THE TRUE LOVE SERIES BOX SET: A Christian Romance

by Duncan, Juliette

"Nothing.” Jayden struggled for something to say. He glanced around. “You… you have a nice place." That sounds so pathetic.

  "Why, thank you! My parents are gone for the week, so I pretty much have it to myself.” Her smile morphed into a coy grin. “What are you looking at me like that for? Do you think I'm attractive?" Her voice was soft and gooey like honey. She placed her hand on her hip and leaned her chest towards him.

  Jayden gulped. He was way out of his league. "I… I guess so."

  "Wanna see inside the house?” She grabbed his arm. "Some of the girls are having some serious fun in there."

  His pulse raced. I can imagine what kind of fun they’re having. He tried to ply her hand off his arm, but she was stronger than she looked and dragged him along.

  “Can’t we stay out here? Play some volleyball?”

  “Don’t be a spoil-sport, Jayden.”

  Once inside, it took a few moments for his eyes to adjust. The inside of the house seemed spacious—more spacious than any house he’d ever lived in, and way bigger than the dingy apartment he was now living in with Mum. The room was hazy, with the familiar odor of pot lingering in the air. Ghostly figures moved about. And to his right, a couple were making out on a couch. Enough. He had to get out of here.

  Britney leaned in closer and plucked at his shirt. "Let’s go to my bedroom. It's less crowded there."

  Sweat broke out on his forehead. He jerked his arm away. "No. I have to go." His head spun as he retraced his steps to the back door.

  "What's wrong?" Britney followed after him, grabbing his arm.

  He shrugged her off. "Must have been something I ate. I don’t feel too well." It wasn't true, but it was the best excuse he could come up with quickly.

  Not waiting to say goodbye to Roger, he snuck out through a side gate and slowly made his way back on foot to his apartment. His eyes blurred with tears as the music faded into the distance. Why couldn’t he just fit in? He so desperately wanted to be accepted, but not if it meant doing what was wrong.

  It took half an hour, and he hardly noticed the other people wandering the streets. Reaching the apartment, he stopped on the front stoop and looked up at the sky. A full moon shone brightly, making it almost like daytime. He sat on the step and hung his head between his hands.

  If only he had someone to talk to, someone who could help him sort through his mixed up emotions and give him advice. But there was no-one. Talking to Mum would be a waste of time. She didn’t have it together. He’d left it too long to talk with Dad. Neil was about the only one, but it seemed Neil had made new friends and wasn’t talking much these days. What about God? The quiet voice inside Jayden’s head made his heart race. Dad had once told him it didn't matter where he was or how he felt, if he prayed hard enough, God would always hear him and answer him. Maybe he should give it a try.

  Jayden lifted his gaze to the sky. "Dear God … " his shoulders slumped. The words just wouldn't come. Besides, why would God listen to him? He’d never really prayed before. He didn’t even like going to church. He didn't have a personal connection with God like Ben and Tessa had. He’d run away from home, and now he was being tempted to drink and do drugs. No, God doesn't want to hear from me, much less answer me. Dropping his head again, he closed his eyes and let out a defeated sigh. When he began to shiver, he dragged himself up and made his way to bed. He didn’t even notice if Mum was home.

  When he awoke the next morning, she was in the laundry room folding towels. Jayden raised his eyebrows. She mustn’t have gone out drinking last night. Amazing. He yawned as he stood just outside the door.

  "Good morning, Jay. About time you got out of bed.” She paused, tilting her head. “What's up?"

  He looked up in surprise. How did she know he had something on his mind? Maybe he could try talking to her after all. Couldn’t hurt. He entered the laundry room and turned over an empty clothesbasket and sat on it. "Nothing much really." He nibbled his fingernails and glanced at her. "I was just wondering…” He cocked his head. “What do you believe in, Mum?"

  Her eyes shot open. "What do you mean?"

  "Like, do you believe in God, or prayer? And what do you think life’s all about?"

