All Signs Point to You Part Two by Navaura Campbell (uplifting books for women .TXT) 📖

Jordan laughed, "If they did that, just how would they describe it?"

Denise smiled, enjoying the playfulness of a serious conversation, "Hurts like hell."

Jordan laughed and kissed her forehead, "I didn't want to hurt you." He whispered.

Denise smiled, looking him in the face, "You were worth it."

He sighed lovingly, feeling a blush creep up his cheeks, but this time of gratitude.

Leaning down, he kissed her lips. She kissed him back, comforted, feeling as if for once in her life, she'd made the right decision.

Jordan kissed her one more time, reluctant to let her go. He wanted her to stay, but knew she had to go. When he'd offered to give her a ride home, she'd declined, stating that her mother would know she was over there. He watched as she walked down the stairs, into the real world.

Once she'd stepped out from the comfort of his arms, she knew she'd have to deal with a lot of truth. Starting with the lie she'd told him last night. She'd wanted to be with him so bad, that she'd told him that her mother had said she could spend the night over Tanya's, when in reality, her mother had asked her to be home by midnight because she had a doctor's appointment early that morning, and Vicki had cheer leading practice, while Garrette was still fixing up the Crane Mansion. He'd been working on it for a whole year and four months now.

Sighing, Denise groaned with an upset stomach. Fear launched itself in her gut as she anticipated what her mother's reaction would be.

Jordan smiled to himself as he turned back into the house. He thought of last night, and how things had unfolded. He hadn't been expecting her to be so forward with what she wanted. He smiled, because that had been exciting in it's own way. He sighed as images of her curves filled his mind. He'd seen, felt and tasted every inch of her and loved it. He still felt strange and sort of awkward at the knowledge that he wasn't a virgin anymore. He walked from the foyer to the living room then back upstairs. He needed to clean up and air out his room before his mother came home and began to suspect what had happened. Going into the area, he went to the windows, opened them up and then felt the cold air come through. He grabbed his blanket and sheets and pulled them off the bed.

About an hour and a half later, when he'd taken a shower, combed his hair, brushed his teeth and then put on some clothes, he pulled his bedding out of the dryer and went to his room, where he'd straightened everything immaculately and sprayed with a potpourri scented air freshener and put the covers on his bed. Sighing, he looked around, satisfied and for the first time felt his stomach growl.

When Jordan reached the kitchen, he went to the fridge, rambled through it and grabbed items to make a peanut butter and Jelly sandwich to go along with some chicken noodle soup he'd found on the bottom shelf. Sighing, he closed the fridge, went to the table with the items and that's when he saw the note on the table. Written in Lasaire's handwriting, it read:

Cousin, I drove aunt Anita to the hospital in North Hampton. Please come as soon as you can.

Lasaire

Jordan left the items on the table and without grabbing a jacket, left through the kitchen door to jump in his car. He felt dread over come him. For his mother to go to the hospital, it had to be something serious. His heart beat jumped out of his chest as he thought of how long that letter had been sitting there. How long had his mom been at the hospital? He didn't know. He just knew that sometime after he left for his party, Lasaire drove her there. Immediately, he was struck with guilt. He'd been messing around with Denise, while his mom lay in the hospital. How horrible was that?

As soon as she entered the house, Denise pulled off her coat and hung it in the hall closet. She made her way down the hall and into the living room. She went through there, into the kitchen and then walked to the den located off the kitchen. As she walked down the stairs, she held her breath, knowing that her mother would be royally pissed.

Timidly, she reached the last stair and was down in the basement. Her mother was not sitting at her computer. Instead, she was sitting on the couch, a long Virginia slim in her thin fingers. The air surrounding the confines of the basement smelled of stale cigarette smoke. Denise inhaled sharply and fanned the air with her right hand, her voice soft, she whispered, "How many of those have you smoked?"

Mrs. Richards took a puff of her cigarette and slowly exhaled. "Where have you been?"

Denise swallowed, "Tanya's."

There was silence, but then a high pitched sound came through, laughter. Her mother was laughing. Turning to look at Denise, she said, "I never thought I'd see this day come."

Denise gulped hugely, well aware of the tension that displayed in her mother's red eyes.

"I called Tanya's last night and she said that you and Jordan had left the house around eleven thirty."

Denise inhaled sharply.

Mrs. Richards got up from the couch, walked over to the desk and then put her cigarette out in an ash tray. Walking to where Denise stood, she said, "Where did you and Jordan go?"

Denise swallowed again, "Why?"

Renee raised a brow, "Why?" Her voice got high, "I want to know if my daughter is fucking her boyfriend. That's why."

Denise's eyes got big and round. She took a step back, "Don't say it like that." She felt the thudding began in her heart.

"Why not? That's what it is..." Her voice trailed off, her tone softer when she spoke, "You are fucking him, right?"

