*Layla*

  After getting back to the castle Benny went o hang out with Sarah and Frankie while I worked some more on my article but I couldn't concentrate because of what Beeny had said about Ian. Groaned I leaned back in the desk chair and kicked my feet out under the desk only to hit a box, curious I sat down on the floor and pulled the box out and noticed it was more like a chest than a box and it was heavy. After making sure Ian's office was still empty I pushed the lid open and saw it had a bunch of newspaper and magazine clipping in it and I grabbed the first piece of paper and read it over realizing it was one of my first articles, startled I scanned through a few more and realized that they were all my articles.

  "What are you doing?" someone asked and I jumped looking up to see Amir.

  "Nothing," I said quickly and placed the papers back in the chest closing it before standing up and closing my laptop. "I'm gonna g..."

"Layla," he said placing his hands on my shoulders. "Calm down I'm not going to tell Ian about you finding that and going through it."

  "I shouldn't have gone through it," I mumbled looking down as I dropped back down in the chair.

  "Do you know why he has all of those articles?" he asked crouching down in front of me and I shook my head no. "When you left he was hurt because he thought he had run you off. Then Joe had said you had wanted to attend college away from here he was okay because he thought you would come back afterward and you didn't. When your father showed everyone your first article Ian got himself a copy and framed it and every time you had a new article come out he would get a copy and it became is hobby or obsession really. Ian has been in love with you for a long time and he was happy you followed your dream even if that meant it wasn't here."

  "Ian doesn't..." I started but was interrupted by a cough.

*Ian*

  After returning to the castle and listening to Efraim complain that Benny always runs away from him I went to speak to my father about the coronation that was this weekend. When those plans were finished I went to find Layla wanting to see if she wanted to watch a movie with me and I found her in my office with Amir, listening to Amir talk to her I realized she found my chest that had all of her work in it and I heard Layla go to say something and I cough catching their attention.

  "Ian," Amir nodded and he quickly exited the office closing the door but I kept my attention on Layla who just stared at the ground.

  "Layla," I said softly walking towards her and crouching down so I could look into her eyes.

  "You never said anything," she whispered and I sighed.

  "You only thought of me as a friend," I said chuckling. "I fell in love with when you first came here."

  "What?" she gasped staring at me shocked.

  "I remember it like it was this morning," I smiled. "I was ten and it was a week before you turned eight, my father had said that he was getting a new assistant. I was watching outside when Joe and you walked into the yard and you had on a purple t-shirt, purple and white tutu, and purple glitter hightops. When you smiled at me the first time I had never seen anything so beautiful and I wanted to always see you smile like that. Then King jumped on you and I thought you were going to yell but you just laughed and started petting him and right then was the moment I fell in love you and I wanted you to always be my princess. When you left without goodbye I was hurt and made some bad decisions that I regret but never quit loving you."

  "I had a crush on you for the longest," she whispered and I stared at her shocked. "I always thought you just thought of me as your little sister's friend. God, I'm an idiot."

  "No," I said pulling her out of the chair and into my lap wrapping my arms around her waist. "We both just didn't know how to act on our feelings."

  "That sounded weird coming from you," she giggled and I chuckled tickling her side causing her to scream.

  "S-stop! IAN!" she laughed wiggling around and I loosened my hold on her and she took off running out of the room and I laughed running after her.