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A/N: Important author’s note at the end. Please read! Picture above is Samuel’s family cabin on their mountain retreat.
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Thin shafts of sunlight shone in through the windows and into the room, lighting everything up in a warm golden glow. The light pricked Jayden’s eyelids causing him to slowly stir awake.
He fluttered his eyelids open and slowly sat up, wincing as his head pounded mildly at the sudden movement. He brought his hand up to his forehead, slowly rubbing it as he stared around.
The room remained the same as it had been the night before and in the golden beams of sunlight, it seemed even more welcoming and friendly than ever. He looked down and was surprised to see Samuel soundly asleep by the side of the bed. He was half-sitting on the floor and half-leaning on the bed. His head was in his arms as they rested on the mattress and his chest rose and fell evenly with his soft breaths.
Jayden stared curiously at his sleeping figure noticing his haggard face and the towel clutched tightly in his hand. He looked down the side of the bed at the bowl of water sitting on the floor and to his side where a towel had fallen from his head as he had sat up and wondered what the hell had happened.
He slowly picked himself from the bed trying not to awaken Samuel and stood with bare feet on the cool wooden floor. He tossed off the sweat-drenched hoodie and made his way to the bathroom.
Samuel stirred slightly at the sound of the shower running and his eyelids slowly fluttered open when he heard the door open and Jayden’s soft footsteps as he made his way from the bathroom back into the room.
He blinked and looked up to see Jayden getting dressed. He was about to speak but the words died in his throat when Jayden turned around and he saw the faint lines of scars crisscrossing his back.
His eyes followed the angry red scars as they trailed downwards, disappearing into his jeans. Jayden’s back muscles moved as he put on one of Samuel’s shirts and Samuel quickly averted his eyes, turning away as Jayden turned.
‘You’re awake.’
Samuel looked up and nodded. The events, or more specifically, the revelations of the previous night rushed through his head and he quickly looked away from Jayden’s face.
He stood up, making sure to look everywhere but him. Jayden frowned slightly at his odd behaviour but did not comment on it. Instead, he gestured to the bowl and towels.
‘What happened?’
Samuel who had been lost in thought jolted at the question. He looked confused for a moment before noticing Jayden’s questioning stare at the items he had used to treat him.
‘Oh, right. You broke out in a fever last night and were delirious.’ He frowned and stepped forward placing a palm against his forehead. He looked searchingly into his face with concern. ‘Your fever is broken. How are you feeling?’
He, however, suddenly realized their proximity and leaped away quickly, his hand flying from Jayden’s forehead as if it was scalded.
Jayden stared at him in concern but he refused to meet his eyes.
‘I’m fine I guess. Throat is a bit sore and my body aches a bit but generally, I’m peachy.’
Samuel nodded and stared at the floor. ‘I guess I should, I need to, um… shower? Shower. I need err… yeah shower.’
He mumbled a quick apology and entered the bathroom. Jayden blinked at the closed door, wondering what the hell was up with him. He was acting strange. It was as if his presence had suddenly made him uncomfortable.
He shrugged it off and walked around the room, staring at the band posters and trophies lining the wall. It seemed Samuel played a lot of sports and he was extremely good at them too.
There were baseball, football, soccer, tennis, field hockey, ice hockey, swimming, and basketball trophies among others. He picked up a hunting trophy for first place and stared curiously at it before moving to the Boy Scout badges pinned on the wall.
He moved to a bookshelf full of medical books, journals and magazines. Below the bookshelf were stuffed teddy bears, bunnies and puppies. They ranged in sizes and upon closer inspection appeared to be well used.
An amused smirk crossed Jayden’s face as he imagined Samuel curled up tightly with his stuffed animals as he slept.
A large curved L.E.D TV was mounted by the bookshelf and neatly stacked below it were video game consoles.
Potted plants stood by the window and they seem to be lovingly taken care of. On his desk were pictures of bunnies, kittens, puppies and other animals. He had doodled little hearts and love emojis on them.
Jayden picked up one of the pictures and studied it closely as the bathroom door opened. Samuel walked out fully dressed. He glanced quickly at Jayden before looking away, moving to sit on his bed.
He picked up a basketball that had been lying at the foot of his bed and twirled it in his hands. Jayden left the desk and moved to stand right in front of him, forcing him to look up at him.
‘I’m hungry.’
Samuel tossed the ball into the hoop mounted on the door and stood up awkwardly. ‘Right, sorry. Breakfast.’
Jayden stared at him as he fumbled. ‘Samuel?’
Samuel nodded and led him out of the room. They made their way down the stairs and into the dining room where Samuel’s parents sat having their breakfast. Samuel’s elder brothers had already taken theirs and were outside arguing with his sister as they chopped up wood.