  She shrugged, her face blank. She stared down at the purple towel in her hands. "I used to go to church years ago, but I never got much out of it. As for God,” she shrugged, “I just don't know.” She started folding the towel. “I mean, I sure do hope that some greater being is out there watching over the world and making sure nothing gets too messed up, but I think we're pretty much on our own. We live. We learn. It's really up to us to figure out life, and I certainly haven't figured it all out yet, so -" Her voice trailed off as she shrugged again and picked up another towel.

  That was a lot of help. Jayden’s gaze clouded over as he rubbed his forehead and walked into the kitchen. Once again, his thoughts turned to Dad and Tessa. They knew who they believed in and they knew who they were. They went to church, and always seemed to get something worthwhile out of it. Their lives held meaning, even when things didn't quite turn out the way they wanted. Even though Dad had been strict, too strict, and sometimes Tessa had been too soft, they loved him. And they still love me. A heavy weight grew in his stomach. It had been a big mistake leaving them to be with Mum. It might not be true, but she really did seem to be using him to fill a hole in her life.

  Chapter 14

  "Hey Jayden, did you hear?" Roger ambled down the hallway chewing gum. Jayden closed the door of the apartment and fell into step.

  "Hear what?" Jayden stifled a yawn. Last night he’d emptied all of Kathryn’s bottles down the sink in a desperate effort to stop her drinking, but it had backfired. She’d caught him red-handed and yelled at him and they’d argued long into the night. She stomped out sometime around three to buy more alcohol and hadn’t returned. Something must have happened to her. But he almost didn’t care. He probably should have gone looking just in case, but then he’d be late for school. Besides, where would he start looking?

  "The bus drivers all went on strike."

  Jayden cocked his head, drawing his eyebrows together. "Strike? Why?

  "Dunno, guess they want more money. They're off for the whole week, which means no bus to school."

  Jayden shrugged. "No big deal. I don't mind walking."

  When they reached the front of the apartment complex, rain pelted down on the double glass doors. The sound was deafening.

  "Still don't mind walking?" Roger raised his eyebrows and shot Jayden a teasing grin. "It's a good thing Mom agreed to drive me. You can ride with us, but you'll have to get your mom to pick you up. I’ve got a dentist visit this afternoon." Roger pulled the hood of his jacket over his head and darted outside to his mom's waiting car. Jayden followed suit.

  The rain didn’t let up all day. When the school bell rang that afternoon and Jayden joined the mob of students peering out at the driving rain, he decided to call Mum. Throughout the day he’d wondered if she’d made it home okay, but now his heart raced as her phone sent him to voice mail for the third time. What if something had happened to her? He should have gone looking. Dread settled in his stomach like a lead balloon. Where was she? He punched her number again.

  "Hello?" Mum’s voice was croaky and slurred.

  Jayden breathed a sigh of relief.

  "Mum, it's me. Where’ve you been?”

  “Just asleep. Why?”

  “The bus drivers are on strike and it’s pouring with rain. Can you pick me up?"

  "Sure, I'll come.” She yawned. “Give me twenty minutes."

  "Thanks." At least she wasn't still angry with him. He hadn't meant to upset her, just wake her up to what she was doing. Her drinking was turning into a major problem.

  Jayden leaned against a wall and waited. Every few minutes he checked the time. Twenty minutes turned into an hour, and Mum still wasn’t there. His heart sank. All the other students had already gone, picked up by responsible parents who’d come on time. The school parking l
ot was empty except for one lone car.

  One of the side doors to the school building opened and the janitor walked out. An aged man with a balding head, he walked slowly with a slight limp. Jayden had seen him around, cleaning the classrooms and hallways.

  "Excuse me, son." The janitor stopped beside Jayden and spoke in a slow Texan drawl. "Someone picking you up?"

  Jayden nodded a little too quickly. "Yeah, my mum’s coming."

  "You sure?" The janitor raised his eyebrows. "It's getting awfully late. Can you call her?”

  Jayden shuffled his feet and shrugged. “I can try again.”

  “You do that. There's a tornado watch out so you need to get home. I don't mind taking you if she’s not coming."

