Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1
Read Left Behind: Left Behind Series #1 Online
Authors: D. J. Pierson,Kim Young
Left
Behind
By
D.J. Pierson
Copyright
© 2014 D.J. Pierson
All Rights
Reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used
in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the author except
for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
This book is a work
of fiction and any resemblance to persons, living or dead, or places, events or
locales is purely coincidental. The characters are productions of the author’s
imagination and used fictitiously.
ISBN 13:
978-1499759730
ISBN 10:
1499759738
Cover by: Samantha
Bagood @ Cover Pub
http://coverpub.samanthabagood.com
Edited
by: Kim Young @
https://www.facebook.com/KimsEditingServices2013
DEDICATION
This
book is dedicated to anyone who has had to watch someone they love suffer until
the very end, then be forced to move on without them.
This
is for those of us who have been
Left Behind
.
One
Kacie
Moving
back home after being away at college for the last four years really isn’t
something I’ve been looking forward to, especially when I’ve purposely avoided
my family by being over a thousand miles away. Unnecessary summer classes and
an off-campus apartment were the perfect excuses to stay in Pennsylvania,
rather than coming back to the Sunshine State. The fact that I’m making myself
sound like the world’s worst daughter isn’t lost on me. However, once you meet
my parents, you’ll understand. I know what you’re thinking. Why doesn’t this
girl just stay away? As awesome as that sounds, it’s not an option for me.
There are a few things I need to accomplish here.
A
little over a month ago, Jade, my best friend since childhood, reminded me that
I don’t have to live under the same roof as my parents. Just the thought of
living with my father again, where he can lecture me day in and day out on how
to live my life the way he wants me to, is enough to make my skin crawl and my
head ache. Of course, Jade was being completely selfish when she suggested I
move into the house that once belonged to my late grandparents. It just so
happens to be right next door to her place.
Pulling
into the familiar U-shaped driveway gives me chills and an uneasy feeling in
the pit of my stomach. I haven’t been here since the night my grandmother
passed away, a week after Christmas. My car slowly creeps along the driveway
until it reaches the spot closest to the front door. After turning the engine
off, I eventually emerge from the car. I look up at the huge house, waiting for
the front door to open. Gram used to always be standing on the top step,
waiting for me. Tears have filled my eyes at how empty the house feels, even
from the outside.
Gently
closing my door, I hesitantly walk around the front of the car and up the
steps. The unexpected sound of a car horn startles me. Spinning around, I see
Jade pulling up in her black BMW. When she gets out, she motions to my car and
whistles. “You said you got a new car, but you didn’t say it was beautiful!”
she yells to me as she takes her time checking it out.
Lightly
chuckling, I reply, “It’s just a car, Jade.”
“Just
a car? Isn’t it a Lexus IS?” She pauses as she walks to the front of it and
looks up at me.
“Yes,
it is. How’d you know that?”
“I
know an awesome car when I see one. Thought you hated red, though. And I
distinctly remember you complaining about convertibles messing up your hair.”
“I
hate to
wear
red, but this car shouldn’t even be available in any other
color,” I respond. “And I distinctly remember someone telling me how you just
need to let your hair get tangled in the wind once in a while.”
“Yeah,
that was totally me,” Jade giggles as she comes up the steps. The second she
reaches the one I’m standing on, she pulls me into one of the tightest embraces
she’s ever given. “Welcome home, Kacie. I’ve missed you something fierce!”
She’s one of the very few people who actually mean it.
“I’ve
missed you, too, Jade,” I say honestly. “I’m so glad to see you, but shouldn’t
you be at work right now?”
“I
took the afternoon off. You didn’t think I was going to let you go in alone,
did you?” she says, looking up at the house. “I was trying to get here before
you. Guess that new car can really fly, huh?” I shrug my shoulders. “What
happened to not getting in until later this afternoon?”
“I
couldn’t sleep, so I checked out of the hotel early and hit the road. I’m not
sure it’s a good idea to stay here,” I sigh, trying to hold back tears. There’s
no need to hold them in for Jade’s sake. She’s seen me cry plenty of times.
It’s the fear of not being able to stop that worries me.
“It’s
your house, Kacie. You’re going to have to go in eventually.”
