“I don’t know that we’ll be making the trip. I cannot believe how different from your sister you’ve become. First cheating and losing your scholarship and now this.”
“Dad, how can you say that I’m so different from Adrina? She was pregnant too and she wasn’t even living with her boyfriend.”
“Your sister was acting responsibly. You haven’t been.”
“You know what? I don’t care anymore. You can hate me if you want to, but it’s not going to change what I do. I love Jude and he loves me. We’re going to be together and we’re going to raise our baby. You can be a part of it, or you can stay away. I can’t let you make me feel as if you’d wished I’d died too. Not anymore. I’m not dead. Adrina would never have wanted any of us to pretend that we were either. You know that. Adrina was so beautiful and so smart and so good, but she’s gone now. It really sucks, but I’m still here. If you want to continue to ignore that, it’s fine. But I’m not going to.”
There was silence on the other end of the phone for several minutes. Then her mother spoke up. “You’re throwing your life away Mellenda.”
“I’m not. You don’t have to agree with my choices, but they’re not your choices to make. I love you. I have to go.”
Mellenda pushed end on her phone. The tears came soon after. Jude held her. When she was finally satisfied that she was done, she gave him a grateful smile. She got up and used the restroom and washed her hands and her face. She realized that she didn’t care whether or not her parents came to her graduation. She loved them, but she couldn’t let them make her miserable anymore.
She kissed Jude and they were soon making love. Mellenda never wanted it to end. She had never felt so loved, so wanted or so cared for in her life.
Chapter 14
When she woke up in his arms the next morning, she felt like the luckiest woman on the planet, even though it was to the blare of his alarm and he had to both deliver papers and work at the restaurant that day.
She went through the motions of her morning sickness and then she went with him on his route again. The day passed quickly, even though she felt terribly silly because she missed him so much while he was at work.
She hung out with Shayla and they browsed baby clothes, though they bought little. Shayla was pregnant too, and even though she admitted that she’d been with other men, she was positive that the baby was Brendan’s because she said she’d always been doubly careful when she was with someone else. They were getting married later in the summer.
Mellenda felt a little strange to hear Shayla talk so openly about her unconventional relationship with Jude’s best friend. But she figured she’d get used to it. Shayla was blunt, but she was very smart and she was kind too, even though Mellenda was beginning to get the idea that Shayla was attracted to her.
On the day of her graduation, she skipped going with Jude when he delivered his papers. She was nervous, terrified actually. She was glad to be leaving Crestview Academy, and hoped never to set foot on the grounds after Jude had helped her retrieve her things after graduation, but it was just another reminder that her life was changing, that one part of it was ending and she was truly beginning anew.
She threw up right before they left, which didn’t help matters much. But it wasn’t morning sickness. She’d already gotten that out of the way when she’d woken up with Jude’s alarm. It was nerves that made her sick. Jude told her that she didn’t have to go at all, and she felt so silly that she smiled and told him that she just wanted to get it over with.
She could see him when she took her place on the stage next to the rest of the graduates. He was sitting with his family, Brendan and Shayla. Her parents were absent and her heart sank a little. She looked out and saw Tony with what she figured to be his aunt and uncle and his cousin Carl. He was also sitting with a pretty woman that she was sure must be his mother. A good looking but young guy had his arm draped across the back of Tony’s mom’s chair. Mellenda hid a smile.
Tony looked at her and gave her a subdued grin, shaking his head at his mother and what appeared to be her boyfriend, and then his eyes went back to Tory. Mellenda studied Tory. She looked beautiful and happier than Mellenda thought she’d ever seen her. She felt a little stab of panic, wondering if Tory noticed Jude in the audience, but Tory only had eyes for Tony.
Mellenda listened with half an ear as first Mr. Luciano, and then Leslie gave their speeches. Leslie stuttered through her speech and a few people laughed. Leslie’s face was bright red. Mellenda almost felt sorry for the girl. The laughter died down when Beth shot the whole audience a look that could kill though. Mellenda laughed quietly.
