This Love of Mine (Raine Series #1)

by Bennett, Amanda

  "My day is going pretty good so far KJ. You seem rather chipper today."

  I had to admit Richard was extremely good looking for his age. He was about thirty-two, tall and had muscles that I don't think any boy my age even knew existed. He was only a year younger than my momma, but she looked at least forty these days. I caught sight of her enraged face standing at the kitchen island before I answered.

  "Well, it has been a fantastic day so far, and I just found out I get to go stay with my grandparents for the summer. I leave tomorrow morning." I smiled in his direction, before bending down and scooping up the strip of condoms off of the floor.

  "Well that sounds fun. I hope you have a great summer then. Maybe I'll see you when you get back." He smiled in my direction, but I knew that look. I had seen that look on many other boyfriends’ faces of my momma's. He knew he wasn't going to be around when I got back. Part of me was sad, simply because he made my mother a little more bearable, but I would survive.

  "Thanks. I'm sure I'll see ya around." I headed up the stairs as fast as my feet would take me and quickly closed the door behind me.

  I reached for my cell phone as I flung myself onto my bed. I had to call Wren and let him know what was going on. He knew it was a possibility that I would have to leave, but he didn't know that I was all but banking on it. Wren and I had been together now for almost a year. I had just turned seventeen last month and he had turned seventeen in January. Things had smoothed out a bit over the last six months for us, but he was still extremely possessive and I wasn't exactly sure how he was going to take the news, about me, or the drugs.

  "Hello?"

  "Hi baby, what are you up to?" My voice sounded strained and I knew if I didn't change it soon, he was going to catch on too quickly.

  "Hanging out at home with everyone. What's up?"

  I could tell by the tone in his voice that he was already as high as a kite. Great, this was going to be fun. When Wren got high, he got mean. "I have something to tell you, actually two things. Wait who is everyone?" I knew when he usually said "everyone," he meant other girls as well.

  "Seriously KJ, you're going to start already? Fuck!"

  I could hear the anger growing but I was beyond caring. I was gone tomorrow regardless, for three whole months. "Yes I'm serious! And I swear to god if you say that Angela is over there, I'm going to flip my shit, Wren."

  "So what if she is. She's just a friend KJ. God damn, I don't know why I even bother anymore. You're so fucking paranoid."

  "Paranoid is when you HAVEN'T fucked one of my best friends, Wren. So yeah, I question your relationship with Angela. Anyway, the reason I called was to tell you that your weed got flushed down the toilet. My mom found it and freaked out. Oh and I leave in the morning for my grandparents farm." I waited with baited breath for his answer or for him to flip out, but I was genuinely surprised when he didn't.

  "Cool. Well have a good time. Make sure you leave me some money on your windowsill, before you go. Drugs aren't free ya know."

  I could feel the anger flowing through my veins. I sucked in a big breath before responding, as not to piss him off. "I'm sorry what? How the hell am I responsible for your drugs? You're the one who left it at my house last night, so it's not my fault my mom found it. Oh and by the way, she also knows we are having sex."

  "ARE YOU FUCKING KIDDING ME?" His voice raised about three octaves as I held the phone out away from my ear. "Jesus Christ Kayla, what the fuck?"

  "It's not my fault. She ransacked my room and found the thing of condoms you left here, yet again." I was over being nice and placating his ass. I was done. This relationship was toxic and now was the perfect time to get out. "Whatever Wren, I'm done. We are done. I'll leave your money under the red rock by the tree out front. See ya around."

  I went to hang up but heard him screaming into the phone. "NOT GOING TO HAPPEN SWEETHEART!"

  "We'll see," I muttered under my breath before ended our call. I knew Wren wouldn't come over while my mom was here, so I took the opportunity to start packing my things for tomorrow. Maybe I could convince her to even let me leave tonight. I grabbed practically my whole wardrobe and threw it into my suitcase and duffle bag. There was no way I was leaving anything behind.

