Read Online Jaden (St. Sebastians Quartet #1) by Heather Elizabeth King - Free Book Online Page A
Authors: Heather Elizabeth King
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or not, you're not lying."
She snorted. "You sound awful sure."
"I was looking at you when you saw that painting. It was like someone had struck you." He reached toward her face, but came just short of touching her. "And I can see the bruises on your face. And the fact that Bria had the same reaction." He broke off and looked at Bria over his shoulder. "I can't judge what's crazy or sane, but I know what I saw. And that Hayley painted him and the rest of it." He shook his head. "That's why you were so spooked when I found you."
"I only arrived here yesterday afternoon. My plan was to sit out on the deck tonight with a glass of wine. Stare at the ocean. That's as complicated as my night was supposed to be."
"I hadn't thought of that. You don't know anyone here, do you? Except Hayley."
"Just Hayley, and I only met her yesterday. She'd brought a painting to my aunt's."
"Okay, so let me tell you who everyone is. The blond in the kitchen with Hayley is my older brother, Chris. The guy with the spiky hair is also my older brother. His name is Tyler. We've known Nico forever, and Nico is Bria's older brother. Bria is new to town, too. She's divorced. Not many details to tell, but I will say that it was bad. About as bad as it gets. She's been living with Nico till she can get on her feet again."
"Wait a minute, I know who Bria is. I've never met her, but she works for my aunt at the bakery, right?"
"Yeah."
"Her ex beat her and she ran."
"Bria is shy and skittish, but I never got crazy from her."
"What about the tall woman?"
"That's Sydney. She's been here about five years. She's an attorney. We have three law firms in town, if you can imagine that. Two actual firms, and then we have Sydney. She does a lot of pro bono work. I've never really talked much to her. I'm honestly surprised to find her here."
"She saw Bria go down. And she saw my reaction, too."
"Who needs a drink?"
The question had come from Kenda's brother, Chris. He and Hayley were returning to the living room with an unopened bottle of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, glasses, and a bucket of ice.
This town sure loved its Tennessee Honey.
Hayley had a large, beige sectional and two armchairs, giving everyone plenty of places to sit. Tyler had already settled in beside Bria. The two were talking quietly while Nico sat on the other side of his sister, staring toward the windows. Sydney was in an armchair. She was quiet, but she looked to Jaden like she was studying everyone.
Jaden sat on the empty side of the sectional. Kenda settled in beside her.
Chris passed out glasses, dropped a few cubes of ice in each, while Hayley poured the whiskey. When they had filled everyone else's glasses, they did their own. Sipping carefully, Chris sat beside Nico. Hayley lowered herself into the spot beside Chris.
"Okay," Tyler began, once everyone was sitting, "who here has seen the man in Hayley's painting before?"
Jaden, Bria, and Hayley raised their hands.
Everyone looked at Sydney.
She held her hands out in front of her. "Don't look at me. I'm only here to help. I heard Edna's niece—"
"Jaden," Kenda said.
"I heard Jaden cry out when she saw that painting. Right after that, Bria came up, saw it, screamed, then fainted." She shrugged. "I've never seen anything like that." She looked at Bria and tried a smile. "Scared the crap out of me, if I'm gonna be honest. I couldn't just walk away without seeing they were all right."
Bria did smile, now. "Thank you. And thank you, Kenda, for carrying me upstairs."
"Don't mention it," Kenda said.
Jaden didn't know anybody there. She'd be gone at the end of summer, so she supposed she had the least to lose. She drank some of her drink for courage, kept her eyes on Hayley, cleared her throat. "I don't know who he is. I don't even know if he's a real person. But I've seen him for as long as I can remember. He's always been a presence in my life. When I was young he was an apparition. I wouldn't say he haunted me, he was just
She snorted. "You sound awful sure."
"I was looking at you when you saw that painting. It was like someone had struck you." He reached toward her face, but came just short of touching her. "And I can see the bruises on your face. And the fact that Bria had the same reaction." He broke off and looked at Bria over his shoulder. "I can't judge what's crazy or sane, but I know what I saw. And that Hayley painted him and the rest of it." He shook his head. "That's why you were so spooked when I found you."
"I only arrived here yesterday afternoon. My plan was to sit out on the deck tonight with a glass of wine. Stare at the ocean. That's as complicated as my night was supposed to be."
"I hadn't thought of that. You don't know anyone here, do you? Except Hayley."
"Just Hayley, and I only met her yesterday. She'd brought a painting to my aunt's."
"Okay, so let me tell you who everyone is. The blond in the kitchen with Hayley is my older brother, Chris. The guy with the spiky hair is also my older brother. His name is Tyler. We've known Nico forever, and Nico is Bria's older brother. Bria is new to town, too. She's divorced. Not many details to tell, but I will say that it was bad. About as bad as it gets. She's been living with Nico till she can get on her feet again."
"Wait a minute, I know who Bria is. I've never met her, but she works for my aunt at the bakery, right?"
"Yeah."
"Her ex beat her and she ran."
"Bria is shy and skittish, but I never got crazy from her."
"What about the tall woman?"
"That's Sydney. She's been here about five years. She's an attorney. We have three law firms in town, if you can imagine that. Two actual firms, and then we have Sydney. She does a lot of pro bono work. I've never really talked much to her. I'm honestly surprised to find her here."
"She saw Bria go down. And she saw my reaction, too."
"Who needs a drink?"
The question had come from Kenda's brother, Chris. He and Hayley were returning to the living room with an unopened bottle of Jack Daniel's Tennessee Honey, glasses, and a bucket of ice.
This town sure loved its Tennessee Honey.
Hayley had a large, beige sectional and two armchairs, giving everyone plenty of places to sit. Tyler had already settled in beside Bria. The two were talking quietly while Nico sat on the other side of his sister, staring toward the windows. Sydney was in an armchair. She was quiet, but she looked to Jaden like she was studying everyone.
Jaden sat on the empty side of the sectional. Kenda settled in beside her.
Chris passed out glasses, dropped a few cubes of ice in each, while Hayley poured the whiskey. When they had filled everyone else's glasses, they did their own. Sipping carefully, Chris sat beside Nico. Hayley lowered herself into the spot beside Chris.
"Okay," Tyler began, once everyone was sitting, "who here has seen the man in Hayley's painting before?"
Jaden, Bria, and Hayley raised their hands.
Everyone looked at Sydney.
She held her hands out in front of her. "Don't look at me. I'm only here to help. I heard Edna's niece—"
"Jaden," Kenda said.
"I heard Jaden cry out when she saw that painting. Right after that, Bria came up, saw it, screamed, then fainted." She shrugged. "I've never seen anything like that." She looked at Bria and tried a smile. "Scared the crap out of me, if I'm gonna be honest. I couldn't just walk away without seeing they were all right."
Bria did smile, now. "Thank you. And thank you, Kenda, for carrying me upstairs."
"Don't mention it," Kenda said.
Jaden didn't know anybody there. She'd be gone at the end of summer, so she supposed she had the least to lose. She drank some of her drink for courage, kept her eyes on Hayley, cleared her throat. "I don't know who he is. I don't even know if he's a real person. But I've seen him for as long as I can remember. He's always been a presence in my life. When I was young he was an apparition. I wouldn't say he haunted me, he was just
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