She accepted her diploma and then waited while the rest of the names of the graduates in her class were announced. When it was over, she was so relieved she could hardly believe it. She made her way over to Jude. He took her into his arms and whispered into her ear. “I love you.”
She pulled back slightly and smiled. “I love you too.”
His mom looked like she’d been crying. She felt another pang that her own parents were still nowhere to be found. But the world suddenly stood still when Jude got down on one knee in front of her in the grass. She felt her heart leap into her throat and she could hardly breathe. He pulled a velvet covered box out of his pocket and cleared his throat.
“Mellenda will you marry me?”
Mellenda licked her lips. She couldn’t speak for a moment. Jude gave her a look that held such panic that she laughed. She took his hand and helped him up and smiled. “Of course I’ll marry you you big dork.”
He let out a relieved laugh. She held out her hand and he slipped the ring onto her finger. It fit perfectly.
“How did you know what size to buy?”
“The other day when Shayla asked you to try that ring on, she was really helping me figure out what size you wore.” Jude grinned at his best friend’s fiancé.
Shayla laughed. “Guilty as charged.”
“Well,” Mrs. Ashland said. “We have a party to go to but I suppose you two had better go retrieve Mellenda’s things. We’ll see you back at the house.”
“Thank you so much.”
Mrs. Ashland smiled. “There is no other girl in the world we’d rather have marry our son. We’re so proud of you both.”
Mellenda felt tears prick her eyes. “Thank you.”
“Welcome to the family honey. We’re glad to have you.” Mrs. Ashland gave Mellenda another smile. Then she walked away with her family, Brendan and Shayla.
Jude put his arms around Mellenda. “I’m the happiest guy in the world. If you start crying now, I think I might cry too. So please don’t cry baby.”
Mellenda smiled. “I love you Jude. I’ll try not to cry. Let’s go get my stuff so that I never have to step foot in this place again.”
They had started to walk away when a familiar voice called out “Mellenda.”
Mellenda turned to her mother. Jude squeezed her hand but didn’t let go. “Hi Mom. Hi Dad.”
Her mother reached out to give her a hug. “We’re so sorry that we missed seeing you get your diploma. We ran into some problems with your present.”
“You didn’t have to get me a present Mom, but thank you.”
“Honey, this is a big day. I know it didn’t turn out exactly the way you wanted it to, but it’s still a big deal.” Mrs. Brooks turned to Jude. “This must be your boyfriend.”
Mellenda cleared her throat. “My fiancé actually. Mom, Dad, this is Jude.”
Mrs. Brooks blinked. “Fiancé. Wow we really have been asleep haven’t we Dad?” She turned to her husband.
He stuck his hand out to Jude. “Nice to meet you son. It’s good to know that you’re doing right by our little girl. Mellenda, your grandma was sorry she couldn’t make it. Your present from her and your aunt and uncle is in your glove box.”
“My glove box?”
Mr. Brooks smiled. “I guess that there might be things you might need more now than a car, but you’re welcome
to do with it as you please.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out a set of keys. “It’s probably too sporty to be a family car.”
Mellenda hugged her father. “Thank you so much. Um, Jude’s parents are having a party if you want to come. You can follow us, but we have to go get my stuff from my room.”
“That sounds wonderful. We’ll see you in the parking lot then, unless you need help.”
“No thank you. I don’t have much stuff.”
“Your laptop is in the trunk as well sweetheart.”
“Thank you. We’ll be back in a few minutes.” She gave her mom and then her dad a kiss on the cheek and then walked away with Jude, hand in hand.
The halls were filled with other girls who were retrieving their belongings. She was glad that she didn’t live on the same floor as Tory. She still wasn’t sure how Tory would feel about her being with Jude. It was obvious she was happy with Tony, but Mellenda knew how much she had cared about Jude.