Denise felt a blush rise to her cheeks, stepping back, she shook her head no. "Why do you have to say that word? You make us sound like animals."

Renee cleared her throat, "So you two are? For how long?"

Denise felt tears well up in her eyes from her mother's vulgar language. Inhaling, she whispered, "I don't want to talk about this right now." She swallowed and turned around. Her mother yelled, "Don't walk away from me when I'm talking to you."

Denise let out a gulp and continued up the stairs. Her mother said, "I don't want you to end up like me, Denise."

Denise paused on the stairs. Turning around, she glanced at her. "What are you talking about?"

Renee inhaled sharply, "Come sit down and I'll tell you."

Denise's gaze on her mother was sharp, pained, her lips tight with agitation. How could she even think of her and Jordan together and call it that?

Sighing, Denise turned away from the exit of the basement and made her way to the couch where her mother had sat down. Denise sat with her legs crossed, staring at the wall above the computer. Her mother had grabbed another Virginia slim and was now about to light it up. "Mom, please." Denise whispered. She hated cigarettes. They were a detriment to anyone's health and by the looks of it, her mother would be joining a mass population of smokers.

Renee cleared her throat. "Sorry..." She swallowed and pushed the cigarette back into its pack. Licking her lips, she whispered, "You know your dad and I divorced when you were four, right?"

"Yeah, I know. He left when I was two."

"Well, I didn't tell you back then, but your dad and I dated in high-school just like you and Jordan. We dated for a year and a half, and then I became pregnant. Your father, he wasn't too happy about the whole thing because he had his sights set on attending Washington State University that fall. My father told him that if he left me alone while pregnant with his child, he would hunt him down and do the worst possible damage to him." She inhaled sharply and continued on with the story, pulling an exhausted hand through her hair. "...so, your father and I got married."

A brief flicker of a smile came across her face. "It was cute, real for me, just a show for him." Just as it had appeared, the smile disappeared and a frown replaced the look, displaying emotion less than satisfactory. "Afterward, we stayed together and I thought everything was fine, till one day, he came home and said he was leaving, because he couldn't stand living in less than desirable circumstances. He said he was tired of trying to support us all and never having anything. The following week, he left.

After that, I was left struggling to provide for you on the little job skills I had, till you were about four. I went back to school, got an associate's in Advertising, Journalism, and then started a real job, where I could manage to take care of you."

Denise swallowed, "So, dad left because..." She paused, waiting for an answer.

"He left, because he wanted a better lifestyle than the one he had." Renee replied.

Denise sat there quiet, not saying anything.

"Look, Denise, I love you very much, but I don't want to be a grandmother before my time. I don't want any grand kids from you unless you're going to be with that man for the rest of your life. I don't want you to have to struggle."

Denise inhaled and then exhaled. "We used protection."

Renee sighed, "I don't want you having sex, Denise. You're seventeen. What are you going to do with a baby?"

Denise swallowed, "Mom, we're using condoms. I'm not going to get pregnant."

"Condoms aren't a guarantee that you won't get pregnant, the only way to ensure this is abstinence."

"Condoms are proven to be effective." Denise stated, staring her mom in the eye.

Renee exhaled, and whispered, "Maybe so, but there's no promise that you won't end up pregnant."

Denise smiled softly, "Mom, Jordan and I will be super careful."

Renee swallowed, "I see there's no talking to you on this one, huh?"

Denise shrugged her shoulders. "I love him mom, a-lot."

"But that doesn't mean you have sex with him."

Denise was quiet for a minute, contemplating whether or not she should just say what was in her heart. What she felt when she was with him. Clearing her throat, she whispered, "I love him enough to want to have sex with him. I want to be with him mom."

Denise's mother stared her daughter in the eyes, seeing a maturity that hadn't been there before. She exhaled sharply, "I can't persuade you other wise?"

Denise shook her head, "I've already sealed that deal mom, last night."

Butterflies began in her stomach as she thought back to the previous night's events. "I won't promise you that we won't do it again."

Renee sighed, pulled out a smoke from the pack she carried and with trembling fingers, grabbed the lighter off the desk where her computer rested. Flickering the match, she watched as the light lit the brown tobacco and smoke began its rise. Putting it up to her mouth without another word, she took a long draw on it.

Chapter Forty Four: Anita

Thirty minutes after he'd completed his drive to North Hampton Emergency room, Jordan parked his car in one of few empty parking spaces and made his way toward the entrance. He ran up to the receptionist desk and asked the nurse behind the desk where was Anita Williams located. She looked up at him, smiled and asked for her name again. After he gave it to her, she looked her up and then paused. "What relation are you to the patient?"

"Jordan Williams, her son."

She nodded her head, "She said you'd be able to fill out her information." The lady handed him a pen and pad and then gave him the room number. Jordan rushed his way toward the third floor of the hospital. He