Sandra looked up and placed her teacup down as they entered. ‘There you are. I was about to get Cissy to fetch you.’ She looked closely at Jayden. ‘How are you dear? I heard you had a rough night.’
‘I’m fine ma’am. Just a bit sore but I’m doing alright. Thank you for letting me spend the night at such short notice.’
She waved away his thanks. ‘Of course, we couldn’t very well leave you in the cold. If you want to thank someone, thank Sam. He was the one who stayed up all night to take care of you.’
Jayden blinked in surprise and turned to stare at Samuel who was staring down at the table.
‘Why didn’t you tell me?’
‘It’s not important,’ Samuel mumbled as he continued to stare down at the table.
Jayden frowned but said nothing.
Sandra gestured to the table. ‘Have a seat and help yourself. There are many options so pick whatever you want.’
Jayden nodded gratefully and took a seat. He made himself a cup of tea and filled his plate with bacon and sausages. Samuel continued to stand there, lost in thought. This caused his mother to frown at him.
‘Is everything alright, Sammy?’
Samuel blinked and looked up. ‘What? No, I’m fine.’
Sandra stood and walked to him. She inspected him closely before nodding. ‘So why aren’t you eating?’
‘Not hungry,’ he mumbled.
‘Don’t be ridiculous, here,’ she forced him into a chair and placed a bowl of cereal in front of him. ‘Eat up.’
Samuel nodded absently but didn’t touch the food. Jayden turned to give him a questioning look but Samuel stared fixedly down his lap.
Sandra rubbed Samuel’s hair and moved to place her dirty dishes in the sink. ‘You may not feel hungry now but we have a long day hiking ahead of us and you would regret it if you don’t eat now.’
Jayden stared thoughtfully at him for a long moment before reaching over to lean closer to him, whispering quietly.
‘Hey, are you ok?’
Samuel nodded absently.
Jayden frowned slightly and continued. ‘Last night, did I… did I say or do something that made you uncomfortable?’
Samuel blinked and looked up into Jayden’s questioning face. He shook his head quickly. ‘No, no. It’s not like that. I just,’ he turned away. ‘I need to figure some stuff out that’s all.’
Jayden nodded hesitantly and turned his attention back to his food. Sandra came back and patted Samuel’s head affectionately.
Samuel rolled his eyes and mumbled. ‘Come on, mum. I’m no longer a kid.’
Sandra chuckled and looked out the sliding glass doors. ‘Oops, I think your sister is trying to kill your brothers. Looks like she has finally had enough of them.’
They looked out to see Cissy chasing Jake, Peter and Jack around the front yard with the axe. The boys looked absolutely terrified.
‘MUM! MUM! HELP US!’
Sandra smirked in amusement. ‘What do you think, should I save your brothers or leave them to their fate?’
Samuel shrugged. There was a smile on his face as he watched the scene taking place outside. ‘Nah, I don’t think so. I want to see how this will play out.’
Sandra shook her head. ‘It’s sad, isn’t it? Watching an eighteen year old girl beat three grown men into submission.’
Cissy had tackled Peter to the ground. She pinned his flailing arms to the ground with her knees and gripped his head in a deadlock.
‘MUM!’
Sandra sighed. ‘I think I should help them. Wouldn’t want any awkward questions when they find the bodies and besides, Pete owes me money. I’m not letting him get out of it that easily.’
Sandra stepped into the yard and pried Cissy of her elder brother. The other two had used the chance to run into the house.
Jayden turned to Samuel. ‘Does this happen often?’
Samuel shook his head. ‘Not really. Usually, they just argue or prank themselves, and more often than I would like, I’m caught in the cross-fires.’
Sandra marched Peter and Cissy inside as she scolded them. ‘You should know better than to pull your sister’s hair.’
‘But she made fun of my collection,’ Peter whined.
‘I’m not hearing it. Go take a walk.’
‘But-,’ he cut himself off when his mother threw him a dangerous glare.
‘Fine,’ he humphed. ‘When can I come back?’
‘You’re twenty-four; you shouldn’t even be coming back.’
Peter gasped and crossed his arms with a pout. ‘That’s just hurtful, mother. Hurtful.’
Sandra turned to Cissy. ‘How many times should I tell you? It’s illegal to kill your brothers. And yes, before you ask, it’s also illegal to kill them and make it look like an accident.’
Peter stuck out his tongue at her and she rolled her eyes at him.
‘Come on, mum. It’s only illegal if I get caught and I promise I won’t. Please, pretty please. I promise I’ll only make it hurt just a little.’
‘Listen to yourself. Go cool off in the pool.’
