The Truth ✔

Chapter 50 ~

Kaleb's POV

The rain gently taps on the window of Layla's hospital room. She is fast asleep next to me while I can't stop looking at the ultrasound pictures of our baby. This all seems so unreal. The nurse had called down to the room not too long ago to let us know that the results of the DNA test will take about 24 hours but she will stay with it the entire time. If all goes well, we should be rid of Scott, Austin, and Derrick for the rest of our lives.

For once in a long time, I feel truly at peace. Soon we'll be safe. We will be free from all the stuff we've put up with over the past few months. Layla will be free for the first time in her life. All I can do is think of our future. The things that we need to do and the things I want to do. We still both need to graduate high school, we need to decide where to live. I want to propose to her, I want to get married to her and I want to still grow our family. I will be everything she has never had. She'll never need to worry again.

Drifting to sleep with my heart full of happiness is something I am not used to anymore. The feeling of being safe and knowing that everything is right with the world has been a distant memory to me but it's back finally. Or at least I thought it was. You would think by now I would have learned that nothing can go the easy way for me or Layla. There will always be something trying to destroy our happiness and this moment is no different than any other that the two of us have shared. Maybe she sees it this way too. That could explain why she always tries to run from me.

There are people arguing right outside the room before two large police officers barge into the room. "Kaleb Knightly?" The taller of the two questions.

"That's me," I say in a clear, non-threatening tone.

"K-Kaleb? W-what's going on?" Layla whimpers as she wakes up and tries to digest what is going on before her.

"It's okay, Sweetheart," I say in a soothing voice in hopes she will stay calm. This stress is bad for her and the baby. "Everything is alright. Don't cry."

"Kaleb Knightly, turn around and put your hands behind you back." I give Layla a smile to try and comfort her as I obey the officer and turn around. The cold metal of handcuffs goes around both of my wrists. "You are under arrest for kidnapping. You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. You have the right to an attorney. If you cannot afford an attorney, one will be provided for you."

"Wait!" Layla cries as she starts pulling all of her wires that are connected to the machines in the room. "He didn't kidnap me. I ran away. He did nothing wrong."

"Ma'am we need you to get back in bed and stay there or else you would be arrested for interfering with a police arrest." The other officer says as he grabs onto her arm.

Watching her coward from the officer feels me with rage. This is her stepdad's doing. It also makes my heart break. The damage that her mom, stepdad, and James have done to her has left emotional scars. "He didn't kidnap me. He is the one who saved me," she says a bit louder with anger in her voice.

"Ma'am, I will arrest you too," the officer tells her as he grabs her arm.

She flinches when he grabs her and panic fills her eyes. It's too much for me to take. Against any better judgment I have, I struggle against my cuffs until the officer who is holding me lets go. "Don't fucking touch her," I scream out at the officer who had grabbed her before I shove him to the ground. "Don't you ever fucking touch her. I don't care what you do to me, but you will not lay your hands on her ever. That fucking bastard out there is not her father. Her father is Adam Boswell."

The officer who initially had me calls for backup as Layla's stepdad walks in the room. Clearing his throat everyone turns to look at him. You can tell he's of wealth and money and the officers quickly give him respect because of it. Stupid idiots. He's part of the reason Layla is the way she is. "What is going on in here and why is this criminal still in my daughter's room?"

"She's not your daughter!" I yell. "You only care about her for a business deal. You don't give a damn about her happiness. Her real dad is Adam Boswell. The blood test will prove he's her dad."

"Hold your tongue boy." One of the officers says as he tightens the cuffs on me.

"Why are y'all not waiting for the results?"

Scott walks over to me and gets right in my face, "If I were you, I would shut my mouth while you have the chance." Scott then turns his attention to the two officers, "Thank you gentlemen for getting me into my daughter's room. I do not know what's wrong with this hospital. The nerve of them trying to keep me away from my daughter."

"This man is not my father." Layla cries out. "Let Kaleb go. He didn't do anything wrong."

Scott sighs, "She's right. I'm not her birth father. I am her stepfather but I have raised her since she was a little girl and I've always treated her as if she was my biological child. My son and I have always seen her as a blood relative. We never use the word step. This boy has brainwashed her into making her think we are the bad people. Get him out of this room and away from her forever."

What happened next wasn't expected by everyone. As the officer pulls me towards the door, a deafening sound takes over the room. Everything seems to be going in slow motion as the officer who was pulling me out of the room drops to the floor. My eyes quickly dart to the other officer who is grasping at his holster for his gun, but it isn't there. My eyes fly to Layla. She has his gun. She was the one who pulled the trigger. She's still aiming it at the officer on the floor. On a better inspection of the officer, she has only shot him in the leg. "All of you get next to him!" she screams. "And keep your fucking hands in the air." Once everyone, including me is next to the officer on the ground she aims the gun at his head. "Pass your gun over here or I will kill you." He hesitates for a bit until she screams, "NOW!"

He pulls his gun out of his hoster before laying it on the ground and kicking it towards her with his good leg. She quickly grabs it and points it at the other officer. "Uncuff him," she screams. The officer grabs the key and fumbles while trying to unlock the cuffs that are around my wrist but eventually I am set free from the metal locks. I try to approach her but she then points the gun at me. "NO! DON'T COME NEAR ME." She screams. "Can you not see, Kaleb? They will never let me live in peace. I can't keep doing it anymore," she cries before bringing one of the guns to her head. "I'm sorry, Kaleb. I can't keep doing this. I've been a prisoner my entire life that I had while living with him and his son. When I finally ran to the person they said was my dad, he beat me and starved me. The scars will never disappear. The things he called me will never leave my head. Every time I look in the mirror they are there reminding me how worthless my life truly is. I can't keep fighting for myself anymore. I want peace. I want death."

As I may eye contact with Layla, I can tell she isn't in there anymore. I have to try though. I have to reason with her somehow. I can't... I won't lose her. Life without her is not living. "Fight for me then. Fight for our baby. Fight for our future. Please don't give up, Layla," I beg.

"Baby?" Scott growls suddenly. "You fucking little whore. You got yourself pregnant." Scott turns his attention on me, "She will not be having that little rat. I will damn well make sure of it. That thing will never see the light of day!"

I will forever blame what happened next on myself. I shouldn't have allowed my attention to divert from Layla. She wasn't in the right mind. No one realized how fragile she really was beside me. Another gunshot rings through the room...