Reflections of another world (Book 3) Now published so sample only)

Chapter 4 - Forgiveness and solutions

I refused to see or talk to Hayden for as long as I could. Sometimes he would knock on my front door after a nightmare to make sure I was alright but I always sent him on his way. He constantly tried to talk to me at school but I ignored him.

I just couldn’t face anything to do with him. It broke my heart every time I paid no attention but I had felt so trapped by his words on that fateful night that I cooked dinner from his family.

Every night I smelled his roses that still sat next to my bed; they never wilted but always reminded me of him. Yes it made me cry every single night just thinking of him with his sweet kisses and lovely words to me but I never backed down.

I went back into hiding from the world and shut the door on Hayden as smartly as I could. It was the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. By the time another six months had rolled by I was as used to it as I was the bite of winter on my skin when I went for my jog in the morning.

I felt a weird sense of coincidence as I walked into school the morning after winter holidays ended. It reminded me of my promise that I would talk to Hayden when school returned at the beginning of the year. Now I bitterly wished I had said nothing.

“Hey Leena how were your holidays.” Hayden asked me as he walked quietly up beside me.

I so wanted to blurt out how much I missed him. That every day away from him had been torture. That every dream including my nightmares now involved him, But I just kept stubbornly plodding along, head down looking at the ground.

“Mum wanted me to tell you that what we know about you won’t go beyond us four until you are ready for it. She promised.” He told me as he kept pace with me.

That stopped me and I turned to face him. For the first time in the longest six months of my life I looked up into his beautiful eyes. Tears pooled in mine as I saw him smile down at me like nothing had changed. That maybe he could still feel the same way about me.

“Aw my love don’t cry. I would never hurt you and I would never do anything to upset you.” Hayden told me gently and I couldn’t hold the tears back from falling.

He gathered me in his arms and crooned softly to me. I knew everyone was watching us curiously but once I started I just couldn’t bring my self to stop. I had missed him so very much and it had been almost impossible this last six months trying to hold myself together.

I clung to him in almost sheer desperation but he didn’t seem to mind, all he did was brush my hair away from my face and kiss my tears away. I heard the bell for class to start but I didn’t move and neither did he.

“I don’t want to upset you but I saw your mother last week. I promise to you that I said nothing to her but I wanted to. I want you to consider moving in with us. I don’t like the way your fake parents treat you and my Mum really loved you.” He told me very seriously and I blinked back tears to look at him.

“I’ll think about it.” I told him quietly which made him smile.

“That’s all I can ask for but now we had better get to class.” He murmured and I rubbed my eyes ruefully just knowing how horrible I would look. “You’ve forgotten one of my many talents.” He chided me softly “Now close your eyes.”

I did as he asked and felt his fingers rub over my eyes gently making my stomach flutter and my heart lift happily. My whole face began to get excruciatingly hot and I finally blinked as I felt his fingers smooth over my cheek.

“Perfect.” He whispered in my ear before we walked to our next class hand in hand.

The looks we got and the whispers that followed us around all day were full on but I ignored them as I had ignored my wonderful Hayden for the last half a year. The funny thing with coincidence was that it followed me around all day as well.