The Truth ✔

Chapter 33 ~

Whitney's POV

After Kaleb ran out to find Layla, Aunt Abby explained to everyone's parents what had happened. Aunt Abby told everyone to go home and that she would call and let us know if anything changed. The ride home with my parents is awful. They are beyond disappointed in me, but that's not even the worst part. The worst part is how disappointed I am in myself.

Layla didn't deserve for me to yell at her the way I did. I wasn't even thinking with a straight head. If Layla is mad at me, she has every right to be. I listened to a stranger over her. I didn't even give her a chance to explain.

The moment I get home I run upstairs and lock myself in my room. There has to be someway I can fix this between Layla, Kaleb and me. I spend the next few hours in my room looking up stuff on Layla's stepdad and stepbrother. After searching through the internet, I hate myself more. I find several pictures of Layla with her mom and her stepfamily. In every single picture it looks like a happy picture-perfect family until you pay attention to her eyes.

Her eyes hold the truth. There may be a smile on her face, but there's no happiness, at least not for her. If anything, there is fear and pain. She's been living with fear and pain all her life, not just when she moved in with her real dad. How could I have accused of Layla of lying to us? She's only known fear and pain her entire life. No wonder why she has trust issues. Anyone in her position would. As I continue to go through articles online about Layla and her family, I find one that sticks out more than others. There's an article about how Layla's mom died, and that Scott and Austin are devastated that her father has custody of her. Reading deeper into the article it takes about how Scott had planned on adopting Layla before her mother died, but they had issues finding out where her real father was. The article goes on to say that right before her mother's funeral, Layla ended up missing and they believe that it was her father who kidnapped her. What? That can't be right.

I quickly print the article and run it downstairs to show my parents. Maybe something about this will help my aunt and uncle with Layla. I run down the steps but stop in my tracks when I see my parents on the couch crying and Connor and his parents looking pissed. "M-Mom, w-what's going on?" I ask as my voice trembles with fear.

My mom looks up at me with her tear-soaked face. "They're in j-jail. I-if they f-find Kaleb they're going to charge him with kidnapping."

"What?  Who's in jail?" I say unable to process what was just said.

"Kaleb texted your aunt, sweetie." My dad tries to say calmly, but I can tell by his voice that he is anything but calm. "He found Layla, but Layla wanted to run away. Your uncle had been looking into Layla's stepfamily all day after hearing that they wanted to take custody of her. They are not good people. When Kaleb texted your aunt saying he wasn't coming back because he wasn't going to let Layla run on her own, your aunt and uncle transferred ten grand into his account to help them out."

"I-I don't understand what the problem is." I asked confused.

Connor looks pissed. "She a minor and Kaleb is technically adult because he's eighteen. Her stepdad is saying that he kidnapped her and forced her to run away."

"He would never do such a thing." I say jumping from my seat. "How can they believe something like that? Kaleb is a good person, and why would they arrest his parents?" My voices rise as it starts to fill with anger.

"Since they knew Kaleb and Layla where running away and gave them money to help them out, they are being jailed for being accomplices in her kidnapping." My mom cries.

"What are we going to do?" I ask out loud not to any person in particular.

"I don't know." Connor's dad says. "For starters we need to hope and pray that they don't find Layla and Kaleb. None of you are to have any contact with either of them. Do I make myself clear?" Connor's dad says in a very stern voice.

How can he say that? They need out help. I will not turn my back on them again. "But they need us." I say harshly.

Connor's dad looks at me with sad eyes. "I know, but it won't do anyone any good if y'all end up in jail too because they think that y'all are accomplices to this so-called kidnapping."

"Can we stop calling it a kidnapping?" Connor growls. "Layla was not kidnapped by Kaleb. They're in love.  Even a fucking blind man could see that."

"We all know that, but it doesn't matter to the law. Kaleb is eighteen and Layla is sixteen." My dad says. "Technically once her dad gave up rights to her, she should have gone back to her stepfather."

"We need all of you to stay here. We are going to go talk to the judge and see if there is something we can do about all of this." Connor's dad buts in.

"Dad, there's something I found-"

"We don't have time right now, honey." My mom says shushing me. "We need to get your aunt and uncle out of jail."

As my parents walk out the door quickly with Connor's parents, I'm pissed off. I wanted to explain to them the information I found online. "Connor call the others now and tell them to get her as quickly as possible."

"Why?"

"Damnit Connor, just do it." I hiss.

Connor calls our friends to meet at my house while I run upstairs to grab my laptop. By the time I get back downstairs, Daniel and Jake are walking through my front door. It takes another ten minutes before Summer and Winter arrive.

Once everyone is sitting in my living room, I decide to explain myself to them. "There is something weird about this whole thing with Layla."

"We're not going through this again, Whitney." Jake says quickly. "Layla didn't do anything wrong. I don't know what crawled up your ass today, but I'm not going to sit here and listen to you talking down about her."

Everyone including myself is in shock. Jake has never talked to anyone like that before. "Jake, I'm sorry about earlier. I really am. I made a huge mistake, but that's not what I have to say. When I got home, I decided to do a little research on Layla's stepfamily and somethings aren't sitting right with me."

"What's that?" Summer asks.

"An article I read said that they couldn't find Layla's dad before her mother died, but then it said before her mother's funeral her dad kidnapped her. Layla's dad wanted nothing to do with her. He gave up his rights to her immediately.  Why would he have kidnapped her?"

"Maybe she just ran away to find him." Daniel chimes in. "I highly doubt he went looking for her. He gave her up to easily."

"But how could she find him, and not her stepfather and his lawyers?" Winter questions.

Connor is spaced out until he says, "Maybe we should take a trip to go and see Layla's dad in prison. I bet he will have some answers."

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A/N:  The Amazing cover on top was made byfaithfulness254  She also made the amazing cover that I am using for this story.   I also want to thank Rose1677 for going through and pointing out errors for me.  Both of you are wonderful!!!