Duplicity Ch. 12

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Alejandro.
7k words
4.68
15.5k
14
8

Part 13 of the 19 part series

Updated 10/27/2022
Created 07/13/2012
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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.

Then there was the other thing he had to deal with. Before he left the party last night, Sienna talked to him discreetly. As a heads up, she told him that their father, Frank and his young wife Latisha decided to fly in for the wedding after all. She wasn't expecting them to come but as a courtesy sent them an invitation anyway.

To her surprise, he called her and let her know the time of their arrival the following day.

Venting her frustration with her brother, Sienna confessed how messed up their father was. On a whim he decided to come. Who does that? He told her he wouldn't miss being the father of the bride for anything. The nerve of that man.

Frank fully expected to walk her down the isle; Sienna scoffed as she related the story.

Their father barely had any communication with his kids for years. A random call or text here and there on special occasions but nothing concrete. And he wanted to show up on her wedding day and lay claim to the role? She didn't think so.

Sienna had long decided their mother Sharon would walk her down the isle. Her father Frank would just have to live with the disappointment... just like they all did with him.

Listening to his sister, Merle just sighed and shook his head. Frank was coming. Great. Just fucking great.

Suddenly Merle looked up when he heard Layla stir in her sleep. He needed to go take a shower and get himself ready. Sienna and Jason would probably be arriving soon with Frank and Latisha.

He quietly walked towards the bed as to not disturb her. His fingers slowly caressed her taut stomach and traveled up until they reached her neck. He gave her a kiss there marking his spot.

"Where are you going?" She whispered groggily. Her body languidly stretched deeper into him.

Momentarily distracted by her body he answered, "I have to go take care of some things. You remember the beach where we ate lunch by the market that day?"

"Mm-hmm..."

"Meet me there tonight at 8. Ok? I have to talk to you about something. It's really important." He said seriously.

Layla nodded. Her half-lidded eyes gazed into his intently. It looked like they couldn't decide if they were full of desire or sleep.

Merle's lips twitched into a smile. "You're not going to forget when you wake up, are you?"

"I'll remember." She replied hoarsely. "I have to get up in a little bit and run some errands on that side of town anyway." With that she quickly fell back asleep.

Merle softly smiled. It didn't matter how chaotic his thoughts were, she always managed to make him feel better.

Distracted with his thoughts he entered his room and didn't notice the odd-shaped lump under his bed covers.

Sean quickly got out of the body suit and removed all traces of Merle. A steamy shower later and he felt renewed. He wrapped a towel around his waist and turned in the mirror. Almost automatically he went through his shaving ritual and brushed his teeth. He reached under the cabinet and grabbed the pill bottle from its hiding spot and swallowed two small pink pills.

As he finished drinking water, his crystal green eyes connected with the foggy mirror. He suddenly came to the horrifying realization.

Abuelita Celeste was sitting on his bed... completely naked and still half asleep.

What the fuck what she doing there?!!

He shut his eyes at the image that would be forever ingrained in his memory. He waited for her to speak, but she didn't.

He realized she hadn't noticed him there yet. There was still hope. He had to be very quiet and not make any sudden movements. Abuelita Celeste might have been senile but she had perfect hearing. If he slowly moved back into the bathroom he might have a chance at not getting caught.

Abuelita stretched her arms towards the sky and let out a loud yawn. She coughed loudly and swallowed. Sean cringed. He looked to his left and slowly tried to slide out of sight. If he just moved a little to the left... just a little more.

However the gods were cruel.

Suddenly her eyes connected with his in the mirror. Not knowing what her reaction would be, he froze. At first she seemed confused but not alarmed. If anything she looked like she had a bit of a smile forming. A sultry smile. She turned towards him and slowly started walking and her smile widened.

Oh no no no no, he chanted. Desperately he wanted to disappear. He tried to ignore the fact that an elderly naked woman was walking towards him without any inhibitions. Her intentions were very clear. It was too late to try and hide now and he couldn't let her go and talk about who she just saw.

Ok new plan. If she was delusional he could try to interact with her. Play along with her and then slip away unnoticed. The problem was that some mornings Abuelita woke up completely lucid and then lost a grip on reality as the day progressed. At the moment however, it seemed she woke up out of it.

This was some fucked up shit but there was no time to dwell on it. He vaguely remembered the soap opera she was obsessed with. It was a never-ending tale. What was the male lead's name again?

"Alejandro?" Abuelita shyly asked.

That was it. Thinking quickly he answered, "¿Si mi amor? (Yes my love?)" He prayed to God she continued thinking he was Alejandro. He braced himself.

"Te he estado esperando, mi vida. (I've been waiting for you, life of mine.)"

"Aqui estoy. (Here I am.)" As he spoke he slowly moved towards her and looked around the room for something to cover her with.

"Te amo Alejandro. Y tengo algo que decirte... (I love you Alejandro. I have to tell you something...)."

Despite himself he muffled a laugh. Undoubtedly she was going to ask him to make love to her or some shit like that.

