Duplicity Ch. 13

"But I should've just told you who I really was from the beginning. I should've just told you the truth."

At first Layla thought she hadn't heard him right.

Suddenly the air was heavy and a terrible feeling hit the pit of her stomach. She stiffened in his arms as her heart pounded. What was he talking about? What did mean by that? He let his hands drop from covering her eyes. But Layla continued to tightly squeeze her eyes shut as if it would stop her from what she was about to hear. She braced herself.

"My name is really Sean Johnson. I'm not Jason's cousin, but I'm actually Sienna's brother. I've been on the run from the U.S. government for years; all because of a complicated... misunderstanding. To make sure they couldn't track me I've taken on different a disguise every place I've been. The Merle disguise was just another. Until a couple weeks ago Sienna thought I was dead as did my whole family. But now it's time for the truth."

At that Layla opened her eyes and slowly turned around. The knot forming in the base of her throat suddenly got bigger. When finally she faced the man who spoke, a sob escaped her.

It wasn't Merle playing a horrible joke on her, but a strange man, who looked vaguely familiar. She squinted her eyes as she recognized him as the guy in the gym that morning. She slowly shook her head as denial overcame her.

"It's me."

Her eyes widened as she heard Merle's voice come out of the stranger.

"It's me."

...

Seconds felt like hours as she stood rooted in the same spot.

"Sweetheart I'm so... I'm just so sorry. I never meant to hurt you."

Silence.

"I want to give you all of me. I want to tell you everything baby. You're the one."

Layla while still in shock closed her eyes shut again. This wasn't really happening. This wasn't really happening. This was just another one of those vivid dreams of hers. Yeah that's it.

When she opened her eyes, he was still there with a worried look on his face. As she stared at him she was barely breathing as she carefully tried to figure it all out in her head.

She stared at his foreign face and body and furrowed her eyebrows. Same height but that was about it. The stranger was tanned and bald; Merle was white and almost bald. He looked younger too, closer in age with her. Everything was different, his nose, his eyebrows; although his mouth... looked the same. For some reason her gaze lingered there.

No. It couldn't be, could it? Although the stranger's eyes were a deep turquoise color, he searched through her with the same intensity as Merle always had. Lurking under the surface there was a whiff of familiarity about him.

This is crazy. How could she not notice he was wearing disguise? It's not possible.

And yet deep down Layla knew it was true.

She knew Merle struggled to tell her something, but this? Everything... he told her was a lie. A stream of emotions tore through her. From denial and confusion to anger and humiliation; she felt it all. She remained silent as she felt her heart literally break. An intense stabbing in her chest grew and she hurt all over.

She really thought Merle or whatever the hell his name is... She thought he was different. She must be the biggest fool in the world or at least have it stamped on her forehead. The things she told him, the moments they shared. Oh God! The things they did...

She felt herself short of breath and light headed. It hurt to breathe as her ribs ached. Her chest rose and fell with every labored lungful of air.

Control... that is how things are fixed... control. Her eyes burned as they pooled with tears threatening to fall.

Breathe in through your nose and out through your mouth.

In through your-

"Please say something baby. Yell at me, slap and punch me, send me to hell, but please say something." Sean's crystaline eyes pleaded as he broke her concentration.

Sean stood helpless as he saw her demeanor change. He was loosing her. He wanted to pull her into him, but she wasn't ready for that.

A solitary tear finally fell from her eye as her expression continued to harden. Finally she found a neutral expression and pushed everything she felt down into her familiar bottomless pit.

She straightened her shoulders and back and cleared her throat. She should kick his ass... but that just wasn't her. Layla felt she was already a fool; she would not cause a spectacle of herself as well. She was a fucking professional.

"I'm so sorry." Sean whispered.

"Mr. Johnson." Her voice sounded forced and raw. "The transgression really began when I crossed the professional line. If there isn't anything else, I'll-"

Suddenly Sean grabbed Layla and crushed his lips to hers. He couldn't handle her talking like that. He couldn't handle seeing her turn back into a stranger.

She tasted just as sweet as she did this morning, maybe even sweeter. He quickly dominated her mouth and body into submission. She struggled at first as she feebly tried and tried to push him away. But she unconsciously closed her eyes and mewled in approval when she felt his tongue twirling around hers... just the way she liked it.

"No." Layla breathlessly commanded just before Sean kissed her again. God she tasted so good. He couldn't get enough of her.

In that moment she forgot everything and a soft moan escaped her lips. His hands wrapped behind her neck and back as he pulled her closer to him. She let herself indulge in the moment and moved her mouth in perfect harmony with his.

