fantasty kiss, raj say hello [bill gates best books .TXT] 📗

thin air.”
I could see her so I was unsure if she was nodding or not. I could hear them both stand so I slid back up the stair until Jack’s father left.
“You can come down now.” Rebecca commented.
She much have heard me at some point.
I came out from behind the wall.
“So…now you know.” She crossed her arms. “Look, I’m not perfect-”
“No one said you were. But I just can’t understand why you’d do it. My father loves you-”
“And I love him” She cut me off. “I do. We are getting past this, Layla. This whole thing with Miller’s disappearance has nothing to do with us. Nothing at all.”
Good, because for a moment I thought my father had killed him. For a fraction of a second. But I knew my father. He wouldn’t do anything that would jeopardize our family.
“I need to get ready for class.” I mumbled, backing up the stairs.
“I do love him, Layla. Honestly. He’s the best thing in my life. I realize that now.”
I nodded as I reached the top step.
“I believe you.”
I turned and went back to my room to start my day. I dressed quickly, wanting to get to class early enough to talk to Devin.
He’d wanted to know who Rebecca was having an affair with and I knew he’d be shocked to find out this information.
I smiled a bit deviously as I went to the kitchen and grabbed a green apple from the fridge. I was about to spread gossip. Marina would be so proud of me.
I shouted to Rebecca that I was leaving but I doubted she cared.
Once at school I headed to Devin’s classroom, knowing since class started in the next twenty minutes he’d be there.
He smiled as I came in but it dimmed a bit when I closed and locked the door.
“You know we can’t-”
“I know, but I have to tell you something.” I didn’t like the fact his mind automatically went to kinky classroom sex when he saw me.
He stood as I came towards him. For a moment I contemplated if he needed to know. Yes, it was juicy gossip but it was why my father had been so upset lately but then I thought about it. Devin worked with Rebecca, did he know all along?”
“Remember when I told you Rebecca was cheating on my father? I need you to be honest
with me, okay.”
I could tell by the look on his face he was seriously upset about something.
He took me in his arms and looked down into my eyes pleadingly.
“I wanted to tell you, Layla. I just…I didn’t know how. I never meant to hurt you.”
“So you knew she was sleeping with Miller and you didn’t tell me?”
“Miller? She slept with…” His words trailed off as his concerned expression changed to confused then quickly back to its original expression.
“Wait, so you didn’t know?” I asked pulling away from him a bit. “Then what-”
“Layla, love, hear me out.”
“What’s going on, Devin?”
I was trying my best to pull away from his grasp but he didn’t release me.
“What did you mean by that?”
“It’s not as bad as you think, okay? I was planning on telling you, I just didn’t know how.”
“Tell me what, Devin? Because a few moments ago I found out Miller slept with my step mum and I thought you knew but if you didn’t…”
Then it hit me. The reason he and Rebecca were still staying in touch, the fact he’d been so moody for the past few weeks. The nights he couldn’t tell me where he was going and the nights Rebecca got in late.
“Oh, God.” I croaked, yanking my body away from his. “Please…please, no.”
“Layla, please wait. I’m sorry.”
“You slept with her.” I was beginning to feel nauseated all over again.
“It meant nothing. I swear. It was at a time I didn’t even know she was married. She still went by her maiden name.”
“Liar, how many times, Devin? Because you two have been a little too cozy lately.”
“Layla, I swear to you. It meant nothing.”
“When was the last time you two slept with each other? Three months…two…”
He sighed. “Three weeks ago.”
Now I did vomit. I had barely made it to the wastebasket before I threw up my small breakfast.
“It meant nothing to me. She was…she was blackmailing me, Layla.”
“For what?” I nearly shouted, wiping my mouth. “For what?”
“I paid Miller to get lost, okay? I’m the reason he’s gone. I threatened him within an inch of his life then paid him to leave and never come back. She found out that I made him leave and was extremely upset. At first I thought she was just going to let it go but then she did some digging. Found out who I was exactly and found out my past. She told me she was going to tell the police I killed Miller if I didn’t...The situation was getting out of control. I had to do it…for us.”
“Shut up, just…shut up. I don’t want to hear anymore.”
“But I did it for us. If she told the police they would have done a hell of a lot more digging than she did and they would have found about us. I did this for you.”
“No, you did this for you, Devin. You did this for you. You said no more lies. No more lies…”
I closed my eyes and shook my head, tears falling from my face. “We were supposed to have a happy ending. You promised me and…you lied.”
He touched my arm slightly and I pulled away.
“Don’t touch me. I don’t…I can’t…”
I ran. I turned and ran from him, not caring who saw. When I ran into Marina in the hall I could tell she was confused but I was too upset to care. I was certain I looked a wreck, my whole face felt reddened.