  I tugged my luggage behind me as I made my way down the stairs. I heard hushed voices, but never imagined what I would walk in on. My mom stood at the kitchen counter with white powder broken up in tiny lines in front of her and next to her stood, Wren? Before I could even comprehend what I was witnessing, I was running down the stairs full force and lunging myself at Wren. My fist connected the first time with his jaw and the second with his eye. After that, I didn't land a single punch.

  Wren gripped my wrists tightly in his hands, before pushing them behind my back as he pulled me into a tight embrace. "Wren, what the fuck?" I looked between him and my momma and almost laughed at the scene playing out before me. It was as though I was transported into a movie, with a really bad director.

  "Now if you're going to behave, I will let you go." He whispered softly into my ear.

  I nodded. "Fine, let me go."

  I could feel the bruises already starting to form around my wrists and I made a mental note to ice them later before bed. I looked up at my mom and saw that she was oblivious to what had just happened. She was happily sniffing shit up her nose, without a care for me or anything else I'm sure. Wren glanced over at my mom and then back to me, and let out a throaty laugh.

  "Sweetheart, this is how you're paying me for my weed that you flushed. I was already on my way over to your house when you called. Your momma here decided to pay me in full for the weed and buy a little something extra for herself."

  I let out the breath I hadn't realized I was holding, before unleashing all my pent up rage onto my momma. "You're nothing but a piece of shit, you know that? You call me a slut and every other word in the book, yet you are doing drugs and drinking like you’re my age. I'm done, with both of you." I quickly ran up to my room to gather all of my odds and ends that I hadn't packed yet, and slid my hand underneath my bed. When my fingertips grazed the cool tin, I slid it out and shoved it into my purse along with everything else. I didn't need this shit anymore, and I sure as shit didn't need either of them.

  Chapter 4

  Madison

  It was almost five in the afternoon when I made it back to the main house. I knew my grandfather was still out roundin' up all the horses when I put Rocket back into the stable in the main barn. I wasn't really in the mood to deal with my grandmother, but I was all but certain, my grandfather had already told her what had happened. I let the screen door slam shut behind me, before making my way into the empty kitchen. Grandma was nowhere that I could see, so I all but assumed I was safe. As I reached for a glass out of the cupboard, I felt soft cool skin connect with my elbow and I jumped in surprise.

  "Grams, you scared the holy hell out of me."

  "Language Madison, language." She half shouted. She reached into the cupboard and pulled down two glasses before turning to the fridge to grab the pitcher of freshly made lemonade.

  "Sorry Grams. I didn't see you when I came in, I figured you had gone to town or something."

  "Or something." She smiled. "I saw your granddaddy having to go after those horses after one of 'em kicked that broken latch. You know anything about that?"

  "Yes ma'am." I blushed. I hated letting down my grandma. "I just needed something to drink and then I was going to fix it." I lied. That wasn't my plan at all, but it was now.

  "That's my boy." She whispered.

  "Hey Grams, Can I ask you a question?"

  "Of course son, anything." She took a sip of her lemonade and only broke eye contact when she set her glass down on the counter.

  "Why is grandpa so mad that I'm leaving in two days? He knows I can't stay all summer this year, why is he all uppity about it?" I took a big gulp of my lemonade as I watched my grandma start to fidget.

  "Oh honey, you know your granddadd
y just likes having you around. That's all." She turned and started bustling around the kitchen, getting all the fixings for dinner.

  I walked up beside her and grasped her small fragile hands in mine. "Grams, you know I can't stay right?"

  "I know love, you have your own life. I understand you have other obligations this summer, but your granddaddy is just gonna miss his time with you. Usually he gets ya for three months and now that you're graduated and such, he just was hoping for a little more time before you stopped coming around."

  A stray tear fell from the corner of Grams' eyes, and my heart broke just a little more knowing that she would miss me too. "Grams, its not for good. It's just this summer. We have too many gigs to play for me to be away for a whole three months. I'm sorry, I know this cuts our time short." I placed a soft kiss to my grandma's cheek before heading back out into the early summer heat.

