by Lyza Ledo
Enchanted(#1, Encante Series)
By Lyza Ledo
Copyright 2014 Lyza Ledo
This book is a work of fiction. Any References to historical events, real people, or real locales are used fictitiously. Other names, characters, places, and incidents are the product of the author’s imagination, and any resemblance to actual events, locales or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.
Dedication
To all the amazing people that push and motivate me to write each day. We are nothing without the family that loves us.
Acknowledgements
Special thanks to Kaycee at PWL and Heather S. for all the time and effort you put into Enchanted too.
Chapter 1: Wake Up Call
Jayde
Outside of Florianopolis, Brazil
My head was pounding. What had I done last night?
I rolled over and I automatically regretted it.
It all flooded back like a bad dream as I looked over at the sleeping guy beside me. Julio was going to kill me! Why couldn’t I just fight the urge to attend every party in the area? Why couldn’t I not get drunk and black out? No, I was here regretting my nightly activities...again!
I crawled out of the small double bed, trying not to wake Antonio, my ex-boyfriend. We had broken up months ago, but we always seemed to end up at the same parties and eventually in the same bed that night. It made for a complex relationship that I didn’t want to think about.
It was bad enough I had a hangover that was firmly throbbing throughout my head with each breath I took. I moved around his bedroom finding my clothes thrown everywhere. I tiptoed to the bathroom and quickly dressed. Quietly, I slid out the sliding door in his first floor bedroom, he turned in his sleep, but didn’t seem to wake up. Thank the gods for small favors.
I walked down the crowded street and pulled out my cell phone. Julio was the only one that would pick me up even if it meant another fight. He was the world’s best, best friend but sometimes it would be nice not to be lectured like an errant child. I got it, I was a screw up, he constantly reminded me and so did my parents. In fact, it was hard to not be reminded about all the trouble I was when I did stupid things like this on a nearly daily basis. Yup, this was my life one idiotic, drunken mess of a life.
I looked through my contacts and found Julio’s number and called.
“Hello?” a deep voice answered sounding a bit groggy. Shit, it must have been early still. Guilt gnawed at me, but I needed to get as far away from Antonio’s before he woke up and we had yet another fight about our confusing relationship status.
“Julio? You answered.” I sighed relieved.
“Jayde? You didn’t?” He said already knowing what had happened.
“Can you pick me up down the street from Antonio’s?” I replied cutting him off before he started on one of his too famous lectures.
“Jayde, when are you going to learn?” He snapped exasperated. I really didn’t know why he put up with me. I was constantly blowing him off or having to explain my boneheaded decisions on a regular basis. I knew it was getting old if I was tired of it.
“I’m still a work in progress? Are you coming or not?”
“Be there in ten.” He said still not sounding too pleased.
I hung up the phone and looked up as a tall, handsome man with his hat pulled down low walked past. His dark eyes locked with mine for an instant, but it sent a shiver through my body. He quickly turned his eyes downwards again and walked away. What was that about?
~~~
Julio showed up as promised. The scowl on his face telling me he wasn’t happy and very disapproving of what I had just done. I slid into his 1980s Volkswagen without a word.
“At least tell me what happened this time?” He said as he started driving towards our houses. I shrugged and started. I’d rather tell him the story when his dark, penetrating eyes weren’t assessing me for lies. Thanks to knowing him since my parents adopted me, there was no bluffing when it came to Julio. He was by my side no matter what and I never really understood why. He was a great guy. He was tall, attractive. He had long dark wavy hair that girls seemed to love in our high school. He never had a problem finding girls to like him with his half smile and lean physique but no one ever lasted more than a few weeks. I never pressed him because aside from Antonio I had the same problems with commitment. We were quite the pair.
“What always happens?” I started. “I promised you I wasn’t going out and the party just called to me like a string was pulling me there. I had to go. I went to the party and it was fun. I guess they always were. I had some drinks and I ran into Antonio. I had a few more drinks and the next thing I know I woke up in Antonio’s bed.” I said trying to think past the aching of my head. Hangovers were the worst, but I just didn’t seem to get it through my thick skull that this is what happened when I drank too much.
“Jayde, when are you going to learn?” Julio started. “Antonio is scum. You can do so much better.” I rolled my eyes, like he hadn’t told me this every weekend since I met Antonio.
“I know.” I groaned.
“But you still do it? You have to grow up sometime. You are going to be eighteen and you are still acting like a child. It’s time for you to stop partying, Jayde. It’s not good for you. You need to learn your boundaries.”
“I know,” I huffed, “Hang out with me tonight. I don’t want to go out.” I said negating his argument.
Julio rolled his eyes, “Okay, but if you think about ditching me again, there is no way I’m picking you up the next morning.”
“Oh thank you, Julio!” I leaned over the console between us and gave him a one armed hug. He parked in his drive way and walked me next door to my house. I guess that’s why Julio is my best friend, he’s my neighbor, but more importantly, he’s male. Maybe it has something to do with my drunken escapades, but females just don’t like me. Maybe it’s because I’m so close to Julio, maybe it’s because it’s a small town and I’m a little bit of a bad seed. Whatever it is, they avoid me. I think I’m likable, but there’s something that boys love and girls hate about me. What that something is, I don’t have the slightest idea.
“Jayde?” My mom shouted from the kitchen.
“Yeah, Mama.” I said still feeling heavy from my lack of sleep.
“Where have you been?” She asked sternly coming out of the kitchen her apron wrapped tightly around her waist as it always was when she was in a baking frenzy. Her slightly greying hair was pulled out of her face in a haphazard bun and she had a handprint of flour on her cheek and apron. It made me smile. It was my mother’s typical wear.
“I went out early with Julio.” I said waving for Julio to come into the dining room.
She gave me a she wasn’t buying it look but didn’t push. I was hard to control and I think now that I was about to be eighteen in two days she was just praying I wouldn’t put her in an early grave before I left for college.
“Would you like some breakfast?” She asked walking back into the kitchen where she started taking pastries out of the oven.
“Yes, please.” I eagerly replied as Julio and I sat at the breakfast table and grabbed fresh muffins. My mother was the baking queen of Brazil. She cooked like every meal was our last. How I wasn’t five hundred pounds was a wonder even to me.