Count On Me

by Melyssa Winchester

  The plea in her voice stops me cold. Is this where she tells me that she’s heard enough and turns to walk away?

  “I spent so long locked in my own head that I really don’t know how this is gonna sound, but I need to say some things before you continue. I can’t take listening to you tell me how happy I make you, not after everything I’ve done.”

  What she’s done? Huh? What the hell is she talking about? She hasn’t done anything but believe in me and from where I’m standing, that isn’t a bad thing. She’s the reason I’m even here at all.

  “I’m sorry, Kayden. I’m sorry because I really believed you were playing some kind of game with me. I believed that what happened at Homecoming was your fault. I did the one thing that I want everyone else to stop doing with me. I judged you based on the way you were, not the way that you are. You were nothing but sweet, tender and loving with me and I believed the worst in you. I let you down.”

  “Are you done?”

  She nods and I reach out to her, taking her hand, placing it against my own and linking our fingers together.

  “You have nothing to be sorry for. It’s hard not to believe the worst in someone when they spend eight years proving they’re the worst human being alive. What happened to us, Isabelle, that’s on me. I said all the things you heard at Homecoming and there’s nothing I can say that can ever take them back. The only thing I can say is, I was an ignorant, blind asshole who isn’t deserving of even five minutes of your time, let alone five weeks.”

  “Kayden…”

  “Isabelle, I love you.”

  I’ve gone over in my head a million times how I was going to say it the first time it came out. It’s not exactly the way I imagined it, but I refuse to take it back. It’s the truth and that’s what all of this is about. Telling her the truth and giving her the night she missed because of the horrible things I did.

  “You wanna know why I did all of this?”

  “Yes, I do.”

  “I did all of this because there’s only one thing I’m sure of anymore and that is, I love you. I think I’ve been in love with you since I was three years old.”

  “You’re in love with me?”

  “Yes.”

  “You put all of this together for me?”

  “Yes.”

  “Kayden…” she whispers and I see the tears start to fall from her eyes. I start to think I’ve made everything worse until she speaks again, stopping my heart. “What took you so long?”

  This girl, I swear—will be the death of me.

  “I needed someone to show me the way.”

  It’s when I pull her into me, feeling her body connect itself to mine that it hits me. What I said before is true. It’s always been Isabelle. There has never been another girl that the minute our bodies meet, can make me feel this complete and as long as I live, there never will be. She’s it.

  I hear it then, clear as day, even though the way we’re holding each other, her face buried in my chest, it comes out muffled.

  “I love you, Kayden.”

  Here’s the thing. It doesn’t matter if her face is buried in my chest or she’s on the other side of the world from me. As long as she’s the one saying the words, I’m always going to hear them clearly because she’s not just speaking to my head.

  She’s speaking to my heart.

  “Isabelle?” I ask, not wanting to ruin the moment, but remembering there’s still one more thing I haven’t done.

  “Hmm?” she murmurs as she breaks away from my chest and looks up, meeting my eyes dead on.

  Pointing toward the stereo on the stage, I take her hand and guide her toward it. Pushing play, I wait until the music starts and then I look at her. Her eyes go wide, but the smile remains as the realization takes hold.

  “It was you?”

  “It was me.” I answer with a grin.

  “Why?”

  “You owed me a dance.”

  The End…

  Count On Me Playlist

  Face Down by The Red Jumpsuit Apparatus

  Bully by Shinedown

  A Beautiful Lie by 30 Seconds To Mars

  Wrong Side of Heaven by Five Finger Death Punch

  Broken by Lifehouse

  Invisible by Hunter Hayes

  Drive You Home by Parachute

  The Reason by Hoobastank

  The Only Exception by Paramore

  Count On Me by Default

  Ready When You Are by Trapt

  The Mess I Made by Parachute

  Only One In Color by Trapt

  All That I’m Asking For by Lifehouse

  She Is Love by Parachute

  Kiss Me Slowly by Parachute

  (Kayden & Isabelle’s dance)

  Authors Note

  There are three subjects touched on within this story that I would be remiss if I didn’t mention now that the story has been told. Autism, Bullying and Child Abuse are very real issues that millions of people across the globe struggle with daily.