It didn’t take long to gather her things, since she had already packed most of it. She hadn’t bothered to come back for anything once she had left with Jude. She had bought new toiletries and a few new outfits. She looked back and forth between her bed and Molli’s.
“Goodbye Crestview Academy. I won’t miss you. Molli, I hope you’re happy with Ricky.”
She took Jude’s hand and they left. Her parents were waiting in the parking lot next to a shiny blue car. It was sporty looking and Mellenda knew there was no way she could drive it for long. She felt so much older than eighteen and wouldn’t get any enjoyment out of a fancy car when she knew that the money it was worth could be used for things that they needed much more. She wasn’t sure how her parents would feel about the fact that she was going to sell it, even though they had said she could do what she wanted with it, but she was going to.
She gave both of her parents a hug after she had stowed her things in her trunk, and then gave Jude a quick kiss before he walked away to his car. She pushed the button to open her door, but her mother stopped her.
“Mellenda, there is no way we could ever apologize enough for the way we’ve treated you these past few years. It was so hard for us when Adrina died. But we’re going to be better, try harder. Your young man looks like he really cares about you and we will do anything that we can to help you.”
“Thank you. I. . .” Mellenda didn’t know what else to say, so instead she stepped into her mother’s embrace. Her mother held her for a long time, and then she hugged her father again.
“I love you. I guess we’d better get going. I think you’ll like Jude’s parents. They’re really nice. But um, they live in a trailer park.”
Mellenda’s mother nodded. “Okay.”
Her father shrugged. “Home is what you make of it. We’ve been more fortunate than a lot of people honey. But we need to start putting our lives back together. When you first told us you were pregnant, we thought that you had broken the last piece of our already fragile hearts, but then we realized that we would have broken your sister’s heart if we had turned our backs on you. Congratulations sweetheart.”
“Thank you Daddy.”
She got into her car, and her parents got into her Dad’s car. Her car ran so smoothly that she knew she was going to have to drive it at least a little before she got rid of it. She knew that Jude would talk her into letting him drive it too.
The party was nice and her parents got along well with Jude’s parents. Between what she figured she could make when she sold her car, and what her grandma and her aunt and uncle had given her, she was sure that she and Jude would be fine and be able to buy the things that they needed for the baby.
Mellenda and Jude were married at the end of August in a double ceremony with Shayla and Brendan. Mellenda’s parents came, as did her grandma and her aunt and uncle. Her mother cried. She even saw her dad drop a few tears, but Jude’s dad was openly crying right along with his mom so no one cared. Marissa and Joelle shared the honor of being the flower girls and Jacob was a somewhat uncomfortable ring bearer. He had invited his girlfriend. She was a very quiet girl, but seemed to adore Jacob.
Constantine Aziah Ashland was born healthy and was much adored by all four of his grandparents. Mellenda’s parents had sold most of the stockpile of useless clutter they had picked up over the years and were thinking about selling their house to make a further dent in their debts.
Mellenda and Jude both ended up attending the university. Jude was working on a degree in business management and Mellenda was going to be a counselor. Their marriage was very happy. Mellenda believed that it would truly remain to be a ‘til death do us part union. And she knew that whether little Connie grew up in a mansion or a trailer park, he was going to grow up happy.
Run From You
Misty Reigenborn
Copyright 2013
By Misty Reigenborn
Chapter 1
Jessica was tired. She wondered if she should pull over at the truck stop she could see ahead of her and get coffee. She'd drank she didn't know how many cups of coffee already that day and two energy drinks. Yet it didn't seem to be helping.
She sighed as she lit a cigarette, wondering why she bothered anymore. What was the point? She was twenty-four years old and had been moving around since she was eighteen. She had lived in seven states and had almost lost track of the towns. What made her think she was going to find her father now?