“It’s
not
technically
my house. Gram said there would be some stipulations. My
parents aren’t thrilled she left it to me. They will probably try to gain
ownership. My mom has always loved this house. She’s pissed I’m staying here
instead of at their house with them,” I admit.
“Yet.
It’s not technically your house
yet
,” she corrects me. “Don’t worry
about that right now. Mary didn’t seem to be concerned when I mentioned how
this is bothering you.” Mary Spencer was my grandmother’s best friend since
they were in grade school. She also happens to be one of Tampa’s best
attorneys, as well as Jade’s employer. “Your mom will be pissed no matter what
you do. Stop worrying about what her or your pain in the ass father want and
don’t want. Got it?” I nod. “Okay then. Shall we?” She holds her hand out for
me to take. Doing this alone really would have been impossible.
After
taking a deep breath, I put the key inside the lock and open the white front
door. Surprisingly, the stuffiness I was expecting from the house being empty
since the beginning of January isn’t what hits me. Cool, refreshing air
encircles me as we step over the threshold into the two-story foyer. Jade walks
over to turn off the alarm using the code my grandmother had given her to check
on things. “I had the cleaning crew come in last week. We made sure everything
was ready for you when you got here. There’s some basic groceries in the
kitchen to get you started, fresh bedding on your bed, that kind of stuff. I
assumed you’d want the same bedroom you’ve always used…at least for now.” She
looks at me nervously, waiting for me to react.
“Gram’s
room?” I ask, instantly worried someone may have touched something of hers.
“Please tell me her things are still in there.”
“No
one was allowed to go near her suite,” Jade assures me. “Everything in there is
just as she left it. Whenever you’re ready, I’ll have someone back here to
clean it. I’m sure it’s pretty dusty.”
“Not
yet,” I say. She nods, acknowledging my request. I glance up the wooden
staircase that starts on my left, then wraps around the foyer behind me to open
up on the second floor to my right. There are five bedrooms upstairs, including
the suite at the end of the hall that my grandmother insisted belong to me. The
master suite is on the first floor, off of the kitchen on the opposite side of
the house. Looking back, I wonder if Gram designed it this way on purpose so
the many sleepovers I had throughout the years wouldn’t disturb her.
“Ready?”
Jade grabs ahold of my arm this time and lets me walk at my own pace through
the foyer and into the great room. One of my favorite things about this
luxurious home is the wall made of actual coral that extends all the way up to
the ceiling and down the whole right side of the room. It also houses a
beautiful fireplace and a large screen television. I can see the pool and the
bay through the floor-to-ceiling windows and French doors along the back of the
room.
“You
had the pool uncovered?” I ask, walking toward the back of the house. Gram
never used it so when I stopped coming home, she had it covered.
“Of
course,” she says. “I know you’ll be doing laps in it tomorrow morning.”
Swimming has always been one of my favorite things to do, especially when I’m
stressed. The more laps I swim, the more tension disappears.
The
kitchen is just as if it’s been used for the last five months. There’s fresh
fruit in a wrought iron basket on the charcoal gray granite countertop. The
white cabinets and stainless steel appliances are in perfect condition. A quick
glance at the hallway, which leads to Gram’s room, has me panicking again.
“Jade, I really don’t think I should stay here. Maybe I should just put the
house up for sale.” Would I really be able to live with myself if someone else
was living in Gram’s house?
“Are
you kidding me? What other twenty-one year old gets handed a completely paid
off, almost three million dollar home on the bay in Tampa?” she sighs. “Look,
Kacie, I understand your fears. Really, I do. If, after being here for a year,
you still want to sell, we’ll talk to Mary. But for right now, let Gram take
care of you. This is what she wanted to do. Okay?”
“Did
I tell you how happy I am that you’re here?” I ask.
“I
know.” She smiles. “Now, I have something for you.” She walks over to the
refrigerator, pulls out a bottle of champagne, then grabs the two glasses
already set out on the counter. Jade pops the cork like a pro and fills both
glasses to the very top. Handing one of them over to me she says,
“Congratulations on your graduation! You’ll make one kick ass teacher, Miss
Foster!” We clink glasses and a genuine smile finally comes to my face as we
each take a sip.