  Jayden dialed Mum’s number again but she didn’t answer. He couldn’t stand out in the rain any longer waiting for his mother who more than likely wasn't going to show up. He’d never experienced a tornado before, but he’d read about funnel clouds and knew how dangerous they could be, and certainly didn't want to get caught in one. "I'll ride with you. Thank you, Mr. … ” Jayden quickly looked at the janitor’s nametag. “Mr. Cummings.” Jayden shoved his phone back into his pocket and followed Mr. Cummings to his car. "I really appreciate it. Thanks."

  "We're all put here to help somebody in some way at some time." Mr. Cummings smiled at him warmly as he turned the key in the ignition. "That's what my mama always told me."

  "Your mama sounds like a good woman."

  "She was. The best a boy could ask for."

  Not like my mother. She couldn't even stay sober long enough to pick me up from school. Jayden’s eyes blurred with tears.

  He turned his head and wiped his eyes before giving directions to the apartment. Upon arriving, he thanked the kindly old man for the ride and then trudged up the stairs.

  Everything was just as he’d left it that morning. “Mum…” Jayden tiptoed through the empty apartment. He swallowed the lump in his throat.

  He went back out into the hallway and knocked on Roger’s door.

  Roger's six-year-old sister, Reye Beth, opened the door. She looked up at him with her dark brown eyes. "Roger can't talk. The dentist hurt him real bad." Her voice was sing-songy and kind of cute.

  "Reye, who are you blabbing to?" Roger's mother called from the kitchen. She stuck her head around the corner and smiled at Jayden. With her brown hair and warm personality, she reminded him a little of Tessa. "Oh, Jay, I've been looking for you. I'm sorry about your mother."

  "What about my mum?"

  “Come in here and sit down.”

  Jayden followed Reye Beth as she skipped ahead of him into the brightly lit kitchen that smelled of garlic and spices. A pot bubbled away on the stove. Roger sat at the table with his head resting on his arms. He lifted his head and gave Jayden a wave before flopping it back down.

  "See," Reye Beth said, pointing at Roger. "The dentist pulled out all his teeth and now he can't talk."

  "Reye, will you stop it?" Roger's mother playfully swatted her with her free hand. "Roger only had one tooth pulled, and he can still talk just fine. He'll be back to normal in no time."

  Jayden took a seat and tried to quell the concern growing inside him. What happened to Mum?

  Roger’s mother gave the pot a final stir, wiped her hands on her apron, then sat beside him. She lowered her voice. "Jay, a police officer came by about an hour or so ago.”

  Jayden’s eyes widened.

  “Your mom’s been arrested for drunk driving. They found her not far from the school, slumped over the steering wheel of her car." Roger's mother squeezed his hand. "I'm really sorry, honey. You're welcome to stay here until she's released.”

  Jayden blinked back tears. He didn't know if he was angry with his mother or just disappointed and sad. Maybe he was all three.

  “Thank you, Mrs. Jenkins, but I should be okay.”

  “Well, stay for dinner at least.”

  Jayden ate the spaghetti set before him, but didn't really taste it. He went back to the apartment and crawled into bed. Curled up in a ball, he tried to sleep, but visions of Mum in a jail cell kept flashing through his mind. If only it was all a nightmare he’d wake up from.

  Sometime through the night he fell asleep. When he awoke the next morning, Mum was curled up on the couch snoring. Black make-up stained her face, and her hair was matted and untidy. He sighed. He couldn’t leave her, not the way she was. Who knew what would happen to her if he did? At least Dad had Tessa, but if he left Mum, she'd have nobody. He wanted to be angry with her, but instead, a wave of pity flowed through him. He pulled a spare blanket out of the laundry room and placed it over her. Sighing heavily, he dragged himself into the kitchen to make breakfast. He wouldn’t be going to school today.

  Kathryn rushed in one evening a couple of weeks later as Jayden was watching television and announced they had to pack.

  Jayden’s eyes narrowed. Since the drunk driving episode, she hadn’t been drinking as much and he was beginning to hope that everything was settling down. But now? What had she done this time? His shoulders slumped. "Why do we need to pack? Did you lose your job?"

  "No, we just can't stay here anymore."

  He let out an annoyed sigh. "Why not?"

  "I don't need an interrogation from you.” She snapped open her gold cigarette case, pulling a cigarette out. "Just pack your bags and be ready to go in the morning."

