Jared
They say love and hate dance together on one line.
My feelings for Layla don’t dance on the line; they destroy it.
It’s been seven years since she disappeared.
And now she’s back, but things have changed—I’ve changed.
I’m no longer the Jared she remembers, the boy who wanted to protect her.
I’m very much my father’s son, and I take what I want, and what I want is Layla.
But this time, I’m keeping her forever.
Layla
Seven years—that’s how long it’s been since I’ve seen him.
After painstakingly putting myself back together, I’m finally ready to start a life without his memory chasing my every step.
Imagine my surprise when my new beginning leads me straight back to him.
Only he’s not the boy I remember.
He’s angry.
Damaged.
Hiding secrets that want to destroy him.
He hates me. He wants me.
I’m not sure I’ll survive the man he has become. His demons threaten to destroy us both.
Broken People Duet: Deceive Me is created by Vi Carter, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Broken People Duet (1): Deceive Me

I’m swimming in a sea of darkness. At times, I hear voices before I get swallowed up and the voices dim.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     


"You know, when you first came home, you never slept in your bed. You would mess the quilt up and make it look like you did…" 


A soft laugh that I recognize soothes me. 


"I used to go into your room in the middle of the night, and you would be bundled up on the floor under the bed with one of Carl’s sweaters. And in the morning, you would be back in your own bed, the sweater nowhere in sight."


Silence stretches, and the murky water swallows me again. The woman’s voice doesn’t stop, and when I break the surface of pain and mist, she’s still there, still talking.


Chapter 54: Layla