Bound Together

by Marie Coulson

  My heart was pounding and tears were running down my face when Amy caught me in the lobby and ushered me to the ladies room. “Layla, oh my god, what happened?”

  Shaking and sobbing, I sniffled and sputtered through my tears. “Jared’s here. He saw me outside. I can’t think straight. He’s hurt me so much and yet I can’t stop wanting him.” Wrapping her arms around me, she held me in a tight hug before grabbing a handkerchief from her purse and getting to work on my mascara smeared face. “You’re only human Layla. You can’t be expected to just get over someone in a few weeks. You were in love for goodness sakes. Stop hating yourself for having feelings. It’s not wrong to feel this way. You will get over him. Not tomorrow, maybe not even this year, but you will, I promise. Now let’s get back in there and try to enjoy ourselves. Sebastian seems nice and he told Felix he’s having a really good time.” I smiled at her, knowing that Sebastian was as heartbroken as I was and that the reason we were having fun together was because there was no pressure to perform. We both knew where we stood and it was a welcome relief for us both.

  Walking to our table, the two men stood and pulled our chairs out for us to sit. Taking my hand Sebastian smiled. “Are you alright? You seem a little flustered.” I nodded weakly and leaned to his ear. “I just saw someone I wasn’t expecting that’s all.” An understanding passed between us and he tightened his grip on my hand knowingly. Sitting for dinner, the four of us talked about the restaurant business and I was fascinated by the many different cuisines Sebastian was expert in. I had been placed between Felix and Sebastian and I listened, entertained, as they poked fun and ribbed each other about their time in college. “He was a complete ass. The great James Felix, every girl wanted to get in his pants and all their boyfriends wanted to smash his face in.” Felix laughed, tipping his head back in the process. “Good thing I had the sports star here to back me up. He was so huge, like a brick wall.”

  I laughed as Sebastian shrugged. Amy was speaking to an older woman who was sat at our table. Felix explained that she was the chief buyer for one of California’s top designer stores. Amy was desperate to get into fashion. Her excellent taste and keen eye for trends made her a perfect candidate for any possible internship. Excusing himself, Sebastian left the table to speak to a colleague who was standing at the bar.

  Taking a sip of my drink I sputtered and choked as a hand slipped up my thigh underneath the table. Snapping my head at him, Felix gave me a wicked grin. What was he doing? Not wanting to make a scene at the table I quickly brushed his hand away and glanced at Amy. Leaning into my ear, he growled. “Oh she’s sweet and all, but there’s something about you Layla that brings out the animal in me. This food is delicious but I’d much rather be devouring you.” I flinched and nausea flooded me. Turning her attention to us, Amy touched his arm and he immediately regained his charming and gentlemanly disposition as if nothing had happened. The band began to play and Felix stood and offered me his hand. “Miss Jennings, would you do me the honor of giving me the next dance?”

  “Over my cold, lifeless, dead body she will!” I turned in my seat and stared in shock as Jared swiped Felix’s hand away from me.

  Straightening up, Felix gave him a smirk. “Garrett. Nice to see you too. Come to make sure I’m keeping your money in good company?” Jared stepped closer, his eyes filled with fury and his voice spitting with venom. “Get you filthy paws away from my girl.”

  “I do believe you forfeited that title. She’s a free agent now. And besides, it’s only a dance.” The sound of shouting pulled our attention toward the bar where I saw Sebastian exchanging words with a very familiar brunette. I stared mortified at Jared. He brought her to the dinner? And after everything he’d said outside, he was still seeing her. Storming away from Felix and giving me an anxious glance, he headed for the two of them. I could see the woman crying as Jared tried desperately to calm everyone down. People were beginning to stare and just as I got to my feet Sebastian came hurtling towards Felix and hit him square in the jaw. “You fucking asshole! You’re supposed to be my best friend!” Amy shrieked and I quickly darted to her side as the two men fought against the table. “I didn’t mean for it to happen I swear! It was a mistake. She’s not worth this Bastian.” Hammering blow after blow into Felix’s face, Sebastian spat and hissed at him. “She was the love of my life! I was going to marry her and you took it all away from me!”

