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Chapter 24

Layla's Pov
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I've been behind bars for, wait hold up.
I looked around for a clock as saw one right above the cop with his feet on his desk. One, two, three, four. Okay 1 hours and 24 minutes.

Jail wasn't THAT bad, you heard the stories about how awful it is. I had all I needed in the cell a chair and a toilet, I was set.

I heard a knock from behind me, it was coming from the window with bars on them.

"Layla!" I heard Devin whisper.

I inched closer to the window, "What do you want?"

"Hey excuse me get away from that window!" The cop threw his truncheon thing at me.

"Layla I'm going to your house to get someone." Devin whispered leaving me stranded.

"NO! Don't!" I yelled. The cop got up, obviously irritated.

"Excuse me?"

I didn't proceed the conversation, I wasn't in the mood for his attitude today. Sighing, I walked over to the chair taking a seat and thought.

*FLASHBACK*

"Do you want to know who I love Devin?" I asked, looking at Devin's emerald green eyes. I couldn't keep it a secret anymore.

"Uh...um yes. No no. Only if you want to. " He scratched the back of his neck and his cheeks went red.

"You."

Awful thoughts were running through my head that time. I honestly didn't care if he liked me or despised me. I was tired of thinking about other people's feelings, I wanted to think about mine, I wanted to do what I wanted.

I inched closer and closer to him until my lips met his. I felt alive, not like a walking corpse that I always feel like. I felt the passion in the kiss, and it wasn't fake. Honesty I should of done this sooner, I wanted to feel this way everyday.

I pushed Devin down on his back looking down at him. He was smiling and his hair sticked up in places. We continued kissing, I slipped my hand under his shirt continuing to get lower and lower.

"Layla, I really want to but I just can't. It's not right, you're drunk right now. I'm sorry." He stormed out of my room.

This is why I didn't do things for me because I knew nobody could love me the same.

*END OF FLASHBACK*

I was staring at the floor, overwhelmed of what just happened. Those feelings kept arising in my emotionless, vacant body. What the hell is wrong with me? But Devin's actions, not taking it further and using me stayed in my head.

"Layla Parks you're free to go." The cop announced, opening the door.

I walked out of the cell, holding my sleeves as if they were going to protect me. I looked up in the lobby expecting to see Celeste or Joe or even both of them but I found Liam standing there with a grey shirt and rip jeans. He looked tired.

He grabbed my hand and pulled me out into the parking lot.

"What the hell is wrong with you?"

"I- I just-" I was caught off but something touching my lips, I realized that it was Liam he was kissing me. "Liam, no stop I can't."

"Why not?" He pulled back looking into my eyes.

"It's against the rules, I can't. They'll put me in another foster home. I'm tired of jumping around." Tears started to escape my eyes looking back on good memories that I lost because of a situation like this.

"Then, then we won't tell anyone Layla I want to be with you." He pleaded me his hand were on the sides of my face.

"No, I have feelings for somebody else." I looked at the cement, ashamed.

Everything went quiet, for a second it felt as if the world stood still, that everyone's eyes were on me.

"O-Okay." He slid his hands into his pockets.

"Liam if you have to say something say it." I pulled my sleeve over my hands and crossed my arms.

"I just don't understand why you had to lead me on, even though you knew I had feelings for you." His voice cracked a bit and we walked to his car in silence.

On the way home nobody talked. I felt awful, but I couldn't keep lying to him. I liked him I really did but it wasn't anything special, I knew it was temporary. I wanted a relationship that lasted. It could also get me kicked out of the house.

We arrived home and the lights were on. Celeste and Joe probably made it back home. Opening the door I was greeted by Celeste.

"Layla you have a visitor." Celeste looked a little anxious "he's in the living room."

I walked slowly around the corner to see a dirty blonde with grey eyes sitting in a chair. He looked around my age maybe a few years younger.

"Layla?!" He stood up giving me a hug.

I stood still I didn't know this strange boy who was hugging me at the instant.

"Who are you?" I looked at him trying to see if I ever seen him.

"It's me, Nel."

"But-But Nel died." I started to cry, remembering what happened.

"No, I didn't. I was in critical condition. They thought I would die, but I didn't. They already published the news paper that I died, they were sure of it but I got better. I was looking for you, then I saw this." He pulled out the newspaper that was published of the car accident.

"No. No. Stop lying to me. Nel died." I was so sure of it, I saw his lifeless body in the at the hospital, I saw him take his last breath.

He pulled up his shirt to reveal a scar that went from his chest across to his hip bone.

Memories flooded my brain, I remembered Nel scream when the broken pieces of glass cut into his body, the pain,

He pulled out an old shirt of mine stained with blood. Most of it was Mom's and Nel's.

"Do you remember this?" He looked into my eyes pleading.

I gave him a hug, crying into his shoulder. "Don't leave me Again Nel Don't leave me again."

"I won't."

At that moment, I didn't see the aged boy in front of me I saw my little Nel. He was looking up at me with innocent eyes.