My Forever Girl

Jayden’s P.O.V.

It was a little before sundown when we finally reached my grandfather’s house. We should have arrived a lot sooner but my mother insisted on making all these pit stops. I thought my nerves were shot, but my mother was by far worse off than I was. As I came to a stop right outside an old shack that looked in desperate need of repairs, my mom began sweating bullets.
“What’s going on”, I asked

She chewed on her thumb nail nervously, “Maybe coming here was a mistake”.

“I didn’t drive all this way just to turn around. We’re going inside”, I said, before exiting the car. I grabbed the bags from the trunk and began walking up to the shack.

“Wait, there’s something I need to tell you”, my mother called.
I stopped momentarily and waited for her to reach my side. She wouldn’t even look me as she spilled the news, “your grandfather doesn’t know about you”.

“WHAT”, I screamed. I paused to regain control of my temper, “You know what, this shouldn’t even come as a surprise to me”.
I couldn’t decide what to do, go up and awkwardly introduce myself to a grandfather who didn’t even know I existed, or make the long trip to La Push and spend the Holiday’s with Naira like I was supposed to do in the first place.

“You don’t understand Jayden”, my mother said. For once she called me by the name I was given when I was born.

“Enlighten me”, I spat.

She sniffed and wiped her eyes of the tears that began falling, “I didn’t tell him about you because as much as I despise your father, I was protecting him”.

I laughed sarcastically, “What, is granddad a part of the mafia? Scared he’d wreak havoc on the man who knocked up his little girl”?

Her face was filled with terror, but before she could speak the front door to the shack creaked open. The man stood on the porch giving my mother an intense stare that made her shiver. His long pepper colored hair was the only indication of his age.

“Lilly, so glad you still know the way home”, the man spoke, still looking intensely at my mother. Her eyes caught his stare momentarily, but just as quickly turned away once again.
Pushing my nerves to the side I took a couple more steps forward, with an outstretched hand I introduced myself, “Hi, I’m Jayden. I hope us coming here..”

“I know who you are”, the man grabbed my hand and shook it firmly. He flashed a sinister grin, “your mother may have failed to tell me about you, but I have other ways of learning people’s dirty little secrets”. In the sun his eyes flashed a crimson red color. I quickly took my hand back and stepped away.

“Is something the matter”, he asked coldly.

I shook my head and returned to my mother’s side. The man gave me an uneasy feeling; I could see my mother clearly felt the same way. What I didn’t get is why she insisted on traveling all the way out here if this is how he made her feel.

My phone vibrated in my pocket, once again reminding me of the missed calls from Naira. “I don’t mean to be rude, but do mind if I check my messages”?

My mother gave me a pleading look. “Oh Lilly, let the boy go call his girlfriend. I want to have a little chat with you anyways”, the man said, opening the door to the shack.

I stood at the door, close enough to make sure my mother would be ok all alone with him, I didn’t trust him. There was just something off about this guy.

With the phone to my ear I was trying to listen to my messages, and watch the scene unfolding between my mother and granddad. I quickly became distracted by Naira’s voice as I listened to her last message, “Jayden I can’t do it. There is no way I can make it through the Holiday’s. Don’t worry about me, I’ll just find my own way back to L.A.”. No, No, No… What is she thinking? I frantically pressed the buttons and waited impatiently for her to pick up.

“Hello”, her voice cracked over the phone.

“Naira what’s going on? Where are you? Are you ok”, the questions shot out of my mouth at the speed of lightning.

“I’m fine Jayden”, she responded unconvincingly.

Brushing that off for the moment I asked once again, “Where are you”?

She sniffed, “I’m at my Uncles house”.

Relief washed through me, I did not want to imagine her taking the trip back to L.A. all alone. “Good, so you didn’t leave La Push”.

“No”, she replied with another sniff.

My heart ached, “Naira, are you crying”?

“I’m fine Jayden”, she answered again.

I shouldn’t have taken this stupid trip. I should be with Naira, comforting her, “Baby tell me what’s wrong”, I pleaded.

“I’M FINE, JUST DROP IT JAYDEN”, she yelled. “Look, I’m not in the mood for talking right now. I’ll call you tomorrow”, she replied before hanging up.

She couldn’t still be mad about me not being there, could she? If I would have known it would hurt her that much I would have declined when my mother offered to come here. It’s not like our little family reunion is going all that great anyways.

“She does not cry for you, you fool. She cries for another” a voice floated in with the light breeze.
There was a slight chill in the air that didn’t seem right, especially seeing as I was in the middle of the desert. My skin prickled, and I felt the hair at the back of my neck stand up as I searched for the owner of the voice. I was beginning to think the heat from earlier had gotten to me, I was going crazy. There was no one in sight.
“Search all you want, you can’t see me”, the voice rang again.

As insane as I felt, I had to ask, “Who are you? What are you”?

“Think of me as your guardian angel”, the voice cackled.

This is crazy; I’m talking to no one. I shoved the phone back in my front pocket and jumped to my feet, ready to convince my mother we had to get out of this place.
“I can help you win Naira’s love”.

That statement stopped me dead in my tracks, “Who the fuck are you”?

“That is not important. Do you want my help or not”?

“I don’t need your help”, I replied angrily.

A loud crash came from the inside which made me abandon that conversation altogether, “I can’t believe you! You did do it, didn’t you? I heard the rumors, but I didn’t want to believe you were capable of that. Now that I’ve witnessed for myself the monster you’ve become Jayden and I are leaving”.

As I entered the room I saw my mother’s angry stare as she looked directly at her father, but his evil grin never faltered, “Oh Lilly, you always were so dramatic”.

“Mom, come on we’re leaving”, I said, tugging at her arm trying to get her to move.

“No, why don’t you stay a couple days. It’ll be nice to have family here for the Holiday’s”, my granddad replied with that sinister grin pulling at the corner of his lips.

“Mom”, I called, trying to break the trance she was in as she stared intently into my granddad’s eyes.

“Jayden bring the bags inside the house”, my mother replied in monotone.

“What? No, we’re leaving”, I tried once again to pull her to the door.

“Jayden”, my grandfather called. As I stared directly into his eyes I no longer felt in control of myself. “Do as your mother said and bring your bags inside”.