  “Where are we going this time?”

  “Not sure.” His mother flicked her cigarette lighter and lit up, took a deep drag and then blew a cloud of smoke out the side of her mouth.

  “What do you mean you don’t know?” Jayden jolted upright. “How can you expect me to pack up and leave, and not know where we’re going? I’d rather go back home to Dad.”

  She moved quickly, slapping him on the face, making it smart. “Don’t you ever talk to me like that, Jay.”

  Jayden’s eyes widened. He felt his face. How dare she hit him! He glared at her.

  “I’m not going.”

  “You are, and you’ll go and pack. Now.” She pointed in the direction of his room.

  Jayden shook his head, fixing his eyes on her as he strode past. He went to his room and pulled all his belongings out of his closet and chucked them into a bag before collapsing on his bed, his chest heaving.

  His mind swirled. Another move. But if he were honest, he didn’t really like it here. Maybe it wouldn’t be such a bad thing to move again. Get away from his so called friends and not feel pressured to party. He let out a heavy sigh and closed his eyes.

  Early the following morning, a truck came and took away all their furniture; it wasn’t going with them. Jayden grimaced as they stepped outside with their bags. Instead of the sleek black convertible, an old Toyota Camry sat in their parking spot.

  Jayden paused, bag in hand. “What happened to the car, Mum?”

  “Sold it.” His mother unlocked the Camry and opened the trunk.

  “Have we got any money left?” Jayden stood to her side, his eyes fixed on her.

  “Not your problem.”

  Jayden humphed as he threw his bags into the trunk and slammed it shut. Yes, it is.

  “We’ll be okay. Trust me.” She gave him a reassuring smile as she slid into the driver’s seat.

  Jayden let out a resigned sigh. He didn’t have much choice. “So which way are we headed?”

  She shrugged. “North, I guess.”

  “It’s winter. We’ll freeze.”

  “It’ll be an adventure.” She shot him a playful grin.

  “Where will we spend Christmas?”

  She shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe we can find some snow and have a white Christmas.” She turned the key and the car spluttered to life.

  Catching sight of Roger coming down the stairs, Jayden slumped in his seat and pulled his cap over his face. At least Roger’s focus was on his phone, and not on the crapped out car driving out of the parking lot.

  Chapter 15


  Kathryn and Jayden drove for two weeks. Jayden treated it like a vacation—he really had no choice. They stopped somewhere just north of Dallas and bought warmer clothing. And snow chains. At the first sight of snow, he couldn’t help but remember the day he’d left Dad and Tessa on the ski trip in New Zealand and disappeared with Mum. She’d promised so much, and now here they were, all their worldly belongings stuffed into this run down old car, heading to who knew where. He should never have left Australia, but it was too late now. Mum needed him, and besides, it was kind of an adventure.

  Sitting in the car for hours on end gave him plenty of time to think, and the question as to why Mum had left in the first place grew in his mind. Dad had never given him a definite reason, and Mum had never talked about it. He remembered the day she left. The disbelief when Dad said she’d gone and wasn’t coming back. How could she have done that? Why did she do it? The emptiness he’d felt in the following days and weeks. And months. Okay, she’d never been a really fun type of mum. In fact, she often preferred reading magazines instead of playing with him when he was younger, and she’d never seemed that interested in what he was doing as he got older, but she was still his mum. And mums were supposed to love their kids, weren’t they? Not abandon them. He needed to know why she left him.

  Somewhere along the road, after several days of steeling himself, he turned from the never-ending road and looked at her. “Mum, can I ask you something?”

  She glanced at him, her head tilted. “Of course. What is it?”

  “Why did you leave?”

  His gaze remained steady on her while he waited for an answer.

  Her hands froze on the wheel, and her lower lip twitched.

  “Wha…what makes you ask that?” Her voice, thin and shaky, was barely audible.

  “I’d just like to know. That’s all.”

  Her shoulders slumped as her grip on the wheel slowly eased. “I was bored. Bored with life.” Her voice was quiet. Subdued.

  “But you had me. Did I bore you?” Jayden’s eyes narrowed as his heart began a free-fall.