  I didn't want to leave. Granted, I wouldn't miss having to get up at the ass crack of dawn and work my ass off all damn day, but I would miss being with the only family I had left. I glanced back and caught my grams wiping away another tear. I wish I could take her pain away. I wish I could stay and make it all better, but I was eighteen now and I needed to start building a life for myself. Lord knows I had no parent to help me out along the way.

  After I gathered my tools and made it to the broken latch, I caught a glimpse of my grandfather riding up on Rawhide. My grandfather was already an intimidating man, but as he sat high on his Arabian, he was terrifying.

  "You fixin' that latch, son?"

  "Yes Sir. Just got out here after chatting with Grams. She's inside startin' dinner." I replied, but never looked up at him. Lately, all I saw in his face was sheer disappointment.

  "I reckon I will come and get ya when dinner is ready then." His voice was clipped and I instantly felt bad for slacking.

  "Thank you, Sir." I looked up from below the rim of my hat and tilted my head. My grandfather did the same and then rode up to the barn.

  It was funny seein' my grandpa as a farmer. He didn’t fit the bill at all. He didn't wear Wranglers or a cowboy hat, or any of that other typical cowboy gear. No, he wore his Yankees baseball hat, that his father had gotten him when he was just five years old, an old ratty t-shirt and an old pair of jeans. The only thing that even tipped ya off that he owned a farm was the fact that he did wear cowboy boots. They had been his father's and when he passed on, he inherited them along with this farm.

  I remember when Grams had told me the story about how they got this land. Apparently my great grandfather had struck it pretty rich in oil when he was younger. Back then it was a struggle to make ends meet, until he met his buddy Jenkins. Jenkins brought him in on his oil idea, and six months later they were two of the richest men in Texas. Needless to say, my great grandfather was smart with his money. He put most of it away in an account for my grandfather, but the rest he put into this land.

  He bought it for dirt-cheap and built the main house with his bare hands. He was only married to my great grandmother for a short time and back then rarely anyone got divorced. So my great grandfather stayed married to her, but she left and made a life with a new man. It's funny how things used to be. I always found myself admiring just how much my grandparents dealt with, to make things work. Nobody ever tried that hard at anything anymore.

  I guess when my great grandfather died; he left every single thing he owned to his only son, my grandfather. All the money he had in an account had practically quadrupled in amount because he never touched it, and the land was paid free and clear. It wasn't until my grandfather took over, that he started adding livestock to the land. Apparently my great grandfather was deathly afraid of any sort of animal, he just wanted the land. I wish I would have been able to meet him, but unfortunately he died of a heart attack before I was even born.

  When my great grandfather passed, my grandparents were living in New York, but they were faced with either selling the land or moving back to Texas. Luckily for me, they chose to come here. I was all but raised out at this farm and I loved every minute of it. I may be moving to a big city now, but I am damn sure a country boy through and through.

  I got the last piece of the metal latch fixed, just as I heard tires against the gravel beside me. I didn't know how long I had been out here, but it must've been quite a while. The sun was steadily dipping below the horizon and the shadows of the day were slowly disappearing. I wiped my brow with the back of my arm before glancing up at the old Chevy pickup next to me.

  "Hop in son." My grandfather had showered and looked surprisingly presentable at the moment. Of course he still had his hat snug upon his head, but he had changed into a nice button up shirt and his nicest pair of jeans.

  "Sir, if we're going somewhere, I reckon I should shower before." I pulled my hat from my head, running my fingers through my unruly hair.

  "It's okay, we are just goin' to the bus station. We won't be too long. I told Jasper I would pick up his granddaughter for him, and I thought the ride would do us some good." He pushed open the rusty door and I quickly jumped in, as I placed my hat back on my head. "Buckle up, son."

  "Yes, sir."

  I buckled my seatbelt and couldn't help but wonder what the big deal was about me coming with him. He knew I was beat and all I wanted to do was eat, take a long hot shower and climb into bed. I rested my head back against the headrest and let my hand hang out the open window. I tugged my hat down over my eyes and tried to catch a quick nap. The bus depot was a good forty-five minutes away, so I knew I had some time.

