Protect Me From Myself

Book 9 - Traced -Chapter-One

Welcome to book 9! This is Roya and Bryton's story. Bryton is the younger brother of Chase Braxton from book 1!

Roya

1366 Hillside.

That's the house I need to find. It should be easy in a town this small, so where the hell is it?

Turn left at the next roundabout. Keep going for 300 yards, and then turn right.

I've heard the same damn thing three times. I keep following these directions, and each time, I get lost.

How is it possible to get lost in such a small town?

Fate is what brought me here. I didn't even know the place existed until a year ago. I couldn't have come here before now; I wasn't ready. But I have searched for the past five years to find the truth. Hopefully, coming here will give me the answers I have been looking for for so long.

“I'm hungry.” I've also heard that a few times over the past half hour.

“I know, sweetheart. We'll be there soon.”

“You keep saying that.”

“Jaxson, please quit the attitude; I'm doing my best here.” The kick to the back of my seat tells me that my little man is less than happy right now.

I can't say I blame him; we've been driving on and off for the past two days, only stopping last night to sleep in at a roadside motel. I couldn't avoid it. Jaxson was so grumpy and tired. He needed to be in a bed. Not that he slept much; the motel was hardly fancy. I think I slept three hours, and right now, I'm barely holding it together.

I just need to meet with the landlady of the little house I found online so she can give me the keys. After searching for so long and finally coming up with a good lead that may well turn out to be life-altering, I did a quick search online to find a place to live. I found the website of this town's real estate agent, who told me they had nothing in my budget. My heart sank, but what did I really expect? I don't have much money.

The kind woman on the other end of the line must have heard something in my sad, defeated tone and told me she could give me the name and number of an elderly lady looking to rent her home to a young family. She told me she shouldn't be doing it, but she liked my attitude and put me in touch with Mrs. Clarke.

Mrs. Clarke, from what she told me over the phone, is a seventy-four-year-old woman who lives in this picture-perfect town of Oak Springs. She also has a two-bed house on Hillside that once belonged to her daughter. Her daughter passed away two years ago, and the place has been vacant ever since.

Mrs. Clarke told me she had just renovated the place. She sent me pictures of the house and told me she'd love a family to live there. Of course, I had to lie and say that my husband would be following me up soon, or I got the feeling she wouldn't have rented me the place.

I'm not into lying; it never got me anywhere in the past other than alone. But Jaxson and I really need this new start. This is the place life has brought me, finally. And it's not like I'm going to lie about anything else. This is my chance to have the life I deserve. Or at least the opportunity to give Jaxson the life he deserves. And each time we spoke, Mrs. Clarke seemed so interested in Jaxson and the things he likes to play with.

It was so lovely to hear her talking about my son as though he were a little person in his own right rather than just some child. She and I hit it off over the phone, and I know we will have a good landlady and tenant relationship, even a friendship.

Turn right, and you have reached your destination.

Oh, thank fu.ck for that.

“Wow. Mommy, is this our new house?”

“It is.” I smile to myself. Jaxson likes the look of the house, and that makes me very happy. I was a little worried he wouldn't. He hasn't liked anywhere we've lived before now. “I need you to be a good boy while I talk to this nice lady, okay?”

“Yes, Mommy.”

I climb out of my beat-up Ford car, and my little boy follows excitedly. The little Beatle in the driveway must belong to Mrs. Clarke. I'm a little late. Okay, half an hour late. I hope she won't hold it against me.

I take Jaxson's hand and lead him to the front door. It's open a little, so I knock and call out her name. A very short, gray-haired woman pulls the door open fully with a massive smile on her spectacled face.

“You must be Roya?” She grabs my hand, and I nod. She pulls me into a quick hug. I can't help chuckling to myself; she's so cute. She reminds me of my nana. Gosh, I miss her so much right now. “And who is this little cutie?”

“This is my son, Jaxson. Say hello to Mrs. Clarke, Jaxson.”

“Hello.” He says quietly while wrapping his arms around my leg. Jaxson is quite shy with people he doesn't know. He reminds me a lot of me when I was a small child.

“I have been so looking forward to meeting you, Jaxson.” He giggles while holding onto my leg tighter. “He is adorable. Well,” She smiles at me and waves me in. “This is your new place. If you'd like to look around before we sign?”

I nod, and she shows me around the newly decorated house.

I must say, it's beautiful. The kitchen is top of the range, all mod cons. Built-in refrigerator and freezer, cooker. There's a microwave and all the utensils I'll ever need. Next to the kitchen is the laundry room, which is equipped with a washing machine and tumble dryer. I think I died and went to heaven; I've never had my own washing machine before!

I had no idea it would be like this. The living room is beautiful; I've never seen anything like it. There's a beautiful black and gray love couch and a matching sofa opposite. The wooden floor is covered with a thick silver-colored rug next to the most fantastic fire and mantel I have ever seen. White with carvings of baby cherubs down each leg.