“Why,
thank you! I really hope I’m up to the challenge. Special Education isn’t for
wimps, you know.”
“No,
it’s not. That’s exactly why you’re perfect for the job,” my best friend tells
me. “Your interview is tomorrow, right?”
“Bright
and early.”
“Okay.
I won’t keep you up late tonight, but we are partying hard at your brother’s
promotion party tomorrow night. Got it?”
“You
didn’t tell anyone about my graduation, right?” I question, nervously. My
parents aren’t aware that as of two days ago, their youngest child became a
college graduate. They don’t even know I changed my major freshman year. As far
as my parents know, I’m taking extra classes for at least one more semester
before starting medical school. I’m putting off telling them for as long as
possible. Once they find out, they will probably…no,
definitely
disown
me.
“Your
secrets are always safe with me. You know that. Come outside. I need to show
you one more thing, then we can order a pizza or something.”
We
exit through the back of the house. Momentarily, I pause at the in-ground pool.
It’s crystal clear and ready to swim in. I kick off my flip flops and dip one
foot into the warm water. It’s perfect. I hear Jade laughing at me. “Remember
when Gram couldn’t get you out of there almost every night? Sometimes, I swear
I can still hear her yelling your name.”
I
follow her through the yard. “I was such a pain in the ass. I’m not sure why she
loved me so much,” I admit.
“Oh,
you’re still a pain in the ass,” she chuckles. “She loved you because of the
great person you are. You have this hard outer shell, but once that’s cracked,
you’re one of the sweetest, most loving people I’ve ever met.”
I
give her a wicked glare. “You better never tell anyone that or I’ll seriously
hurt you.”
“See,”
she replies, still laughing. Then she motions for me to look at what she wanted
to show me. How did I not realize where she was taking me? At the back edge of
the property, hidden from the bay by shrubs, is the garden of wildflowers Gram
and I planted.
“How
are they still alive?” I wonder out loud.
“Well,
she made me promise to check on them. You know me. I don’t like getting dirty
so I had a gardener come out to keep an eye on all the gardens until you got
home. How you two didn’t have one to begin with is beyond me. If you want to
keep him around, I won’t complain. He barely speaks English, but he’s nice to
look at.” She winks. “On really hot days, he’ll even take his shirt off.”
“Why
did you do all of this, Jade?” I ask her. “Don’t get me wrong. I’m grateful,
but this is a lot.”
“Gram
was always there for me, too. I would have done anything the woman asked of me,
but all this stuff was in her will. I just volunteered to be the one to look
after everything. This is me attempting to repay her.”
“I
miss her so much,” I whisper.
“I
know, sweetie,” she says, putting her arm around my shoulders and pulling me in
tightly. “Me, too.”
“Thank
you for everything.”
“You’re
welcome. Thank you for coming home. This place has sucked ass since you left.”
I laugh at her. “Let’s go order something to eat. I’m starving.”
As
the two of us go back into the house, we can hear the doorbell ringing
continuously. There’s only one person I know who holds the button in and
doesn’t let go until someone opens the door. My eyes immediately fall on Jade,
who isn’t even trying to stifle her laughter.
“Guess
he missed you, too!” she calls as I run to the front door before the jerk
breaks the doorbell.
When
I open it, one of the most handsome guys I’ve ever met is staring at me. He’s
tall, with dark brown short hair and the brown eyes to match. He’s one solid
block of muscle from head to toe. I know this for a fact because I’ve seen him
in his boxers more times than I care to admit. It’s a sight no girl in her
right mind would ever forget. He’s currently wearing blue jeans, work boots, a
green t-shirt, and is sporting a five o’clock shadow. Not many people can pull
that off the way Jake Quinn can.
“Hey,
Kacie. Welcome back to the neighborhood,” he says.
“Hi,
Jake. Thanks. Now, can you please stop ringing the doorbell?”
Laughing,
he walks in, kissing my cheek on his way by. “I’m so glad you’re home. My
sister has been a miserable bitch since you left,” he says, walking through the
foyer.
“Shut
the hell up, Jake. You’ve been bouncing off the walls since I told you she was
coming home,” Jade counters from the kitchen.