  Chapter 5

  Kayla

  I called a cab to come gather me up from my house, when I was upstairs getting the rest of my belongings. I knew I most likely would never be coming back to this god forsaken place, so I made sure to grab it all. I didn't hear any commotion coming from downstairs at the moment, but I still proceeded with caution. Between Wren and my momma, you never know if you're gonna get the devil or an angel. As my toe hit the tile, just beneath the last step, I let out a sigh of relief. It sounded like no one was home and that was an amazing thing. I didn't need to deal with all of their bullshit, as I tried to make my great escape.

  I piled my purse and cosmetic bag on top of my rolling suitcase and threw the duffel bag over my shoulder, as I made my way to the front door. The sun was sitting high in the sky and I couldn't wait to feel the taste of freedom, even if it came in the form of a dirty old Greyhound bus. I had saved up quite a bit of money from odd jobs and babysitting, but I would definitely need to find a job when I got to Texas. I made sure to stash half of my money in my sock, knowing that my mother almost always went through my purse before I left.

  My hand reached out for the doorknob and just as my fingers gripped around the cool, brass knob, I felt my head being forcefully tugged back. Every strand of hair felt as though they were being individually pulled from my scalp. I yelled out in pain as I tried to turn around to see who my assailant was. Clumps of long, dark brown hair fell to the floor below me, as I felt more hands reaching out and grabbing at my hair. I held my tears in along with my rage, knowing the sooner I gave in, the sooner it would all be over. Boy, was I so wrong this time.

  When I finally got myself turned around, four hands were latched onto every tendril of hair. It wasn't just my momma this time. It was Wren also. Wren had always been emotionally and verbally abusive, but rarely had he ever laid a hand on me. Maybe deep down he knew how bad my momma was, and he didn't want to put me through anymore unnecessary pain.

  Not so much now. When they finally let go of my hair, I pulled back ready to swing at both of them. When they both stood there, with their stoic looks sitting smugly upon their face, I made the decision to try and run. I turned again reaching for the doorknob and just as the door creaked open, a strong force pushed my head into the edge of the wooden doorframe.

  My hands flew up to my forehead, catching the pool of blood now dripping down the front of my face. I tried to think quickly, but everything was
starting to get fuzzy. I turned to yell at whichever one had done this, but fell to my knees instead. I was getting extremely light headed and I knew if I didn't stop the bleeding soon, I would be stuck here forever.

  I yanked my shirt up and over my head without thinking twice and balled it up as I pushed it against my head. I was still feeling dizzy, but I needed to get out, alive. I caught a glimpse of Wren's once beautiful face. His once lively blue eyes were now a dull, thunderous blue, and his thin lips were pulled tight in anger. His blonde hair must've caught some backsplash of blood, because it was now tainted a blood red color. The amazing boy I had fallen so deeply in love with, ceased to exist any longer. And I suddenly felt my heart yearning to go back in time.

  Just as I opened my mouth to protest or ask why, his fist came down across my jaw, and all I heard was a loud popping noise. I wish I could say it stopped there, but unfortunately I would be lying. There were a few more fists thrown and just when I thought it was over, my mom reached for the small square tin that was now lying on the floor. Its contents scattered across the floor.

  My mouth was already swelling shut, but I tried with all that was left in me to speak. "Momma, please don't. It's all I have." Tears flooded my face as I protested with her to not take the only money I had. There was no way I would be able to get to Texas without it.

  When she turned and looked at me with those burning hazel eyes, I knew there would be no changing her mind. She wasn't even herself anymore; I didn't know this woman in front of me.

  "Momma, please." She gave me one last piercing look and then I felt something sharp jab into my thigh.

  An excruciatingly painful scream came roaring out of my dry throat. My salty tears and copper tasting blood instantly melded together as they began to pour endlessly down my face. I was quickly becoming hysterical and I didn't want to see what she had just done. But unfortunately, I needed to survey the damage.