Hello everyone,
Let me start off by saying I'm sooo sorry for the long wait. I can't believe it's been this long and really didn't mean to keep you guys hanging. I've been going through some stuff, but I'm happy to say I'm back and ready to continue this story. I hope you enjoy this chapter, so much more is revealed. As always please don't be shy and comment; I love to hear from you guys!
Merle paced from one side of the room to the other. He had been at it for a while now, calculating his next move. Tonight... it would happen tonight.
As he looked towards the bed, his gaze carelessly landed on the woman who consumed his thoughts. Dressed in nothing but an oversized t-shirt and a white cotton thong, Layla lay tangled between the sheets. One smooth shoulder exposed her tantalizing cinnamon skin. He didn't trust himself to lay in bed with her. It was just too tempting.
Last night after the bachelorette party they'd come home hand in hand. The drivers dropped them all off at the house and the ladies easily found their way to their rooms. The men arrived from the bachelor party not too long before the women and could only gawk at their costumes.
Although Merle possessively grabbed Layla's hand as he walked, he was quiet and his expression remained neutral, detached. He didn't seem like himself at all. Layla hoped he hadn't seen or heard Rafaele do anything inappropriate. After the incident she avoided Rafaele and he seemed to have caught the drift. As she looked at Merle she wondered what was truly bothering him. Something was off.
Before she could ask him about it, they arrived at her bedroom door. She didn't like the far away look she saw. Impulsively she gave him a heart-stopping kiss and he responded as she hoped he would.
Closing his eyes he let out a deep sigh as he relaxed himself on her lips, but still said nothing. Her delicately tapered hands gently tugged his collar towards her room and he went willingly. She didn't want to be alone tonight.
To her surprise things didn't improve when they were alone. Layla tried to initiate inane conversation as she felt a bit nervous at the thought of being intimate with him again. But he didn't budge. He was quiet and reflective, not quite rude but cold. There was a deep crease in his forehead that bothered her.
She finally asked him what was wrong and he simply replied that he was tired.
When they slipped into the bed together, Layla squeezed him a little tighter and closed her eyes. She thought it best to leave him to his thoughts rather than force the subject. On the expanse of his large chest, her soft head found the perfect spot right under his clavicle. She exhaled. She deeply believed that when he was ready to talk he would.
When she was asleep, Merle swiftly climbed out of bed and re-checked every corner of the room; the windows, the bathroom, under the bed, drawers and the closet. He did a thorough sweep just to be sure. Everything around him was quickly unraveling. If what he saw tonight was any indication; he was out of time.
When he was finally satisfied that her room was clear, he sat in a nearby armchair. He positioned himself to face the most vulnerable spots; the windows and Layla. His fingers stretched and fingered his concealed weapon, making sure it was within reach locked and ready. With a straight back and stiff shoulders he looked like a sentinel... ready for action.
Hours later Merle awoke while it was still pitch dark out. He hadn't even realized he'd drifted asleep. When he looked around and found she was gone, his heart stopped for a couple of beats. Panic set in.
He ran up to the roof praying she just decided to go up for some fresh air.
Carefully he searched the rooftop and saw nothing. Just as he about to leave he caught sight of her. On the ledge. She was teetering on the very edge of the roof as she carelessly looked over. What the fuck was she doing up there?
The cliff was very steep and the loud crashing waves reminded them deep waters below. She looked back at him with tear-stained eyes as she mumbled something incoherent. As he got closer and closer to her, he asked what she was doing. Her face was covered in utter disappointment.
It suddenly hit him like a ton of bricks. She found out the truth.
The hurt in her eyes was almost too much to bear. Her feet slowly moved away from him. She kept shaking her head in disbelief.
He yelled at her to stop fucking moving but she just shook her head.
She slipped and screamed as she plummeted to the black pit.
No!!!
He ran towards her.
It was too late.
Without thinking twice about it, he plunged into the water after her. The freezing water shocked him and it felt like a million needles pierced him from all sides. When he surfaced he desperately yelled out for her. The waves splashed all around him.
Frantically he searched in every direction but there was no one there.
The sea was just too big and deep. The water was as black as the night. He fought the strong current as he cursed the wind. The waves roared, but he swam against it. He didn't give up, he would find her. He swam and dove under again. When he came up again he was suddenly so far away from land he knew it would be hard to get back. The gravity of it all hit him suddenly.
He failed.
Again.
Layla was gone and it was all his fault.
Suddenly he felt something tugging his leg from under the deep blue water. Hope sprang in his heart as he turned to dive under.
Then he realized the black water surrounding him was actually thick crimson red water. His stomach turned as he thought of Layla. No. It couldn't be.
Before he could react, he saw it. It was the very distinguishable fin of a shark. It was massive and looked like a great white. It circled him and taunted him until it smoothly submerged underwater.
Merle was helpless and alone. Panic overtook him as he couldn't see anything but could only feel it slithering around his legs. As he kicked and thrashed the waves, he tried to stay afloat.
Just as he was about to be pulled under, he locked eyes with the shark. Shock overwhelmed him when saw it was actually Layla. She looked like some demonic sea creature out for his blood. She bore her sharp teeth and gnashed at his leg. She bit into his body suit and tore it off.
Suddenly Sean was naked and floating alone in the sea. He was alone. It was deathly quiet all around him.
Without warning he felt a sharp numbing pain in his back leg and felt himself quickly being pulled under the crimson water one last time...
He woke up gasping for air. Taking deep pulls of air as his chest rose erratically; he gripped the arms of the chair in confusion.
Merle's slowed his breathing and calmed himself down. That was one fucked up dream. He wiped the sweat off of his forehead and accidentally wiped some makeup off. Momentarily he had forgotten he was in his Merle disguise. Anxiety crept in. He got up and did another thorough sweep of the room. He swallowed the deep sense foreboding he got from the nightmare.
Things we're getting beyond complicated and he just wanted this whole thing to be over. He thought he could just keep up with the lie until this whole thing blew over, but he couldn't take it any longer.
Every time Layla gifted him with the most perfect smile, he felt himself lost and then found. It was as if he was sucked into a tornado and the only thing keeping him afloat was her. He was tethered to her every breath.
Nevertheless he knew he was seconds away was capsizing and he could not continue the charade with her. Even if it meant loosing her.
Every time he looked into her eyes, the guilt consumed him. He despised men who lied to the people they loved.
And yet he'd become just that.
A coward.
Perhaps some things are inherited after all.
He was sick of his excuses. He could trust her, he knew he could. He just had to find the words. Enough was enough.
Today. It would happen today.
He wasn't ignorant to the fact that there was no way she'd be ok with his revelation, but she meant that much to him.
As scary as that was, for the first time in his life he wasn't thinking with his selfish needs. He would make this right.
