Chapter Twenty Five: Beneath the Surface

"I feel like I'm being given preferential treatment." Layla squared her shoulders. "Maybe." Niklaus replied. Layla's gaze locked with his when she raised her head, and she felt a tiny flutter in her belly. A strange feeling crept through her skin at Niklaus's attentiveness to her. It seemed like he was deliberately trying to get under her skin. "You're thinking much into nothing. He's just nice." Layla thought to herself. But she couldn't ignore the suspicion that Niklaus's actions were beyond the superficial range of generosity. It stemmed deeper–like he cared about her, or he was pursuing a romantic interest in her. "Aren't you thinking too highly of yourself?" She mentally chided herself. She stamped the thought down, slamming the door to her mind close against it. She averted his gaze. "I know a good place where you can connect more with people. I think Akila has been doing a bad job of getting you to be free around people.' "Where?" "A gala is scheduled to come up by