by Vi Carter
“What he did to me, has damaged me so much Evelyn, but what he did to those boys…” Tears rolled down my face. “I feel like when I think of Jared, I can’t breathe.” Anger had me clamping my teeth together as I cried. Evelyn moved closer pulling me to her. No words were said as she rocked me, and I felt so selfish to grieve when I hadn’t suffered. Jared had.
“I used to pray for Bert and Ronnie that they would stop hurting people.” I sat back and wiped angrily at my face. “Now I hope they die a horrible and painful death.”
“Shh.” Evelyn’s tears fell as she tried to settle me. I could feel hysteria tinging my words but speaking about it was letting out all the anger and upset I felt.
We sat in each other’s arms. Evelyn rubbed my hair, but the worry around her eyes was gone with the knowledge that I hadn’t been harmed like that and that she hadn’t failed me. For me, I wanted to be strong when Jared picked me up. I wanted all the tears out so I could be his rock. I didn’t want him to hold me and soothe me for his pain. I wanted it to be about him.
When we finally let each other go, I was still feeling tender and by the drawn look on Evelyn’s face so was she. “Jared’s picking me up soon.” Evelyn nodded at my words as she fixed my hair behind my ear.
“Carl and I are here for both you. You and Jared.”
“Thank you, Evelyn,” I whispered, closing my eyes tight just for a moment. Her words meant everything to me.
Jared was abused rang around my head. How had I not noticed? How had so many social workers that checked up on us not noticed? Then again, I hid my own abuse so I wouldn’t be separated from Jared. He was all I had ever known; he was my safe feeling in a dangerous place. Now with the knowledge that it was far much darker I ever could have imagined, left me feeling lost.
“If Jared needs to talk…” Evelyn trailed off at the look of horror on my face. “Not me, but I have lots of contacts.” I relaxed. I didn’t want my boyfriend telling my mother all his secrets and pain.
“Thanks.” I managed a smile. My phone vibrated in my pocket, and I pulled it out.
I’m outside.
It was from Jared. My stomach felt empty now. Like that horrible empty feeling you get when you go to bed without dinner, and each hunger pain would wake you up. I got up off the swinging bench, pushing down another childhood memory.
“Jared’s outside.” Evelyn got up and hugged me tightly.
“Please don’t forget that we are here for both of you.” It eased my anxiety a bit, knowing that we weren’t alone.
I quickly washed my face and grabbed my bag. Jared was parked in the drive, his head bowed as he looked at something in his hands. Closing the front door, he looked up, and my stomach tumbled for all the right reasons. Against the horror of what was happening, I smiled, knowing that everything would be alright. I had Jared, after all.
The smile that spread across his face had me walking towards the car. His brown eyes never left mine, and I knew there and then, that I was the luckiest person in the world.
Climbing in, I didn’t give him a second, but took his face in my hands and kissed him. My life had been hard, his life had been harder, but I wanted the past to be the past and focus on the future. It wouldn’t just be my future, but mine and Jared.
“I love you,” I whispered against his lips. His eyes flickered up to mine, his breath brushing my lips. “I love you too, Layla.” I smiled into the next kiss that was soft and short. After all, we were sitting in the drive, and I didn’t want to give Evelyn a heart attack.
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
We drove in a silence that wasn’t awkward. I was mentally preparing myself for what would come next, maybe he was, too. Jared drove to the beach where the party had been. The day was warm, and when we pulled up, we got out without saying anything. I knew walking and talking about such a heavy topic would be easier than sitting in a tin can. Jared walked around the car and twined our fingers together. There was a brief moment when a look passed between us. It was like we were both in agreement that we could do this. That we had to do this.
Waves brushed against my feet. Once my feet touched the sand, I had removed my flip-flops. The feel of water and sand was making me feel more grounded.
“Are you okay?” I started it off with a stupid question but one that opened up the large black stage to its first victim. Jared, never one to hide, smiled at me. I wondered if he knew how brave he was.
“I am. I’m sorry about how I left it. It was shitty,” he said this as his free hand rubbed the back of his neck.
“You are amazing. You know that?” I told him, and his lip tugged slightly as he narrowed his eyes.
“No, but I could get used to hearing that.”
“Great. You are going to hear it every day forever.” His smile grew as he tugged on my hand.