  Jared and the woman appeared behind them and with a forceful tug Jared dragged Sebastian away from Felix. The brunette was sobbing beside them and I couldn’t help but feel slightly pleased, as if justice were being served. “I’m so sorry Bastian. I never meant for this to happen. Please you have to believe me.” He glared at her and snatched his arm from Jared’s grasp. Pointing at her face he snarled, “You’re a dirty little whore and you deserve all you get. You should have stayed in New York. Is there nowhere I can get away from you, you soul sucking bitch?”

  “Hey!” Jared jumped to her defense and it instantly got my back up. Amy stood at the table wide eyed and tearful. Staring at them all, I yelled over the shouting back and forth that was going on. “Hey! Will someone please explain what the hell is going on here?” Sebastian faced me with fury in his eyes.

  “That whore over there is my ex-girlfriend. And this dick, who I thought was my friend is the one that’s been screwing her!”

  Grinning, Felix laughed. “Yep, and what a good little lay she was too. Never had better.” He reached out a hand and stroked my arm which I instantly pulled away. “Well, yet anyway.” A crash reverberated through the room as Jared dove at him, completely destroying the table as they landed on top of it. His fist pummeled relentlessly into Felix’s stomach, chest, face and ribs. “Don’t you ever fucking touch her again!”

  The brunette screamed at him, “Jared stop! He’s not worth it!” Releasing Felix, Jared stood back and surveyed the damage as well as the faces of all the people currently staring in his direction. Squaring up to him I scowled. “What do you care anyway? You’ve clearly moved on. What is it Jared? You can’t have me then no one can?” Grabbing me by the wrist, he dragged me away from the table and through the hallway to the elevator. “What the hell are you doing!? Where are we going?” The brunette followed closely behind us and as the elevator door opened, he swung me inside. “We need to talk. Right now.” Standing in the corner as far away from him as possible I glared as his guest stepped inside to join us. She was still crying and her body shook as she sobbed into her hands. “You have no one to blame for this mess but yourself Lucy. I warned you.” She nodded and cried a little harder if that were at all possible. Turning his gaze to me, I could see he was furious. “And I told you to stay away from him. I begged you to listen, but once again you just can’t do as you’re fucking told!” I glowered, snapping back at him “You don’t have the right to tell me who I can or can’t see anymore Jared. Like he said, you forfeited that right when I caught you with her!” I pointed at the sobbing woman in front of me and she quickly shot Jared a pleading look but he completely ignored her.

  The elevator came to a halt and taking my wrist once again, he pulled me along beside him down the hallway to a room. I glanced behind me to see the woman I now knew to be Lucy following behind. If he thought for one minute all his naughty little fantasies were about to come true, he was wrong! Why the hell was she following us!? Opening the door to a large suite he pulled me inside as Lucy shut the door behind us. The walls were magnolia and a corner couch was sitting on the far side of the room. A light wooden coffee table that sat in front of it and a large dining table set for six were the only other pieces of furniture. Gesturing at the couch, he asked me to sit. Begrudgingly I did. Turning to the blotchy, red faced woman in the corner he sniped at her. “You lied to me. All this time you’ve lied. You swore you ended it, that it wasn’t Felix. But it was, wasn’t it? Every cut, bruise and scratch. It wasn’t Sebastian at all. All this time the man I should have been going after was in the same state as me!” Hurrying t
o him, she gripped the collar of his jacket. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry. I knew once you found out you’d go crazy and we both know Felix isn’t the type to let things go. I know I lied, I told you it was over but I couldn’t end it. Without Bastian I had nothing.”

  “You had me! You had your mother!”

  Standing, I dropped my purse on the table. “Will someone kindly explain what the hell I am doing here?” Looking at me and then Lucy he sighed, exasperated. “Tell her. Tell her Lucy. Tell her the truth, all of it. There’s not much sense in keeping it a secret now is there?” My heart stopped and I felt sick to my stomach as she turned towards me. “I’m not Jared’s girlfriend.” I stared at her waiting. “I’m his sister.”

