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Zeke had just leveled Layton with a hard punch, sending her ex-boyfriend flying off his feet before Layton sent a wave of energy back, flipping Zeke over.
“Oh no.” She ran faster, and as she passed Arlo, he grabbed her arm with what appeared to be two fingers, not allowing her to jump into the fight. “Stop this,” she screamed.
Neither demon nor warlock listened to her, and yet again, they both got in a good blow. “Stop right now or I’ll use my magic!”
Layton stood, rubbing at the side of his bleeding cheek. “What will you do, make a table and hit us with it?”
Zeke pushed himself off the ground and growled, a low, scary sound. When he turned to Bryanna, the crimson flickers in his eyes made her heart skip a beat and she took a step back. His eyebrows drew together before he shook his head, the color fading back into his dark soft eyes.
Perhaps she had forgotten Zeke was a demon, since an uneasy feeling crept in her soul, reminding her how terrifying his kind was. He took a step closer, but her breath hitched and he stopped, staring at her with sad eyes.
Wrapping her arms around herself, she turned back to Layton. “Why are you here?”
“To bring you home.” He
approached her, and when he settled in front of her, he stared down with the tender crystal-blue eyes that had once charmed her. “What were you thinking, running away and leaving me? You’ve betrayed me, Bryanna.”
Oh, by the elements, he wouldn’t fool her again. She wouldn’t allow him to continue to lie to her. Lifting her chin, she glared at him. “I didn’t betray you. You betrayed me.”
His eyebrows rose and he slid his hands over her arms, as if warming and comforting her. “How did I betray you?”
She shut her eyes, hating how she didn’t recoil from his touch, how it felt so safe and familiar. No, don’t let him do this. Stepping out of his hold, she snapped, “You used me for my money.”
“Bryanna,” he said gently. “Why would I use you for your money, sweetheart? I’m nothing without you.”
No, he’s a liar. “You wanted to hide me away so you wouldn’t be embarrassed by me anymore.”
Matching her retreat, he closed in on her again, but she looked at Zeke, who stood motionless with a stony expression. When Layton’s hand touched hers, she gasped, glancing toward their held hands. He hadn’t touched her this way in so long and she had craved such a simple embrace from him.
She lifted her head and gazed at him; so many memories were held with this warlock. They weren’t bad memories. Compared to what she had with her distant parents, Layton had done nice things for her, and when he was at home, he made her feel important to him.
Placing a finger under her chin, he tilted her head up. “You know I love you and have never wanted to change you. I’ve always accepted you. I only wanted to protect you from the others. I hated seeing them be so cruel to you.”
Was that a lie?
He had always accepted her, since he stayed with her. And he was right—the other witches were horrible to her. Had she gotten this all wrong? Did she look into him, thinking the worst of him, when all he wanted to do was protect her? “Is that true?”
“Of course it’s true.” He smiled, cupping her cheeks, then he kissed her lips with a light peck. “I only want what’s best for you. I’ve only ever wanted that. And my actions only prove how much I love you. I lost my mind when you left and had the coven cast a spell to locate you.”
Her thoughts swirled in confusion. She didn’t lie to Zeke—she did love Layton. Hearing that she had misread it all made her heart clench. If she had never heard those witches talking, she wouldn’t have thought anything. Why hadn’t she confronted him? Why had she thought so poorly of him?
What had she done?
Moving away from Layton’s hold on her face, she looked over at Zeke. The pain in his expression was palpable, yet he gave her a small smile. “If you need to go, then go.”
“Yes, Bryanna, we need to go,” Layton murmured.
She glanced at Zeke again, who stood statue still. Her mind spun and she didn’t have a solid place to land. If Zeke cared for her, wouldn’t he ask her to stay? She and Layton had a history; Zeke and she didn’t even have a day. But why couldn’t she tell Layton she wanted to leave?
Layton pulled on her hand and she found herself moving, but her head was foggy. At the car she bought for him six months ago, he opened the door and somehow she ended up on the seat, staring at her hands in her lap, trying to think straight. Shouldn’t she be happy Layton came and found her? That had to mean he loved her, but why wasn’t she smiling?
The door next to her opened and Layton slid into the seat, slamming it shut behind him. “Time to go home.” He started the ignition, and a moment later, they were off. “Honestly, Bryanna, of all places to go, you come to a town where a demon resides.”
Turning in her seat, she looked at Zeke through the back windshield and he still hadn’t moved, his fists clenching at his sides. She had witnessed the pain in his features, and even now, his rage showed in the tense set of his hands.
Why had he let her leave?
He faded into the dark night as distance grew between them and tears filled her eyes when Layton stated, “I don’t want to know what happened between you and the demon. You are lucky I love you enough to forgive you.”
