The Truth ✔

Chapter 28 ~

Layla's POV

"Little sister, it's been a long time. Dad and I have been looking for you."

That voice. Austin. No. It can't be. There's no possible way. How did he find me? I'm frozen where I stand. I feel the life drain from my body. I start shaking in fear praying that when I look at the person the voice came from that it won't be him. It can't be him. Please God, if you're real don't let it be him.

The universe hates me. The world hates me. God must hate me. How could I ever think that it would be okay for me to be happy? As I look at his face, I feel my anger bubble up inside of me. "You are not my brother." I spat at him.

A devilish smirk appears on his face. "Tsk. Tsk. That's no way to greet your brother after leaving us for three years."

"You're not my brother. You were never my brother." I hiss.

"Okay, little sis. I'm your step brother." He says with that stupid smirk still on his face.

"Ex." I howl back at him. " Ex step brother. My mother is dead. I have no relationship left with you or your father. What are you doing here anyways?"

He chuckles darkly. "Layla, Layla, Layla. So naïve. Who do you think get custody of you now? Your mother and my dad never divorced. Your mother loved my dad. She left my dad as your next guardian if your dad didn't want you."

I feel hot salty tears run down my cheeks. "N-n-no." I say shaking my head as I back up. I feel myself bump into Kaleb chest and he wraps his arms around me protectively. "I-I don't need you or your father."

Austin steps closer to me, but Kaleb gently pushes me behind his back where Connor, Jake and Daniel are all standing now. Kaleb stands tall and shields me from Austin's view "I think you need to leave now." Kaleb grows. "Her guardianship has been granted to my parents."

"So, you're her brother?" Austin asks with a brow raise.

"No, I am her boyfriend, and my parents are her guardians. If you know what's best for you, you will turn around and walk away." Kaleb seethes.

Austin glares at Kaleb before he plasters that stupid smirk on back on his face. "Boyfriend, huh?"

"Yes, I am her boyfriend." Kaleb bellows in a scary tone. I've never seen or heard him so angry before.  I would be terrified if he ever spoke to me like that.

Austin starts laughing causing Kaleb to tense up. "Yeah, not for long, and your parents have temporary guardianship of her. Haven't you been wondering why the paperwork hasn't gone through? The moment your parents filed custody for her my dad was notifed that his missing daughter was found." Austin steps closer to Kaleb to where he can see me. "It was even better when Travis comfirmed that he saw you at a banquet.  I will say Travis was right. You look just as beautiful as ever."

Travis. I knew he gave me a weird vibe and he looked familiar, but I couldn't pin point from where. He wasn't talking about my actual dad. He was talking about my step father, Scott. I step in front of Kaleb "W-why do y'all even want me? Y'all are not my real family."

Austin stands mere inches away from me. He uses the outside of his hand to caress my face. "Oh, but baby sis, by this time tomorrow you will legally be my sister." I start shaking in fear. I feel light headed and weak as the world around me starts to spin. Kaleb must of notice because he quickly wraps his arms around me for support.

"Kaleb's parents won't allow this to happen." Connor growls. "My parents won't allow this to happen."

"None of ours parents will ever let Layla be taken away from us." Whitney buts in as she walks over to stand side by side with Connor.

Austin laughs, "Believe what you want to believe sweetheart, but tomorrow at this time she'll be back with me and my dad where she belongs." Austin turns around to walk away but stops to look back at me. "It was good seeing you again baby sis. Enjoy your last day with your boyfriend, because that will all be over tomorrow. Plus, dad won't be happy to hear that you are dating someone."

"Ju-just leave m-me alone, Austin. I'm h-happy." I stutter.  I knew my happiness wouldn't last.  It never does.

Austin moves towards me again, but Daniel gets in front of me. "Did y'all hurt her too? Did you and dad beat her too." Daniel snarls.

Austin gives Daniel a puzzle looks before looking back at me with confusion. "My father and I never laid a hand on her." He says staring back at Daniel. "Why would anyone hit her?" He looks at me. "You told them we hurt you?" I shake my head as Austin just stares at me. "Wait," he says looking at Daniel. "You asked if we hurt her too? Too? Did someone fucking hurt her?" He growls out. "Who fucking hurt her?"

Everyone is now staring at me in confusion. "M-my dad." I whimper while still in Kaleb's arms.

"Your dad?" Austin barks. "You're fucking dad was hurting you. Your mom even told you he was an abusive person, but you still chose to go and live with him over us." I can feel the anger radiating off of Austin. "What the fuck is wrong with you, Layla? You had everything you could ever want and Just wait, Layla, just you wait until my dad and Derrick hears about this. Enjoy your last night with your friends because I guarantee after tomorrow you will never see them again."

Austin looks Kaleb dead in the eyes. "You wasted your time dating her. She already belongs to someone." Austin walks off leaving everyone in confusion. Well except for me.

How am I going to explain all of this? How do I tell them that it was my choice to live with my abusive dad? That I knew he would beat me. I knew I was taken a chance with my life living with my dad, but it was better than staying with Austin and Scott. Anything was better than what they had planned for me. My mother was head over heels for Scott. She would give him everything and anything he ever wanted, even if it cost me my future. At least with my dad, I had a chance for future, but now what?

Kaleb grabs my hand and pulls me outside of school with our friends following behind us. We get near Kaleb's car and my friends circle around me. I see the confusion and fear on all of their faces. It's the same look my face has held many times before. "Layla, what the hell is going on? Tell us the truth, Layla. I need to know the truth." Kaleb pleads. "Why would you choose to live with your dad? Why did you lie about having a brother?  You said you didn't have a brother. And please for heaven's sake, tell me what he meant by you already belong to someone?"

Anger. Confusion. Fear. Hurt.  These are the emotions written on everyone's faces, but it's the heartbreak on Kaleb's face that is killing me.  They wont understand.  There's no possible way they'll understand.  All I ever wanted was to be invisible. I swallow the lump in my throat as tears stream down my face trying to prepare myself to explain everything to them.