Although he was the source of the pain, at the moment he seemed to be the only one with the ability to alleviate it. She felt herself in a daze as he held her so perfectly. The soft sand on her feet and the crashing waves lulled her into a place she didn't want to leave. She didn't want go back to a place where Merle didn't exist and where she had been lied to.

As Sean caressed her neck, he swiftly secured the undetectable skin adhesive he'd been carrying in this pocket. He pulled back and he looked deep into her eyes then captured her lips once more.

Once satisfied he whispered. "I needed you to realize what your body already knows... that you belong to me."

Sean glanced down at her hardened nipples and bit the corner of his lip. He knew he had her then. After all of this she was still his... even if it would take a while for her to realize it.

His words brought Layla back to her senses. "Let go of me!" She shoved him away making sure to keep her distance.

Sean raised his hands slowly. "Ok, ok."

Layla clenched her teeth and pinned him with murdeous eyes. She hated herself for giving in so easily.

There was just something about him hard to resist. Something that was never determined by what he looked like.

But there was no way in hell she'd let that happen again.

She stabbed her finger towards him. "Stay away from me."

Sean sighed. "Sweetheart, this is just our first fight. Everything will ok."

Layla looked at him as if he'd grown two heads. "Our first fight?! Are you crazy? You lied to me! About everything."

"Yes... But I only did what I thought was best at the time. You'll see... after the wedding and we can go back to New York and start our lives together."

Layla let out a something that sounded like a growl. She ran up and poked him in the chest.

"Thereisnousanymore." She hissed in his face. "Was this all some kind of sick joke? Did you get off on fucking with my head?"

Sean groaned and rolled his eyes to the sky. "You know that is some bullshit. What we have is real. I'm sorry I concealed who I was. But you gotta know that everything I ever told you was real. I've been more open and honest with you than with anyone. Ever."

Layla pinned him with a stare. Her chest rose and her heart beat erratically.

He looked deep into her eyes and whispered, "Now we can go round and round in circles, but you know and I know... that in the end you're going to end up with me." He let out a soft smile.

In response Layla shoved him as hard as she could in the chest, but was surprised when he didn't move an inch. She looked down and was momentarily distracted at the solid expanse of muscles under his shirt. The corners of his mouth twitched into a smile and flexed his pecs for her.

Layla quickly looked up at him as she knew she'd been caught gawking. Shit. But she didn't care, she stubbornly continued.

"Don't talk to me. Don't look at me. I don't exist to you!"

Sean grinned. "You're planning my sister's wedding of course you exist and of course I'll have to talk to you."

Her eyes widened as she felt her blood boil. "I hate you." She huffed.

"You're so sexy when you're mad."

Her balled her fists softly trembled in anger.

"Ah!!" She shrieked. Turning on her heal she promptly stomped away leaving a whirlwind of sand behind.

When she was gone, Sean slowly trudged his way towards the cabana. There were just a few patrons left.

The bartender set a fresh drink down just as Sean reached the bar and offered Sean a smile. Sean quickly threw it back, grateful for the soothing burn.

"Lady problems sir?"

Sean wore a neutral expression as he slid the glass towards him.

While the bartender poured another drink, Sean said, "Tell your boss, I'll turn myself in on one condition."

The bartender looked completely surprised that he had been made so quickly but then remembered who he was talking to. He didn't mind cutting to the chase either.

"What's that?"

Sean threw back the drink and said, "I go in willingly and give him what he wants, only after I see my sister get married. And no one gets hurt."

The bartender smugly smiled. "That's two conditions."

Sean cocked his head to the side while examining the man.

"Consider it a gesture of good faith."

The bartender's eyes hardened and as he slowly reached for weapon hidden under the ledge. But Sean offered him a smile as he cocked the gun under the table aimed straight the man's balls. The bartender's eyes widened.

Sean scoffed. "Don't ever leave your shit out like that. Always carry it on your person. Now tell your boss my conditions and we won't have any problems."

Suddenly the bartender wasn't so smug anymore. He slowly nodded in agreement.

Sean rolled his eyes at the moron. And this is the guy they had taking lead? He gestured with his chin. "And tell those stupid fuckers over there to not try anything either."

They were scattered on the beach and on the shopping strip behind them. Sean knew it when first arrived, he knew he'd been surrounded.

The bartender grunted in admiration. "Stand down."

Immediately he saw the inconspicuous people busy themselves with whatever task they were pretending to be engaged in before Sean arrived.

Sean tipped his head and quirked a smile before he left. "I'm sure I'll be seeing you soon."