  No child on the Autism Spectrum is the same as another. The experiences that the fictional character of Isabelle deals with throughout the story may not be what your child or even you have experienced. As the mother of three children on the spectrum, I took as much care as possible in making sure this story adequately explained and showed the true wonder that is our children, but it is not an exact science. If I have offended you in any regard with the making of this story, you have my utmost apologies. This is only a small part of what autism really is and I hope it can be viewed that way.

  If you would like more information regarding Autism, please visit http://autismcanada.org/ No website can take the place of a medical professional. If you suspect you, or your child may be on the Spectrum, please seek medical advice.

  Bullying is something that has been around as long as time but has recently been on the rise. If you or anyone you know is being bullied for being you, I want to tell you that you are not alone. Do not suffer in silence. As hard as it can be to speak up about what you’re suffering with, please do it. No one deserves that. If you want to reach out and aren’t sure where to look, please visit http://www.pacer.org/bullying/. There is information and people there that are more than willing to help. Also, talk to your parents, friends and other trusted individuals. Please remember that it’s not you, it’s them. Never give up, never give in. You’ll get through it.

  If you or someone you know is suffering with child abuse, please do not hesitate to call Child Help National Child Abuse Hotline at 1-800-4-A-CHILD (1-800-422-4453). There are people there 24/7 that are more than willing to help you or those that you know and care about. You do not have to suffer alone anymore.

  Acknowledgements

  This book would not have been written if it wasn’t for my real life Isabelle’s. Caleb, Noah, Raine and Bella, thank you for showing me, each and every day just what is so great about this world. You never cease to amaze me and I will love you, forever and always.

  If it wasn’t for my Daddy and his never ending supply of love and acceptance for both me and his grandchildren, I’m not sure this book would have seen the light of day. So thank you Dad, for showing me what true love and acceptance really is.

  As always, there’s my best friend, Joey. Without him, there would be no me. Thank you for pouring over this story, both in the beginning stages and the end. More than that, thank you for showing me that there are real Kayden’s in the world. It is my hope, as my children get older; they have someone in their life that touches their lives the way you have touched mine. I love you.

  For Will: You have shown me a tremendous amount of support and that, coupled with your friendship is what I hope to carry with me for years to come. Thank you for being a friend to me and also for being a fan. It means more than you will ever know and it’s a sure bet that support is what keeps me writing.

  Theresa Troutman. It’s been said that writing is a lonely existence, but you’ve proven that wrong in the short time since I met you. Thank you
for your constant words of encouragement, support and more than that, your friendship and expertise. It means the world to me, just as you do.

  To the parents of special needs children, the world over. Even though this book is primarily a work of fiction, there will be traits you’ll recognize in your own children. It is my hope that making the story the way I did, I have shown that our children are not what they have been made out to be, but so much more. Each and every one of you has my utmost respect and adoration for everything you face each day, all in the name of love for your children. Never give up, never give in and continue to fight always. Those beautiful children love you for it, as do I.

  To the people that spend their hard earned time and money on this story. Thank you from the bottom of my heart. It means more than you will ever truly now. This story was a labor of love and I hope you enjoy the story and characters as much as I did writing it.

  About The Author

  Melyssa Winchester is a mother of four from Toronto, Ontario, Canada. When she’s not knee deep in adolescent awesomeness, she’s falling in love, one book boyfriend and girlfriend at a time. She is a lover of all things romance and will forever believe in a real and try happily ever after.

  When she’s not off being a mom or writing you can find her doing one of two things. Reading or buried under the covers watching Supernatural, Sons of Anarchy or Veronica Mars.

  Melyssa is currently working on Before The Light Book #1: Hold Onto Me (Michael’s Story) that follows the lives of the characters from the Love United Series before they came together. She is also hard at work on a standalone title Shades of Blue and plotting many more upcoming projects for the future.

  You can find her on the web, either at her personal site, Facebook (which she just might have an obsession with) or Twitter (@WinchesterBooks) where she talks incessantly about her kids, her writing and all things book boyfriend related.

  Other Works by Melyssa Winchester

  Love United Series

  1. Holding On To Heaven

  2. No Surrender

  3. Wanted

  4. Stairway To Heaven

  5. A Light In The Dark (Coming April 2014)

  Coming Soon:

  Before the light

  (Love United Series of Novella’s)

  1. Hold Onto Me (Michael’s Story)

  2. Absence Of Light (Ryan’s Story)

  TAKE ME WITH YOU

  ALL MY HEART

  (Kayden and Isabelle’s future story)

  SHADES OF BLUE