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 enter one of the many sitting rooms. I refer to this room as the waiting room, because this is where most visitors are taken.                                                                                                                                                                                         


I try not to react as the woman who claims to be my mother stands. I don’t like how I recognize myself in her dark eyes. The bow of her lips is a replica of mine. She’s tall, especially for a woman. Her slight build doesn’t make her look timid or tame. She holds herself with a fierceness that reminds me of a lioness.


She bristles. Her reaction is instant. "That’s how you greet your mother?" Hurt flows quietly under her words; I can detect the pain.


"You claim to be my mother," I answer. It’s obvious that she’s my mother from her features alone, but I also remember her. She’s older, but she is my mother.


Chapter 64: Jared