She glances up at me and a gorgeous smile lights up her face.

"Hey, Sunshine." I greet her, pulling a stool closer to hers and sitting down.

She puts down her paintbrush and turns to me with a smile, "What are you doing here?"

I raise an eyebrow at her playfully, "Are you not happy to see me?"

Her smile only widens, "Of course I am. Just curious as to why you're in the Art room. You don't take Art, do you?"

I shake my head, "No. Actually, I came to see you."

"Really?" Her eyes widen slightly.

"Uh huh," I nod, starting to unzip my bag, "I skipped last period – as you already know," I smile sheepishly, "And went and got some actually good lunch for once. When I didn't see you in the cafeteria, I asked the others where you were, and Amanda said you were here. So, I came to deliver this." I pull out the brown paper bag and set it down in front of her.

Layla claps her hands together excitedly, letting out a small squeal as a grin splits her face, "You got McDonald's?"

I chuckle softly, "I did."

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" She exclaims, abruptly leaning forward, and throwing her arms around me in a hug. I stiffen for a moment as my eyes widened in shock before I relax, hugging her back. She pulls away after only a couple seconds, a blush tinting her cheeks.

"You're very welcome."

She quickly digs into the bag to find the chicken nuggets and fries. She looks up at me with a raised eyebrow, "Did Amanda tell you?"

I furrow my eyebrows, "Tell me what?"

"Earlier today I was telling her how much I was wanting some chicken nuggets. And you have just answered all my prayers." She tells me, taking one and biting into it.

I chuckle once more, "Really? Well, you're welcome then."

Her eyes suddenly widen, "Have you had any?"

"I had a some before I-" I stop abruptly when she holds out one of the chicken nuggets in front of my face.

"Eat it."

"No, Sunshine, I just said that-"

"And I said, eat it," She persists.

With a sigh, I take the piece and eat a bite out of it. She grins, biting into hers as well. My gaze drifts over to the painting she has been working on. My eyes widen slightly, "Woah. That is so... wow, I didn't know you could paint, Sunshine."

Wrapping her arms around herself, she turns her head to look at the almost finished painting of Mack. She has shown me many photos of her Golden Retriever, Mack before and the painting looks just like him. "It still needs a little work... but it's getting there I guess."

"It's amazing." I murmur, still looking at the painting. After a second, I clear my throat, "So, uh- My Mom wanted me to ask you if you'd like to come over to our place for dinner tonight."

She turns to me with a smile, "Really?" I nod but her smile fades slightly, "I'd love to, but I have to look after my younger sister, Bella tonight."

"Max knows her, right? She can come too." I tell her with a shrug.

Her eyes widen, "Are you serious? Your parents wouldn't mind...?"

"No, not at all. My Mom loves to have people around for dinner."

"Alright then."

"Great. Dinner's at six."