“You always make me feel better.” His words delivered a pull to my heart, and silence fell between us again. My heart hurt every time I thought of him being hurt. I stopped walking, wanting to look at him.
“What can I do?” I asked, and his jaw tightened, but he didn’t shy away from me.
“Just be here, be patient.” I was surprised when his cheeks colored at the word patient. He didn’t even have to tell me.
“Always.”
“I’ve been in therapy for years now. I’ve been getting help.” Jared’s words had the same feeling as the sand under my feet. Solid. It was like my body took a breather.
Jared started to walk. “I was terrified to tell you, but I knew I had to.” I was staring at Jared in awe. He was amazing. He was perfect.
He was mine.
“Thank you for trusting me.” We stopped again, and Jared moved closer, sending my heart pounding. The effect he had on me was frightening at times, and the way he looked at me now, like I was the most important person in the world, had my breaths coming in short puffs.
“You’re the only person I trust. You always have been.” Jared’s arm snaked around my waist as he pulled me into his arms.
I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply. I loved him so much. The more we talked, the more I loved him.
“What happens now?” I asked against his chest, staring out at the ocean.
“Right now? Like this second?” I could hear the laugh in his voice, and I smiled into his chest.
“Don’t be a smartass,” I said leaning back from him, and his dimples appeared.
“It’s cute when you curse,” he said before planting a kiss on my nose.
I wiggled my nose, and he laughed. “‘Ass’ isn’t a curse,” I declared.
“It’s still cute.” We smiled at each other as the waves broke on our feet.
“We’ll be fine.” Jared’s words were said with such assurance that I believed him.
“Of course, we will. We have each other.” I told him.
EPILOGUE
I’d like to say we walked off into the sunset like I’ve seen in so many movies, but that’s not what happened. We continued to grow and heal together. People say time is a great healer, and it is. But no wound ever fully heals. I think you just learn to live with your demons. They have a special corner in your head. A corner they stick to most of the time.
The court case against Bert arrived, and I took the stand telling the world what I had endured at the hands of Bert and Ronnie. It was hard. It was emotional, but I had Carl, Evelyn, and even Ashley to support me, which meant so much.
I had never been more proud when Jared walked up the aisle to take the stand; I also had never been so terrified. Chester and Jared’s father joined us, and I saw Chester in a different light when he embraced Jared afterward. Our eyes clashed, and I knew we would never be friends, but I gave him a nod as a thank you, a show of respect.
“I’m so proud of you,” I told Jared, once we had a second alone. It was the first day of court, and we had a few more to go. We hadn’t been the only children in Bert’s and Ronnie’s care. The court had a lot of different witnesses to listen to. I just hated the fact th
at we would have to see Bert and Ronnie again. I hadn’t looked at them directly, but I could feel their eyes on me as I took the stand.
“Who’s hungry?” Evelyn asked, and Ashley spoke first.
“I’m starving. Where are we going?” I smiled at her and noticed Chester did, too.
“There’s a small café down the street,” Mr. Garcia announced, and we all agreed that would be fine. Evelyn and Carl walked beside me as Jared held my hand. Mr. Garcia walked in front of us with Ashley and Chester following behind us. We were an odd group. But this was us.
These were the people that were important to us and the ones that would help us through it. I squeezed Jared’s hand, four short times. It was a signal we had started doing when we couldn’t talk. ‘We’ll be okay.’ That’s what we said to each other. I smiled when he squeezed my hand back.
Yeah, everything would be okay.
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PROLOGUE
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
CHAPTER NINETEEN
CHAPTER TWENTY
CHAPTER TWENTY ONE
CHAPTER TWENTY TWO
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
CHAPTER TWENTY SEVEN
CHAPTER TWENTY EIGHT
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE
CHAPTER THIRTY
CHAPTER THIRTY ONE
EPILOGUE
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About The Author
About The Author
When Vi Carter isn't writing contemporary romance books, you can find her reading her favorite authors, baking, taking photos or watching Netflix.
Married with one child, Vi divides her time between motherhood and all the other hats she wears as an Author.
Vi's main goal is to give readers the same emotional ride that she got from reading Colleen Hoover and Jennifer L. Armentrout books.
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All of Me Copyright © 2019 by VI CARTER.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations em- bodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organiza- tions, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
First Edition: March 2019
