Perfect

Chapter Twenty Two: I was here first

I look for people who have their own passions in life. You're suppost to surround yourself with the people who challenge you."

- Taylor Swift

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Chapter Twenty Two: I was here first

"Here." Said Jayden, coming into the living room, some hours after dark.

I was curled up in a corner of his sofa in one of his shirts, wrapped up in a blanket watching The First Time. It was about three hours after Keegan and Alice had left and I was exhausted, not only from playing with Keegan, but from keeping Alice from jumping down my throat at any chance she got. I didn't want to go home, I hardly had the energy to get up off the sofa, let alone walk to the bus stop and then walk home. Jayden came around the sofa and knelt in front of me, holding out his hand flat so I could see what was lying in his palm. He took hold of my hand, pulled it free of the blankets and tipped the contents into my palm. It was a silver key. Jayden closed my fingers around it and tucked my hand back into the blankets.

"This is for you." He said. "I'm getting sick of you getting here before me and sitting out in the hallway. This is your key to use whenever you like. You can let yourself in when I'm not here." I flashed him a weak smile, even though my eyes were closing.

"Thanks Jay." I said softly. He sat down next to me, lifting my feet to place them in his lap.

"No problem Spencer." He said, grinning at me. "No problem at all."

I didn't see the end of the movie. My eyes kept closing and soon, I gave up trying to keep them open. I was dimly aware of the movie stopping and Jayden sliding his hands under my back and my legs to lift me up. I heard him kick open a door and then I was lying on a bed of silk, soft covers pulled over me. I felt lips on my forehead and he bent down to whisper softly in my ear.

"Sweet dreams Nala Bear."

* * *

I woke up the next morning to an empty and silent apartment. The only noise I could hear was the sound of Jayden's dishwasher in the kitchen and the sounds of the birds out the window. I swung my legs out of bed, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes and padded my way into the kitchen.

"Jay?" I called. No reponse. I checked the bowl by the window and saw that his keys were missing and his leather jacket was gone from the back of the kitchen chair where he'd left it last night. With a shrug, I made myself some toast and after digging my laptop out of my bag to work on an assiment, I migrated to the sofa where I spent the next four hours researching William Blake and his contribution to the world of art. At about lunch time, Zoe called, just to make sure I was still alive and told me she, Taylor and Jordan were going out for dinner to some club up town and that I was welcome to join them. Even though I hadn't seen Tay and Jordan in almost two weeks, the idea of getting drunk on a Wednesday night didn't sound at all appealing.

I spent a couple of hours on the phone with my grandmother who lived in a nursing home in Minnasota and another one and a half on the phone with my father's lawyer. Even though I wanted nothing to do with my father's release from prison, apparently he might get out in the next year or so due to good behaviour. Mr Hudgson did say I could put a restraining order on him if I really wanted to, but we both thought that would provoke him. I simply asked Mr Hudgson to keep me posted on my father's updates and we left it at that. Mr Hudgson had long ago given up trying to convince me to go visit him. After I'd finally cracked and told him what he's done to me, we both knew that wasn't going to happen.