Shadows of The Past

Chapter 34

"Al!" I heard Leighton call out to me the minute I got out of my parents' car. I waved them goodbye before turning around to see Leighton jogging towards me.

"I saw your text update about Jace last friday. It's good that he didn't attempt to do anything to you that he might have regretted today." Leighton said the minute she reached me and I smiled, thinking about the day I had with Jace last week. After we talked about his past for awhile more, I got him to promise me that he would stop drinking and get his life back in order.

We talked about how Jace was going to pay for his high school fees since he didn't have a reliable guardian by his side and he decided to use his sister's college funds to assist him till he gets into college. Since Esther didn't have the chance to enter college, the money that they had saved for her college fees were not used and still safely kept in the house. Even though Jace was a little reluctant in using his sister's money, I had talked to him and told him that Esther would have wanted him to use the money for his own needs whenever needed. Esther was a generous person from what Jace had told me about her and I knew that she loved her little brother till her last day and never would she allow him to suffer without any proper education.

"Yeah, it's hard to believe but he is doing what he can to get back in track so I guess we have to give him the benefit of the doubt." I replied. "Anyway, how is everything with you and Donovan?"

Leighton immediately lit up like a Christmas tree and I chuckled as she started pouring out all the details about her perfect relationship with Donovan. It was sweet how they were working things out even when they were a year apart and since all seniors were exceptionally busy during their last year in high school. I always admired these two since they could brave anything that came their way and emerge stronger than ever after every setback.

"But he is leaving after his graduation and it sucks to know that I have a year left in here before I catch up with him." Leighton sulked and I rubbed her arms in comfort, knowing that separating from Donovan this summer will be the hardest thing she would ever have to face. 

"I'm sure he would do his best to come back to town as much as he can," I comforted her. Honestly, it wasn't easy for even me to know that this was Donovan's last year together with us. We had grown up alongside each other and we had so much of fun together and now knowing he was going to leave us soon caused all our hearts to ache. But I knew that it must be particularly hard for Leighton since she was in love with him. "It's just one year before you join him in college and trust me when I say time will fly."

"Yeah, that's the only thing I am hoping for." Leighton sighed heavily before she looked up and fixated her gaze on something else behind me. "Ugh and here's the devil." She murmured under her breath, causing me to turn around to see what she was talking about.

The 'devil' that Leighton was talking about was entering the school gates in his bike right at the moment that I had turned around. His leather jacket was undeniably characteristic and apparently, I wasn't the only one who thought that way. The minute Jace got off his bike and took off his helmet, girls from random parts of the car park starting squealing and swooning over him. Jace had cleanly shaven his face, leaving no trace of his stubble behind and his hair was shorter and much tamer than when I last saw him. His white shirt was hugging onto his muscles - which I noticed were much more defined as well. It's a wonder how much difference a few days could do to a guy and even though I hated to admit it, I was proud of Jace and his decision to change for the better.

Jace was looking around the crowd and past all his swooning fans for something but before I could find out what or who he was looking for, I heard Leighton scoff beside me before she pulled on my arm and jerked me away from our spot.