‘Hey, no fair,’ Peter complained. ‘How come she gets to relax in the pool?’
Sandra raised an eyebrow. ‘You’re welcome to join her.’
Peter took one look at the murderous glare on Cissy’s face and declined. ‘No thanks. A walk sounds good. I’ll take the walk.’
The two stuck out their tongues, making funny faces at each other before leaving.
Sandra rolled her eyes at their childish antics and sat by her husband who was engrossed in his book and hadn’t seemed to have heard the entire incident. His nose was buried so deep in the book it almost touched the pages and his glasses kept sliding down, forcing him to slide it back up every few seconds.
Sandra smiled at Jayden. ‘Sorry about that. It’s always crazy town around here with five children. Five very stubborn and highly rowdy children.’
Jayden shook his head politely. ‘It’s alright. I imagine it must have been worse when they were kids.’
Sandra nodded. ‘Oh, it was far, far worse.’ She shuddered at the memory. ‘It was difficult to get a nanny, no one wanted to work for us. I used to dread coming home from work because I knew the house would be wrecked. Sometimes I would park in the driveway and just sit there, too afraid to see what they’ve done to the house this time. I think I even cried there once.’
She smiled softly. ‘But the memories are precious. If I had the chance to go back, I would do it all again and not change a single thing.’
She turned and frowned worriedly at Samuel. ‘Sweetie, what’s wrong? You’ve been oddly quiet today.’
Jayden nudged Samuel and he blinked, coming out of his thoughts. ‘What? Oh yes, it’s nothing. Just preoccupied with stuff that’s all.’
‘Want to talk about it?’
Samuel gave her a droll look. ‘My body is changing and-‘
‘Alright, alright,’ she humphed. ‘You could have just said you won’t tell me. Whatever it is, make sure it doesn’t preoccupy you on the hike. It’s a family vacation and we need you to be present.’
She turned to her husband. ‘Speaking off being present, we promised not to work on the vacation. Freddie? Freddie?’
She reached over and snapped the book shut, and he narrowly avoided being hit on the nose.
He looked up and blinked slowly, his glasses making his eyes look owlish. ‘Huh?’
‘No work on our vacation honey. We promised and that means no research.’
Frederick pouted. ‘But I’m not doing research. I’m reading about doing research. There’s a difference.’
‘No,’ Sandra stated firmly, moving the book out of his reach. ‘You are here but you are not here. Your daughter almost murdered your eldest son and you weren’t even aware of it.’
Frederick blinked in surprise. ‘Again? When?’
‘Exactly. That’s enough reading for today, go and get yourself ready for the hike.’
Frederick got up unwillingly from the table and made his way upstairs, almost falling as Jake and Jack bounded past him as they made their way down the stairs in a rush.
‘Give it here.’
‘Na uh, it’s mine.’
‘I picked it first!’
‘No, it was given to me. Ask mum.’
They turned to Sandra. ‘Mum?’
Sandra sighed tiredly. ‘What is it now?’
‘Jack has taken my rock. You know the one from Kilimanjaro that was blessed by the shaman when we visited Tanzania.’
‘Jake claims it’s his but I picked it and it was blessed by the shaman for me. Wasn’t it?’
Sandra rubbed her temples tiredly. ‘You both share custody of the rock. You agreed to it after Jake got dumped by the local chief’s daughter.’
Jack blinked, taken aback. ‘Whatever possessed me to agree to share with this nasty cunt?’
Jake grinned. ‘Don’t be a fucked up retard bro, you know you love me.’
‘Language,’ Sandra objected.
The boys turned to give her equal looks of incredulity.
‘That’s rich coming from you, mum. You cuss more than anyone in this family.’
‘Right,’ Jack agreed. ‘Don’t be a hypocrite mother. Remember that time you publicly called the President a cum-stain.’
‘Or the time you called, the first lady a fucked up whore.’
‘Or the time you called the British Prime Minister a pompous shitty prick.’
‘Or when you called the Prince of Wales a royal dressed-up asshole.’
‘To be fair mum,’ Samuel joined in. ‘We did learn how to swear from you, you had absolutely no filter when we were kids. My first words were fuck you.’
‘Mine was dirty bitch.’
‘And mine was shitty hoe.’
‘Okay, okay. Jeez!’ Sandra cut them off, looking abashed. ‘I’m feeling attacked in my own home. Both of you, go get ready. We would leave for the hike soon.’
Jake and Jack sniggered at her all the way back up the stairs.
Samuel blinked in realization and turned to Jayden. ‘That reminds me, do you want to come with us on the hike? You can stay at home if you are not feeling up to it.’
‘I’m afraid, that will not be possible.’ Sandra cut in. She was looking guilty.
