Second act

The night after the ceremony had a strange, almost surreal quality to it. The kind where everything is glimmering and shimmering, but beneath the surface, I could still feel the weight of real life pressing in.

We were seated at one of those long, lavish dinner tables with a few other stars, all of us making small talk over plates of perfectly presented food. I wasn't hungry, though.

I just picked at the meal in front of me, twirling my fork between my fingers, half-listening to the conversations around me.

Across the table, I could see Elena Vargas and her fiancée, Carmen Steele. Elena looked stunning as always her skin radiant, her eyes full of light as she laughed at something Carmen whispered in her ear.

Carmen, with her sharp jawline, black hair, and piercing green eyes, looked like she could break someone in half if they got too close to Elena.

She sat there, her arm resting casually on the back of Elena's chair, but there was an unmistakable intensity in the way she watched the room, like she was silently daring anyone to approach. 

It made me smile a little, seeing them like that. The way Carmen acted like Elena's personal bodyguard wasn't just protective it was possessive, but in a way that spoke of genuine love.

They were in their own little bubble, and no one dared to intrude. It was kind of sweet, actually, though I doubted Carmen even had a sweet bone in her body.

I took a sip of my wine, the taste rich and smooth, but it didn't quite calm the restless feeling I had inside.

Watching them, I couldn't help but think about my own luck with love if you could even call it luck. 

The truth was, I hadn't been that lucky. My mind drifted back to the string of exes I'd had over the years, and each one felt like a weight pulling me down.

They had all been the same, in a way arrogant, self-centered, and all too willing to take without giving much in return. The last one, Brandon, had been the worst.

Charming, good-looking assholes, and completely emotionally unavailable. He had made me feel like I wasn't enough, like no matter how much I tried, I was always falling short. I hated how much I had let him mess with my head.

Then there was Sarah, who had been sweet in the beginning, but quickly showed her true colors a possessiveness that bordered on obsessive.

I still remembered how suffocated I had felt with her constantly needing validation, constantly accusing me of looking at someone else when I wasn't. She drained me until I had nothing left to give.

I sighed, pushing the memories away. None of them were worth thinking about anymore.

I wasn't that person now the one who let people walk all over me, the one who bent until she nearly broke for people who didn't deserve it. 

I glanced back at Elena and Carmen, feeling a little pang in my chest. Not envy, not jealousy just a quiet longing for something simple. Something real.

As the evening dragged on, I could feel my energy slipping away. I had been holding myself together all night, through the tension of the award announcements, through the polite conversations and endless flashes of cameras.

I was tired, but it wasn't a bad kind of tired. It was the kind that came after a good day, a successful one.

Tonight had been a step forward, even if I hadn't won the award. I had been seen, recognized, and that was enough for me.

Maya, who had been sitting beside me the entire time, leaned over and gave me a nudge. "You look exhausted," she said, her tone teasing but laced with concern.

I chuckled softly, rubbing my eyes. "I feel it too. It's been a long night."

"Ready to head out? I don't think we need to stick around for much longer," she suggested, already glancing toward the exit like she was as eager to leave as I was.

I nodded. "Yeah, let's get out of here."

We said our goodbyes to the others, and I caught one last glimpse of Elena and Carmen as we left.

Carmen had her arm wrapped around Elena, and they were laughing about something, completely lost in their own world. I smiled again, though this time it was a little bittersweet. 

Outside, the air was crisp and cool, a refreshing change from the stuffy warmth of the event hall.

I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to fend off the chill. I hadn't exactly dressed for the weather, and it was definitely colder than I expected.

Maya, sharp as always, noticed immediately. "You should've brought a jacket," she said, eyeing me with a knowing look.

"I'll be fine," I replied, but even as I said it, I was already thinking about the hoodie I had stuffed in my bag. The hoodie Zaya had given me all those years ago after the perfume ad shoot. 

It was ridiculous, really, how much that hoodie meant to me. I still wore it when I needed comfort, when the world felt too big or too harsh. It had been a small gesture on her part, but for me, it had been huge.

Zaya had been kind to me that day in a way no one else had, and even though we hadn't really crossed paths since, I still cherished that moment.

I pulled the hoodie out of my bag, slipping it on over my dress. It was oversized on me, the fabric soft and worn from years of use.

It smelled faintly of laundry detergent and something else something I could only describe as the faintest trace of Zaya's presence, even though it had been years since she'd worn it.

Maya noticed immediately, her eyebrow quirking up as she watched me with an amused grin. "You're still carrying that thing around?"

I shrugged, trying to act casual about it, though I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. "It's comfortable."

She smirked, clearly not buying it. "Uh-huh. Sure. Comfortable. Not because it's Zaya's or anything."

I rolled my eyes, tugging the hoodie tighter around me. "Drop it, Maya."

She laughed, and we made our way to the car, the night air biting at my cheeks as we walked.

There was something calming about the quiet streets after the noise and chaos of the award ceremony. I could hear my heels clicking softly against the pavement, Maya's low chuckle as she teased me about the hoodie.

When we finally got to the car, I slid into the passenger seat, letting out a long sigh as I leaned back against the headrest. The leather was cool against my skin, and I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the calm of the evening wash over me.

It had been a good night. Tiring, yes, but good. And as I sat there, bundled in Zaya's hoodie, I couldn't help but feel a strange sense of contentment.

I had come so far in the last two years more than I ever thought I would. I wasn't the nervous, overthinking girl I had been back then.

I was stronger now, more confident, more sure of who I was and where I was going. And that, more than any award, was what mattered to me.

My phone buzzed in my lap, and I glanced down to see my mom's name flashing on the screen. A smile tugged at my lips as I answered.

"Mom?"

"Layla! We just saw the awards on TV! You looked beautiful, darling. We're so proud of you!" My mom's voice was bright and full of energy, and I could hear my sisters chattering excitedly in the background.

I laughed softly, warmth blooming in my chest. "Thanks, Mom. It was a good night."

"Are you on your way home now?" she asked, and I could hear the faint sound of the TV in the background. They were probably still watching the ceremony rerun.

"Yeah, we're heading home," I replied, glancing at Maya, who was already starting the car.

My mom's voice softened. "You've come so far, Layla. We're all so proud of you, sweetie. Your sisters won't stop talking about how amazing you looked."

I smiled, feeling the familiar swell of love for my family. "Thanks, Mom. It's just the beginning, right?"

There was a brief pause, and then my mom's voice came through, soft and reassuring. "That's right, Layla. Life is just beginning."

And in that moment, sitting in the car with the city lights flickering past, wrapped in Zaya's hoodie and surrounded by the warmth of my family's love, I believed her.