Gold dimmer switches are on the wall, and a chandelier is on the ceiling. A dining table with six black high-back chairs around it sits near the French doors at the back of the room. I had no idea I would ever find a house this beautiful and be able to afford it. I feel so blessed right now.

Jaxson is looking out of the doors wide-eyed. Something has caught his little eye. I walk towards the doors and gasp. I cannot believe what I'm seeing.

“Is it to your liking?”

“Mrs. Clarke, did you do this?”

“I did it for your little boy. I thought he might like to have some new things with him having to leave all of his toys behind.” Jaxson didn't have much to leave behind. I never had enough money to buy him much. The only things we brought with us were our clothes. “My dear, if I've trodden on your toes, then I am so sorry.”

Oh, the sweet woman.

She's kitted out the garden – which isn't huge but plenty big enough for Jaxson to play in – with a swing and slide set, a bike, a sandpit, and even a little vegetable garden. This woman doesn't even know us, yet she selflessly did this for my little boy. I've never met anyone who would be so kind.

“This is all for me!?” I nod at my son as I wipe the tear from my cheek. This elderly woman has really touched my heart with this.

“Are you all right, dear?” She touches my arm gently.

“I have no idea how to thank you.”

“No thanks necessary. The smile on that little boy's face is thanks enough.”

“Can I go out there, Mommy?” Jaxson looks at me with hopeful eyes.

“Why don't you come take a look at your new room. I think your mother might be a little cross with me.”

I narrow my eyes.

Why would I be cross with her?

“I may have gone a little overboard. When you told me how you wouldn't be able to bring anything with you,” Which I couldn't because I had nothing. “I wanted to make sure the house was liveable for you. That's why I bought a few bits for you. I bought you a new bed and some furniture for your room. But for this little boy,” She smiles while stroking Jaxson's face. And for the first time in... well, forever, my son smiles happily with the contact. Which is strange to see. My son has a fear of human contact from anyone but me. “I have made his room fit for a little prince.”

My eyes widen when Jaxson slips his hand into Mrs. Clarke's and talks happily with her as she leads us upstairs to see his bedroom. Walking in there, I think my heart stopped for a second. She wasn't wrong; this room is fit for a little prince. The bed is a huge sports car shape; everything in the room has cars on it. The carpet is blue, and the rug is a red car shape. The curtains are blue with colored sports cars on them, the lamp shade is the same, as are the bed covers. There are boxes of toy cars, brand new and all for my little boy, who is now squealing happily while rushing around the room checking everything out all at once.

Dear God, this must have cost her a fortune.

How am I ever going to be able to repay her?

I wipe the tears from my cheek.

How can this woman have done all of this for a child she doesn't know?

“You didn't have to do all of this, Mrs. Clarke.”

“Over the two weeks we've been speaking, I got the impression you were a girl who needed a break.” She got that right. “When I asked you about your son, you told me how special he is to you. How nothing in the world means more to you, and that you want him to have a better life because of how sick he's been throughout his short life. It really touched me.”

She turns to me and takes my upper arms in her hands. “I lost my daughter not all that long ago, and I would give anything to have her back just for a moment. So I know how you feel, being so scared that you could lose him at any moment.

“My grandson, Melanie's son, helped me do all this. I'm not saying you can't provide for your son, but you are so young, and you have so much to deal with, what with his illness and the hell he's finally free of. And everyone could use a little help every now and again.

“My daughter was the kind of woman who would have given her last dime to a child if it meant that child could eat that day. I guess I taught her that. A few of the kids in this town came from horrible backgrounds. My daughter was a teacher who ensured those children were safe.

“I don't know what you're running from or what you're running to,” How is she reading me like this? I'm very good at guarding my private life; I've been doing it since I was fifteen. “But I know there's no husband.” I open my mouth to protest, but she shushes me. “I know that little boy doesn't have a father.”

“I'm so sorry that I lied. I just really needed a place to live. Jaxson's illness has taken everything out of him for so long, and I needed to be somewhere calm for him so that he can fully recover.”

“You don't have to explain to me, Roya. I don't know what you've been through in your short life, but if I can help you in any way, then believe me, I will.”

“You already have.”

She pulls me into her arms and holds me for a moment. It's been a long time since I had contact with another human being like this, the physical contact, other than my son. But her kindness has touched me in a way I have never known. Not only is she renting me this beautifully, fully furnished house for a meager one hundred dollars a week – yes, that's exactly what I said, one hundred dollars a week because she said she just wanted someone in the house that would take care of it, she doesn't need the money – but she's made my son so happy with what she's done. I will never be able to thank her for any of this.

Mrs. Clarke, who told me to call her May, shows me around the rest of the house. My bedroom is fantastic. I've never really had a bedroom of my own. Until now, I've been sharing the one-bedroom apartment I was renting with my son before I came here. But my bedroom here is enormous, and I don't think I have ever seen a bed so big before.

I have a closet, a chest of drawers, and a small bedside cabinet on each side of the bed. Then there's the bathroom, which has a bath and a shower. The room is all white and so clean. Not a cockroach in sight. Yes, Jaxson will be able to get better here; I just know he will.