‘I called your mother dear,’ she said to Jayden. ‘She is sending a car for you and it would be here any moment. I’m sorry I forgot to tell you.’
Jayden blinked in surprise. He looked down and nodded silently.
Samuel however, looked outraged. ‘How could you mother? He ran away from home that means he clearly doesn’t want to be there. They probably had a huge fight so what were you thinking calling her?’
‘No matter how bad the fight is I know that if my son ran away, I’ll be going crazy with worry and would want to know where he is and if he is safe. As a mother, I couldn’t leave another mother to go sick with worry about the whereabouts and safety of her son.’
Samuel huffed impatiently but Jayden placed a hand on his arm. ‘It’s alright.’
Samuel shook his head. ‘You don’t have to go if you don’t want to. You can stay here no one would force you to leave.’
‘Actually,’ Sandra came in. ‘His mother can. She is his legal guardian after all.’
Samuel was defiant. ‘Well we won’t let her.’
‘Technically,’ Sandra came in again. ‘That would be illegal. It’s still kidnapping even if it’s not against his will.’
Samuel shot his mother a warning look and she backed off. ‘Right, right. Not helping, sorry.’
‘Look,’ he turned to Jayden. ‘You are not going anywhere. I won’t let anyone take you away.’
Jayden patted his arm reassuringly. ‘It’s alright. I can’t run away forever. Sooner or later I have to face my demons and it’s best if I do it sooner rather than later. I’ll go.’
Samuel looked hesitant. ‘Are you sure?’
Jayden nodded. ‘I’ll be fine.’
Samuel didn’t look convinced.
‘Glad that we’ve settled this then and not a minute too soon I wager,’ Sandra piped up, coming from her hiding place in the kitchen where Samuel’s glare had sent her scurrying. She gestured out the window. ‘If I’m right, that’s your ride.’
She was right, two sleek black land cruisers, emblazoned with the Mills’ family crest were rolling up the drive and pulling into the driveway. Three men in suits got out of the first car and stood patiently on the driveway, the sun reflecting off their dark sunglasses.
Sandra went out to meet them, leaving Jayden and Samuel alone.
‘Jayden I…’
‘It’s fine.’
He stood and made his way outside with Samuel following anxiously behind him. The men snapped to attention when they saw Jayden and one of them opened the passengerdoor of the second car and held it patiently.
Jayden paused and turned around. ‘Thank you for having me, Dr. I’m sorry for any inconveniences I might have caused.’
Sandra shook her head. ‘It was no inconvenience really and you’re welcome back anytime. If your mother will agree you can spend the rest of the summer with us.’
Jayden nodded gratefully.
Samuel was moving nervously, fidgeting with his hands and biting his lips. He looked anxiously into Jayden’s face as he was about to speak and without thinking, reached up and pulled him into a tight hug.
Jayden blinked in surprise at the unexpected contact and Samuel expected him to pull away but instead, he was surprised to feel Jayden’s arms slowly wrap around him, squeezing him tightly as he pulled him even closer and buried his head in the crook of his neck.
‘Thank you,’ he whispered into Samuel’s ear.
Samuel just squeezed tighter and they continued to remain in each other’s arms both reluctant to let go but they finally pulled away.
Jayden looked into Samuel’s worried eyes and gave him a small reassuring smile before stepping away and making his way into the waiting car. The guard closed the door gently after him and made his way back into the first car with the others following after him.
Samuel stood alone on the driveway as he anxiously watched the cars slowly drive away down the hill.
AUTHOR’S NOTE: Sorry for the late update. Had exams so I had to at least pretend to look like a serious student which meant staying away from Wattpad.
To those who are wondering by the way, I failed. I couldn’t look like a serious student to save my life.
This is the last part of the first section of the book. We have officially ended Year 1 and it has been an exciting adventure finding my footing and flow in this new book.
I would like to give my heartfelt thanks to all of you. Each and every single one of you played an important part in writing this story and the book wouldn’t be where it is today without your constant unflinching love and support. THANK YOU ❤!
Before we move on to the next part of the book, Year 2 let’s review this chapter.
It seems Samuel is still trying to wrap his head around the idea that Jayden is gay. Nevertheless, it doesn’t stop him from worrying and trying to protect him.
What do you think Jayden’s reaction will be when he learns that Samuel knows the truth?
Lemme know your thoughts and leave your answers in the comments. Also please don’t forget to light up the shy little star hiding in the corner if you enjoyed the chapter.
See you all at the other side!!!!
WHOOO!!!!
ON TO YEAR 2!!!🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳🥳
I love you all so so much 💗❤💞💝💖💕
Much love and thanks,
Akhenate 🥺.
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