Just because she'd finally decided that she deserved some answers from a man she hadn't seen in twenty-one years and she'd finally found the courage to say screw it and try one last ditch effort to find him didn't mean she was going to. The searches she'd paid for and the ones she hadn't; hadn't turned up a thing. It was like her father had disappeared off the face of the earth. And maybe he had. Her mother probably thought she had.
She sighed again as she closed the gap to the truck stop. It was either turn in now, or keep driving. She threw her cigarette out the window and decided to pull into the lot. Maybe someone in there could give her an idea of where to stay she thought. Somewhere cheap and halfway clean preferably.
Jessica Brewster, or Jess as she preferred to be called, a slender woman with dark hair and her father's green eyes, stepped out of her car and pushed the button to lock the doors. The lot was mostly empty, a few trucks and a shiny red sports car that seemed too flashy for a small town America truck stop parking lot.
She stepped into the brightly lit diner. A waitress with teased hair and a nametag that read 'Glenda' said "Sit where ever you want honey. I'll be with you in a minute."
Jess nodded and glanced around the restaurant. There were few customers at this time of night, too late for dinner and still a bit too early for the bars to have closed for the night. The only other customers were three truckers at the counter, only one who bothered to look her way, and a good looking guy sitting alone in a booth by the door, drinking coffee and looking at the screen of his cell phone.
He paid attention to her. She could feel his eyes roving her body. She almost shivered, as if suddenly colder. She knew that he was picturing her without her clothes on. He looked like what was politely called a ladies’ man. She avoided his eyes as she headed towards a booth in the back.
She picked up the menu off of the table and glanced through it, lost in thought.
"What can I get you to drink hon?"
She looked up. The waitress had reappeared and somehow the young guy from the front booth had ended up right behind her.
"Coffee please," Jess said.
The guy was looking at her with unabashed interest. Glenda turned to him. "Daylin leave her alone. Can't you see that the young lady wants to eat her meal in peace?"
"Don't you think we should let her decide that?" Daylin gave Jess a grin that she was sure had gotten many a woman right into his bed.
Jess didn't know what to say. If she was too polite, he'd take it as an invitation. But she didn't want to be downright rude. Never mind that he was being pretty rude himself she
thought. He seemed to expect her to jump at the chance of sitting with him. She said nothing. He took it as an invitation anyway and slid into the booth across from her.
Glenda gave him a dirty look. He grinned at her, showing a set of straight, white teeth.
"If he's bothering you honey, you just let me know. I'll get one of the guys at the counter to set him straight for you."
Daylin made a face. "Don't call out the boys Glenda. I don't mean this beautiful girl any harm."
Jess sighed. Sometimes she wished she was plain, but she looked like her mother who could probably still be mistaken for her older sister at forty-three.
"I'll be right back with your coffee hon," Glenda said.
Jess nodded, wishing she'd brought her book in from the car. With her nose buried in a book, it was usually enough to make people leave her alone.
"So what's your name darlin'?" Daylin said.
Oh, she thought, they should be in a bar and he should be ten years older and sporting the white band from the wedding ring he'd shoved in his pocket on his finger.
She looked at him, appraising him. He was very good looking with a beautiful pair of hazel eyes and dark hair that could use a trim. The arms that were draped across the back of the booth were muscular, his tight fitting t-shirt pulling across his well-built chest. Yes, he was definitely hot she thought. But he most definitely knew it.
She picked up the menu again, though she'd already decided she was going to have-a cheeseburger and onion rings. Maybe that would turn him off she thought, her having an appetite. Though she doubted it. His gaze never left her.
He was making her very uncomfortable, looking at her like he'd never seen a woman before. She finally cleared her throat and said "Jess. My name is Jess."
"That's a beautiful name for a beautiful girl. Or should I say woman? At least I hope you're over 18."
He laughed, though she found nothing funny about his statement. She looked away again, counting the minutes until she could safely make her exit.
Misty Reigenborn Romance Boxed Set Page 187
