Unread

Layla: Coming over tonight?

Asher James: Yeah, but I'm driving the Honda. Dad doesn't feel like lending out the convertible again.

Layla: Well, you did hand it back with no gas and a scratch on its ass.

Asher James: I didn't think he'd inspect it!

Layla: You're nineteen. She's twenty-three. That means she came before you so technically she's his baby. Of course he'd expect it dumbass.

Layla: The Honda's fine anyway. Pick up some burgers on the way :)

Asher James: Yes, ma'am.

Read Friday 8:36 p.m.

Asher James: You ever think about the future?

Layla: All the fucking time. Boiling oceans, nuclear fallout, mass starvation. The works.

Asher James: No, I mean of us.

Read Friday 9:01 p.m.

Asher James: Burger place was closed. Gonna get us some pizzas.

Layla: Okay.

Layla: I think about it.

Asher James: Pizzas?

Layla: No.

Layla: I think about us. Maybe it would be nice to have a house. A dog. Scruffy thing that kinda looks semi-psychotic. You know the type. Might be nice to have a kid. After a ring of course. And a dress. Blue, not white. So sure. I've thought about it.

Asher James: In this economy? You'll drive us broke. A house, a dog, and a ring. AND a kid? Madwoman.

Layla: Asher James, you ass.

Read Friday 9:19 p.m.

Layla: Scare you off?

Asher James: Never. Just ordering.

Asher James: You're the only one who calls me that, Layla.

Layla: Rolls off the tongue. Sue me.

Asher James: And A.J. doesn't? Maybe I should start calling you Layla James.

Read Friday 9:28 p.m.

Asher James: Scare you off?

Layla: Definitely.

Asher James: Whoops. Don't worry. I'm not going to get down on one knee anytime soon. Jeans are too nice anyway.

Layla: Ah yes. Don't want to dirty your knees.

Asher James: Lol. On my way.

Read Friday 9:38 p.m.

Asher James: Outside.

Read Friday 9:48 p.m.

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Layla: You're dead.

Sent Saturday 1:00 a.m.

Layla: Never made it home.

Sent Saturday 1:01 a.m.

Layla: I never got to say goodbye to you. We never even got to that stupid future we talked about. No happy ending, no unhappy breakup that would go back and forth, on again, off again, until we were both tired of fighting and went our separate ways. Or stayed.

Sent yesterday 11:59 p.m.

Layla: I had to read about it on the stupid fucking news, you know. So much for being your number one.

Layla: Did you tell anyone about me?

Layla: Guess you never got around to it.

Sent 2:02 a.m.

Layla: Your car was upside down. Like you just decided on being a stunt driver and failed. Flipped three times and landed belly up. You weren't in the car. You weren't wearing your seatbelt again, weren't you? Dumbass. You stupid fucking dumbass.

Sent 2:17 a.m.

Layla: Were the skyscrapers pretty? They found you ejected, looking up at them. It was a full moon too, wasn't it? I remember driving underneath them with you in your dad's convertible on loan with the top down. The world was so big. So...

Layla: You're never going to read it and I know it's stupid but I have to say it. You were everything. My dreams, my stars, my moon, my life. Young and stupid, maybe. Definitely. But that was okay because it was our young and stupid. Our history to laugh at later.

Layla: But we aren't going to get to laugh at it.

Sent 3:04 a.m.

Asher James is typing.

Asher James: Meant to say it back tonight but chickened out. I love you, Layla.

Read 3:13 a.m.

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Layla: So they charged your phone and turned it on, huh? When were you going to send it? When you got home? Saturday morning? Never? Fuck.

Layla: I love you too, Asher James.

Sent 3:14 a.m.

Layla: You said it in different ways. Making breakfast. Taking the spiders outside. Going on night drives and letting me play the music you hated. I could always see you smiling at me in my peripheral vision, you know.

Layla: I heard every time you said you loved me. In my sleep those few times. I remember the way you leaned over and whispered it against my hair.

Sent 3:30 a.m.

Layla: I'm going to put red sunflowers on your grave. Every holiday. Every birthday. And I'm going to say I love you enough for both of us, okay?

Sent 3:32 a.m.

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Author's Note:

This was an absolute blast to work with. I've had this idea bobbing around in my head for actual years and finally getting to put it somewhere it makes sense is thrilling! Turned out longer than I expected but that's everything I write lol

Check out the link for yourself below and give it a shot!