Read Online Jaden Baker by Courtney Kirchoff - Free Book Online
Authors: Courtney Kirchoff
Ads: Link
car, moron,” Jaden grunted.
“Let me see,” the cop said, laughing under his breath. He picked Jaden up and set him on the hood of the car.
“Don’t touch me,” Jaden said, pushing the cop. “I’m fine.” He looked at his cut up hands. “My ass hurts, though.”
“You hit your head,” the cop said. “But most of the damage is to the car. You left a pretty big dent for such a small person.”
Jaden slid off the hood and limped away. Another car sped forward.It braked and drifted before coming to a complete stop. Jenny leapt out and ran to Jaden, who simply froze.
“Oh thank God!” she said, crying. “Oh my God,” she sobbed. She pulled Jaden into a tight hug and rest her head on the top of his. “Oh God,” she kept saying, shaking as she cried.
Jaden didn’t pull away until he saw Derek coming. He pushed against Jenny, but she wouldn’t let him go.
“Are you okay, Sport?” Derek asked him.
“Lemme go,” he said, pushing harder. Jenny relented but kept him in a one armed embrace. He stared uncertainly at Derek.
“It’s dangerous out here at night,” Derek said.
“Honey, his hands are bleeding,” Jenny said, taking them into her own.
“He ran out in front of the car,” the cop said, sauntering forward.
“My God, Jaden,” Jenny shrieked, and hugged him again.
“Ryan told us what Finn said.” Derek eyed him, he didn’t look angry. “That kid’s a prick. I probably would’ve hit him too, if I was you. It wasn’t okay, but I get it.”
Jenny led Jaden into the car, and he found he was too tired to resist. She sat in the back seat with him, holding him to her, running her hand through his hair. Derek made phone calls to his friends, announcing they’d found him. Jaden stared blankly ahead, his head sore, his hands stinging.
When they reached the house, Jenny took him into the bathroom and cleaned his hands. He sat on the bathroom counter and watched her work. She kept sniffling and wiping her tears. Derek leaned against the doorway.
“How’s your head?” he asked.
Jaden shrugged, not meeting his eyes.
“You’re quite the runner. Where were you going?”
He didn’t answer because there wasn’t one.
Jenny wrapped gauze around his hands then took him to his bedroom. He followed her numbly. Derek took the rear. Jaden sat on the edge of his bed and stared. The Kauffmans held each other and studied him.
“Can we get you anything?” Jenny asked.
Jaden shook his head.
“Are you sure, honey?”
He sighed.
“Okay. We’ll leave you alone,” she said. They started to leave.
“ Are you going to send me back?” Jaden asked, his voice cracking.
They returned, kneeled, and looked up at him.
“Oh honey, of course not,” Jenny said. “We would never send you back. We want you here. We want you to stay.”
“What if you change your mind?” he asked.
“We won’t change our mind,” Derek said firmly. “That Finn is a jerk. You’re not going anywhere, kiddo, that’s a promise.”
Jaden nodded, but wasn’t sure he believed them. He’d tried strangling someone. Finn deserved it, but still... Yet the expressions on their faces were genuine. There was no way to explain how he knew: tonight he was safe. What tomorrow would bring, he didn’t know. For now, Jenny and Derek told the truth. He was allowed the night.
“Okay.” He crawled in bed and lay down, clutching Bear to his chest.
Derek and Jenny looked at each other, then she said: “Do you want me to stay with you?”
“What?” Jaden asked.
“You want me to stay with you tonight, so you’re not alone?” She sat next to him and rubbed his shoulder.
He turned on his side and stared at her. “Okay,” he said.
She crawled in and put her arms around him, holding him close. He rest his head on her shoulder and shut his eyes, feeling warm. He fell asleep.
three
Jaden kicked off the covers when he woke, feeling sickly warm. California sunlight was oppressive, surging rather than streaming
“Let me see,” the cop said, laughing under his breath. He picked Jaden up and set him on the hood of the car.
“Don’t touch me,” Jaden said, pushing the cop. “I’m fine.” He looked at his cut up hands. “My ass hurts, though.”
“You hit your head,” the cop said. “But most of the damage is to the car. You left a pretty big dent for such a small person.”
Jaden slid off the hood and limped away. Another car sped forward.It braked and drifted before coming to a complete stop. Jenny leapt out and ran to Jaden, who simply froze.
“Oh thank God!” she said, crying. “Oh my God,” she sobbed. She pulled Jaden into a tight hug and rest her head on the top of his. “Oh God,” she kept saying, shaking as she cried.
Jaden didn’t pull away until he saw Derek coming. He pushed against Jenny, but she wouldn’t let him go.
“Are you okay, Sport?” Derek asked him.
“Lemme go,” he said, pushing harder. Jenny relented but kept him in a one armed embrace. He stared uncertainly at Derek.
“It’s dangerous out here at night,” Derek said.
“Honey, his hands are bleeding,” Jenny said, taking them into her own.
“He ran out in front of the car,” the cop said, sauntering forward.
“My God, Jaden,” Jenny shrieked, and hugged him again.
“Ryan told us what Finn said.” Derek eyed him, he didn’t look angry. “That kid’s a prick. I probably would’ve hit him too, if I was you. It wasn’t okay, but I get it.”
Jenny led Jaden into the car, and he found he was too tired to resist. She sat in the back seat with him, holding him to her, running her hand through his hair. Derek made phone calls to his friends, announcing they’d found him. Jaden stared blankly ahead, his head sore, his hands stinging.
When they reached the house, Jenny took him into the bathroom and cleaned his hands. He sat on the bathroom counter and watched her work. She kept sniffling and wiping her tears. Derek leaned against the doorway.
“How’s your head?” he asked.
Jaden shrugged, not meeting his eyes.
“You’re quite the runner. Where were you going?”
He didn’t answer because there wasn’t one.
Jenny wrapped gauze around his hands then took him to his bedroom. He followed her numbly. Derek took the rear. Jaden sat on the edge of his bed and stared. The Kauffmans held each other and studied him.
“Can we get you anything?” Jenny asked.
Jaden shook his head.
“Are you sure, honey?”
He sighed.
“Okay. We’ll leave you alone,” she said. They started to leave.
“ Are you going to send me back?” Jaden asked, his voice cracking.
They returned, kneeled, and looked up at him.
“Oh honey, of course not,” Jenny said. “We would never send you back. We want you here. We want you to stay.”
“What if you change your mind?” he asked.
“We won’t change our mind,” Derek said firmly. “That Finn is a jerk. You’re not going anywhere, kiddo, that’s a promise.”
Jaden nodded, but wasn’t sure he believed them. He’d tried strangling someone. Finn deserved it, but still... Yet the expressions on their faces were genuine. There was no way to explain how he knew: tonight he was safe. What tomorrow would bring, he didn’t know. For now, Jenny and Derek told the truth. He was allowed the night.
“Okay.” He crawled in bed and lay down, clutching Bear to his chest.
Derek and Jenny looked at each other, then she said: “Do you want me to stay with you?”
“What?” Jaden asked.
“You want me to stay with you tonight, so you’re not alone?” She sat next to him and rubbed his shoulder.
He turned on his side and stared at her. “Okay,” he said.
She crawled in and put her arms around him, holding him close. He rest his head on her shoulder and shut his eyes, feeling warm. He fell asleep.
three
Jaden kicked off the covers when he woke, feeling sickly warm. California sunlight was oppressive, surging rather than streaming
Similar Books