I ran past her and to my car. I felt like such an idiot for ever trusting him. I’d been drowning in the lies I’d told to others but I never thought I’d have to worry about the lies from him. I promised him no lies, he did the same, and like a fool I believed him. I was just some ditzy schoolgirl with the hot’s for a man who would never change.
I wasn’t too sure where I was driving, I just was. My heart felt like it was ripping in two and my air kept getting cut off, causing me to gasp.
I’d gotten to the dock before my mind actually connected with my body and I wasn’t sure why but it comforted me a little. The water was frozen over and there was snow covering everything. It looked like a winter wonderland.
I stood at the dock, waiting for something to happen but I wasn’t sure what. For anything to just come and take me away from this nightmare.
It began a slight drizzle but it wasn’t rain that hit my cheeks and mixed with my slowly freezing tears, it was sleet. It hit my uncovered cheeks and stuck to my loose hair. I pulled at my coat and placed the hood on my head. The fuzzy lining brought immediate warmth to my chilled ears and face.
When I heard the snow shifting under someone’s feet I turned, half expecting Devin to have blown off class and followed me. My scream for him to leave me alone got cut short when I realized it was Jack instead of Devin walking towards me.
“Jack?” I asked a bit worried. “What are you doing here?”
“I think the better question is, what are you doing here?”
“Oh, I uh.” I just couldn’t think of another lie to tell him. “I just….”
“Save it, Layla.” He came closer. “Are you in love with him?”
His words were a bit choked, as if they were hard for him say.
“Do I love who?” I asked walking towards him, rubbing the water from my face. “What are you talking about?”
“Cut the crap. I know you’re sleeping with Simmons.”
I tried not to look as shocked as I felt. “What are you talking about?” I held up my hand to touch him only to have him grab my wrists painfully.
“Stop lying to me!” He shouted into my face.
“Jack.” I winced. “You’re hurting me.”
“Good. Maybe it’s time you hurt, too.” He tightened his grip as I tried to break free.
“Let go, Jack!” I yelled pulling back while still trying to keep my feet from slipping on the mush.
“Let go? You want me to let go just like you let us go?” His face was twisted with both pain and fury. “Do you love him, Layla?! Do you love him?!”
“Yes!” I shouted, stopping my struggle. “At least… I thought I did.”
His grip loosened and I pulled my hands from his. If he looked hurt before, now he was distraught.
“I’m sorry, Jack. I didn’t mean for things to happen like this.”
“Like what? You didn’t expect for me to find out about your slutty escapades?”
That felt like a slap to the face. “How’d-”
“I overheard you and Marina in the hall yesterday. But you know what is really upsetting? I knew. I knew all along something was going on with you. I just didn’t know exactly what it was. You two were always just…too close. I knew I had a right to not like him. All the weekends with you ‘father’? You missing my practices and games? I knew. But you were a sneaky bitch. Always having an excuse.”
I couldn’t really say anything. I didn’t know what to say even if I could. He knew. I guess I wasn’t as great a liar as I thought.
“Tell me why, Layla.” His voice was softer now as he closed his eyes.
I couldn’t. I didn’t know why.
“Tell me!” He began shouting again.
“Layla?” Devin asked from far behind Jack.
Jack turned to see Devin running flawlessly across the snow-covered parking lot.
I didn’t feel like talking to either one of them right now so I started for the lot only to have Jack grab my wrist and yank me back.
“No!” Jack shouted. “We still need to talk.”
“Not while you’re angry, Jack!” I didn’t want him to get hurt but I also didn’t want his hand wrapped so tightly around my wrist.
Devin had stopped a few feet away from me, hands held up in a pleading gesture. “Please, Jack, just let her go.”
“Why so you can continue sleeping with her, you pedophilic bastard. You’ve met my father, the cop? I can’t wait to tell him this information. I bet you even had something to do with Millers disappearance. I heard Marina say Miller gave her pictures. Proof of you two-” He broke off unable to finish.
While he spoke I still struggled for him to ease his grip.
“Layla didn’t mean for you to find out this way. She wanted to tell you, but I wouldn’t let her.”
“I doubt you forced yourself into her life. She seemed more than willing to me.”
I couldn’t help the tears that kept streaming down my face. It was true. I had been more than willing to hop on Devin’s love train and look where that had gotten me.
“Please, Jack. I didn’t-”
“No, Layla, you did. And since you clearly don’t care about us anymore…fine. Be with the pedophile.
He released my arm and instead of balancing myself out, I slipped on the slush. My feet couldn’t get friction on the ground and as I slipped I slid backwards. My feet tangled and I knew I was going to fall harder, and it