  What!? Slumping onto the couch she gazed up at me. “I’m his sister. And this whole mess is because of me. Because I was stupid enough to get involved with Felix.”

  Grabbing a handkerchief, she sobbed and ran out of the room. Jared tried to stop her but she shook her head and breezed past him to the solace of the bedroom. Walking over to me, he rubbed his eyes with his thumb and index finger. I was speechless. He had a sister? “But….you said you were an only child.”

  “I lied. According to you it’s what I do best.” He took a long, deep breath. “Lucy is my father’s daughter.”

  Taking a seat on the couch he joined me as I slowly lowered myself on to the cushion beside him. “When my parents died I took over their finances which included all the accounts and my father’s office. When I finally sat down to look at it all I noticed some discrepancies. Every month thousands of dollars were just disappearing into an unknown account. So I started digging. I looked in every possible business, personal and savings account but I came up with nothing. I was going crazy trying to figure it out and one evening I tore my father’s office apart, looking for anything that could tell me where all this money had gone and that’s when I found them.” Getting to his feet, he stood staring out of the window. “Letters, hundreds of them all from the same woman. I discovered that when I was a very small child, my father had an affair with his secretary. It didn’t last long but long enough to get her pregnant. When he found out, my father made sure that the child would have everything she needed and in return her mother sent letters and photos. I don’t know if my mother knew but finding out I had a sister turned my world upside down. So I went to find her and that’s when I met her mother.”

  I sat completely floored by the new revelations. He had a family? Another heir to the Garrett fortune. “I told her I wasn’t there to cause trouble but felt she ought to know my father had died and that meant the money would be stopping. Lucy had moved to college in New York but her mother was so sweet she insisted I stay and talk, ask questions, anything I needed really. She was so nice and understanding and for the first time in a long time I felt like I had someone who actually understood what it was like to be alone with such a huge responsibility. We kept in touch and she introduced me to Lucy who was surprisingly accepting of the fact she had a brother; she was practically giddy. We got along great and I saw her every month for dinner in the city when I was there on business. Lucy has her inheritance but it’s secured until she’s twenty five; my father’s very own insurance that she went to college. So, when her mother fell into financial trouble Lucy asked for my help. She didn’t want a handout so I gave her mom a job instead. I gave her the coffee shop.” My mouth fell open in shock. “You mean, Lorraine? Lorraine was your father’s mistress? This is a lot of information Jared.” Coming back over, he crouched in front of me. “I know, but I had to tell you. The only reason I didn’t is because Lucy’s got herself into trouble and the fewer people knew the safer I could make her.” I stared at him.

  “What kind of trouble?” Exhaling loudly he shook his head. “She was in an abusive relationship with a man in New York which until about five minutes ago I thought was Sebastian. But finding out it’s Felix changes everything.”

  He winced and I could see he was stressed. This was taking its toll on him. “What did he do to her?”

  “He doesn’t like the word no so whenever she used it he’d give her a good beating and make sure she knew her place. He’s a very well respected member of the California social elite and now she’s pregnant with his child. When people discover she’s my sister, she’s going to become a hot commodity. I spent a lot of money, time and manpower to keep myself out of the national press and now that whole commotion downstairs is going to completely undo all my hard work. She has a hefty inheritance, owns half of the business and if the press or Felix gets hold of the news, that prick will use her to his advantage in any way he can, publicly. My family’s and my name will be dragged through the mud. The calls I have been getting were from my friend in New York. I asked him to keep an eye on her and when he called me in my office he told me she was in the hospital. That’s why I went there. I told Lorraine to put you and Kate in charge in the shop and took her with me. I thought together we could try and persuade Lucy to come back here but she took off before we arrived. We must have searched the whole fucking city for her, but nothing.” I watched him intensely as he continued. “She finally called that night we were at the bar, your birthday.” I cringed at the memory of that awful night. The alcohol I had consumed, mixed with the barrage of information I had just received, made me woozy as I tried to process everything he was saying. Lorraine and his father had an affair, he has a sister who’s pregnant by the man my roommate was currently falling in love with and who turns out is an abusive asswipe. God, why me?