At this point he grabbed a long bathrobe and approached her fully. He pulled her frail arms through the bathrobe and securely tied the belt around her.

Happy to have finally put some clothes on her, Sean sighed. "Dime, mi amor. (Tell me, my love.)."

She batted her eyes at him but held a serious expression.

"Estoy embarazada. (I'm pregnant.)"

Sean's eyes widened and his mouth dropped. His expression was almost comical as he stared into Abuelita's serious face.

"Que? (What?)" Was the only thing Sean could utter. What the fuck kind of soap opera was Abuelita into?

Like a coy young girl she solemnly nodded her head confirming her words. Abuelita nervously wrung her hands as she tried to explain.

All of a sudden she blinked several times and her expression shifted. Her eyes became laser focused and it was like a cloud had been lifted.

Abuelita Celeste looked around the room in confusion; she looked down at her robe where she was obviously naked underneath. Then her gaze settled on Sean. Her eyes widened in terror but quickly turned into anger. She clenched her teeth.

Oh shit. Sean knew what was about to happen. A clear minded Celeste was a force to be reckoned with.

Suddenly her right hand wound back, sprung forward and connected with Sean's right cheek. She smacked him as hard as her little body could. Sean clenched his teeth as bright red pelts started to form on his cheek.

After that she screamed. Loudly. She howled as if her life depended on it.

Shit, shit shit. He wasn't expecting her to scream. A frantic Sean momentarily froze not knowing what to do.

"Shh... por favor no digas nada. (Please, don't say anything.)" Sean covered her mouth trying to quiet her.

"It's me, Abuelita. Sean. Remember? Your little Sean? You used to slip me ginger snap cookies under the dinner table when I was little. I would sneak back in when was supposed to have gone to bed." He whispered hurriedly.

When Abuelita was lucid she understood English completely; she actually preferred it to Spanish.

She stared at him not wanting to believe it was true. She just shook her head until she stopped and cocked her head to the side. Her hand touched the side of his face examining him. Her hand grazed the freckle on his jaw line and the small scar on his forehead.

A soft smile made an appearance and warmed him from the inside. Tears ran down her cheek freely.

"I always knew you were alive." She hoarsely whispered.

"I felt it in here." She said as she tapped her heart. Her accent was just as thick as he remembered but just as comforting.

He pulled her into a tight hug as she clung to his large frame. She was so short she barely reached his chest. Her white hair was cottony soft. As a child Sean imagined clouds must be made of the same thing.

"I have to go. No one can know I'm here Abuelita."

She quickly nodded showing complete trust in him without even asking for an explanation. Sean loved her for that.

Sean hastily through on some sweats and a hoodie. He'd have to go through the window and come back when it was safe. He didn't have time for the Merle disguise as he wasn't sure if anyone heard Abuelita's scream.

He went to her one last time and put his hands on her shoulders. He knew her moments of clarity were getting rarer and rarer.

"It's so good to see you." He kissed her forehead and let out a sad smile.

Careless tears fell as she nodded in agreement. It was if she knew she could slip away at any moment.

"Be careful, mi hijo. I love you."

"I love you too." Sean said as he walked away. He was almost at the window and prepared to go through it.

Suddenly the door burst open and a frantic Gigi and Sharon stormed in. Together they looked like a vanguard ready for combat.

They grabbed Abuelita into hugs and kisses and fussed over her. Then they bombarded her with questions not yet noticing there was someone else in the room.

This morning was pure frenzy when they couldn't find her. As they searched the house someone said they thought they heard something coming from this room. They we're so relieved to find her safe and sound.

Abuelita silently looked at them lost and confused, she seemed to have slipped away again.

Sean just watched as he knew there was no way he'd make it out now. If he did rush out, they'd probably chase him and bring even more unwanted attention to himself. He sighed. There was no other way. It was time.

The women exclaimed and chattered loudly about how they almost had heart attacks when they couldn't find her and went through assessing her well-being. Gigi suddenly asked where the hell her clothes where and why was she dressed in a robe. Finally they looked around and noticed the strange tall muscular bald man in the room. They both let out a shriek.

"Who are you? And why is she in a robe?" Gigi demanded. She didn't recognize him.

"I just came back to my room this morning and I found her without clothes on. So I covered her with the robe."

Gigi narrowed her eyes at him. He didn't exactly answer the question. It was then that she realized Sharon was staring at him intently. Completely silent and that was unusual. Sharon kept opening her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

"Who are you?" Gigi hadn't remembered seeing him before and was now interested to find out who this stranger was. There was something very familiar about him.

"I think you know who I am."

Her narrowed eyes softened. She observed his appearance; his eyes, his nose, his mouth, his voice.

"No, no. That's not possible." Gigi's voice was full of emotion as she shook her head in denial.

Sean approached his mother uncertain of her reaction. Sharon was trembling and crying.

"Hi mom." Sean whispered. When he touched her cheek she let out a hysterical cry.

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