Stephan Read Online Free PDF

out.
    *****
    Scott stayed for a while and he’d help
distract me. Derick took him home half an hour ago and I’d just
gotten off the phone with Zeck. I sat at my computer shocked at the
information I was reading. Jade was only seventeen, she was a
little over a month away from eighteen. I was nineteen, so there
wasn’t a huge difference in age. She was smart, not only to keep up
with people a year older at school, but she was street smart. I
felt like an even bigger arse as I read about her. Jade’s mother
had died of a meth overdose only two weeks ago. She had no known
father, and there were three different restraining orders against
men her mother had been with. DoCS, Department of Community
Services, had been called several times, but nothing had come of
the visits. There were notes though, and he felt sick as he read
one after another. Why the hell hadn’t they taken her? Jade had
raised herself. She now lived with her mother’s father who was her
only known relative and a drug dealer. Zeck had dug deeper finding
out she received Centerlink benefits from the age of fourteen. He’d
hacked into her account and I could now see how Jade spent the
money, with care at the grocery store, and the cheapest clothing
stores.
    A knock sounded on my door and knew it would
be Derick. “Come in.” I didn’t turn to him I kept reading.
    “So anything good?” He didn’t need to ask
what I was looking at.
    Running fingers through my hair, I cleared my
dry throat. “I’ve been an idiot. I knew we were lucky and spoiled,
but…” I couldn’t tell him. I stood and moved from the computer.
Derick took my place. I laid on my bed and tried not to come up
with images of what Jade’s life would have looked like and what
she’d been through.
    After a while the side of the bed sank.
“Fuck, bro, that’s some serious shit. What are you going to
do?”
    Ha, that was the big question. “I don’t know.
I’m going to need help. I didn’t want to bother Mum and Dad, but
I’m gonna need Mum.”
    “Do you still want her?”
    I sat up and snarled, “What the fuck kind of
question is that? Of course I still want her, she’s mine. I just
have to take it slower than I wanted.” I stared at Derick. “I’m
going to give her everything, Derick. I promise she will want for
nothing. I’m going to surround her with everything she could ever
want, luxury, friends, family—and love.”
    Derick stood. “You know I’ll support you, and
Mum will love spoiling her.” He walked to the door. “I know you
don’t want to hear this, but you need to go slow and build up her
trust. You won’t be able to just move her in here and expect her to
follow your orders. You need to give her time to get to know you.
Jade is not one of your normal women, so treat her right.” He left
my room, shutting the door.
    As much as I wanted to get angry at Derick
for what he said, I couldn’t because it was all true.
    *****
    Jade
     
    Cassie’s parents were nice, and I learned
were she got her no filter—her father. He just said whatever came
to mind. I didn’t think I’d blushed so much in my life and I’d
definitely not had a sheltered life. He seemed like the laid back
one in the relationship, were Cassie’s mother was all perfectly put
together, not a hair or piece of clothing out of place.
    Scott didn’t come home until after dinner. I
was relieved when Derick came with him to the front door and not
the wanker. Derick hadn’t stayed long and he didn’t say a word to
me.
    I stayed in the guest bedroom, which was the
biggest room I’d ever seen. The bed felt odd, it was soft and the
sheets were of a high thread count. I’d never had a bed so soft or
sheets so smooth and soothing against the skin. I tossed and turned
all night.
    No one woke me in the morning, and when I
looked at the bedside clock I was shocked to see I’d slept past
ten. I’d never done that before. I was an early riser. I showered
and rushed to get dressed so it wasn’t too