  He sat staring at me, waiting with bated breath for me to speak but I had no words. I was completely speechless. “I’d just got home when I got her message and she said she was on her way. I couldn’t turn her away Layla. She’s my sister and to be honest I was so relieved that she was alive I didn’t care. But I knew whoever this guy was, he wasn’t going to just let her walk away and that’s why I couldn’t tell you. I couldn’t tell anyone. I had to keep her safe. If I’d known then that it was Felix I could have avoided this whole horrible mess, stopped it all months ago. She’s really fucked up this time.” I shrugged.

  “You can’t help who you fall in love with Jared. She couldn’t stop any more than I could have stopped falling in love with you. I’m sure you can make calls, pay people off to keep quiet.” He ran his fingers through his hair and I could see the tension he was holding as his arms and shoulders stiffened as he moved. “Of course I can and all her problems just go away. But what she cost me; no amount of money in the world can replace what I lost.”

  Holding my gaze, he spoke clearly with desperation in his voice.

  “Layla, I could never be unfaithful to you. I love you completely and entirely. No more lies, secrets or hiding. I give you my word. Just come back to me, please baby.” His hand brushed my cheek and I jumped as though it caused me physical pain, and for all intent and purposes, it did.

  “Jared, I…that’s a lot to take in. I believe you. I do. And I’m sorry that you felt you couldn’t tell me about something that’s been causing you so much distress. Because I would have understood. It’s what you do when you love someone.”

  Taking my hands, he held them tightly but I pulled them away resting them on my lap. “But it’s not enough. We don’t trust each other. Just look at what happened between us that night at the bar. There are so many reasons for us to be apart. You’ll never truly trust Ollie and now you know about that kiss, you’ll never really trust me either.” He opened his mouth but I shook my head. “You won’t Jared. Not really. There will always be that piece of you that wonders if I’m hiding something and I’ll always think the same about you too. I guess, sometimes, love just isn’t enough.”

  Sitting beside me on the couch he rested his elbows on his knees and stared at the floor. “Please don’t do this to me Layla. I can’t eat. I can’t sleep. I walk around in a daze. I haven’t been able to focus at work and I can’t even set foot in that coffee shop anymore because every time I walk in and don’t see you
r gorgeous smile, it cuts like a knife.”

  Lifting his head with my hands I gazed at him, tears rolling down my cheeks. “I’m sorry. I just can’t go through losing you all over again. It hurts too much.”

  Tears in my eyes I got to my feet and walked to the door, glancing back at him as he sat, gazing at me; clearly devastated and broken, just as I was. “Daniel will take the two of you home. I’m sorry for everything I’ve done to you Layla. But you should know there will never be anyone else for me. As long as you’re walking this earth, the shattered pieces of my wasted heart will love you forever. You’re my girl Layla.” Pulling a chain from beneath his collar he held his pendant in his hand. He still wore it. Holding it tightly he stared at me. “You will always be my only love.” I nodded weakly, understanding exactly how he felt because my broken heart felt just the same. “Goodbye Jared.” A sob escaped my lips as I turned and walked out of the door and out of his life forever.

  Chapter 38

  Winter Wonderland

  Amy had been devastated when I told her about Felix, although leaving out the critical detail that Lucy was Jared’s sister. Crying for days and becoming withdrawn, there was little Mel and I could do to console her. My own pain was still fresh but seeing my friend so shattered and hurt because I had chosen to ignore Jared’s warning, was devastating. Packing for the holidays, she stared at me. “I don’t blame you, you know that right? He’s a slime ball. I can’t believe what he did to you at that table, right next to me. Jared should have strangled him. I wanted to. Disgusting, vile, pig!” She was slipping healthily from depression to violent anger. “Urgh, I swear if I ever see him again I’m going to cut off his balls with a blunt knife; slowly, sawing back and forth, painfully!” I winced and looked at Mel who was laughing hysterically in the corner.