Missing Pieces - J.M. Hurley (reading cloud ebooks .txt) 📗

Chapter 1

Lacey Arson sat lazily in front of her computer screen. Nothing had changed in 10 minutes but she just continued to stare. She had logged on, hopes soaring, and looked for the e-mail that held her future. Unfortunately, she didn’t receive it. “This must be a mistake,” She muttered as she refreshed the page again. Yet still, no e-mail appeared. She let out an angry sigh of frustration and unplugged her computer, making the monitor go black.

“Still no luck?” Miranda asked. Miranda, Lacey’s younger adopted sister, was dressed in a Cynthia Rowley One-of-a-kind mini dress. Her dark black hair was curled and framed her flawless face perfectly. Her dark red lips were pouted in a look of dismay.

“Nope,” Lacey replied, standing up and brushing off her own dress.

A Betsy Johnson exclusive, She thought bitterly to herself, mother’s certainly outdone herself this time. Ever since she was a little girl her mother would always get her the very best of everything. At age fifteen, adoption was in, and that was when her mother arrived home late one night with Miranda. Miranda, having gone from very poor to outrageously rich, found the lifestyle refreshing, and adjusted rather quickly. But Lacey was never one to gloat; actually, she preferred wearing her sweat pants and stained t-shirt around the house.

“Ready for the showing?” Miranda asked who, as always, was overly optimistic about attending their mothers self-centered gloating. “As ready as I’ll ever be,” Lacey replied tiredly. Why should I get excited about my mother showing off our new house to our ‘family’? No wonder dad left. He couldn’t stand her either, Lacey though bitterly and for the hundredth time that day, wished her father was there to comfort her or to give her a reassuring hug.

She hadn’t seen her father since she was 11 years old, which was when he left them. “Girls! Come down!” Lenora Arson called from downstairs, in her demanding high-pitched voice. Miranda cast a small reassuring smile in Lacey’s direction, and then headed downstairs to meet their mother. Lacey sighed and casted a glance at the frame near her bed. I wish you were here dad, I really do. She sucked in air through her teeth to avoid sobbing and turned toward her doorway. Time to play rich girl, She thought bitterly and started off down the staircase to see her mother.

“There you are girls!” Lenora said in a rushed, angry tone. She grabbed Miranda and Lacey’s arms and pulled them towards the front door. “If we are to impress, we need to be here to greet.” She said then casting a glance in Lacey’s direction added, “All of us.” Lacey resisted giving a smart aleck reply and instead smiled at her mother.

“Of course mom,” she said resting up against the tan wall behind her.

“Any e-mails yet?” Lenora asked while she pulled her daughter so she was standing upright, “Don’t slouch dear, it adds pounds.” Lacey held back a laugh, as if a girl who weighed exactly 110 pounds had to be worried about that.

“Nope, none yet,” She replied getting sinking feeling deep in her gut. No e-mail, no acceptance. Her mother might be rich, but buying your way into Harvard was definitely harder than it looked.

“Well, I do believe I invited Robert,” Lenora said, referring to one of faculty members of the school, “perhaps we can ask him tonight.”

The doorbell let out a loud ring and Jackson, their family butler, hustled over to answer it. When he opened the door and breathtakingly handsome young man stepped through it. He was accompanied by an older gentleman who Lenora greeted with a hug. “Girls, I would like you to meet my new boyfriend Jeremiah, and his son Isaiah.”

“Hi!” Miranda replied in her overly perky tone, extending a perfectly manicured hand in Isaiah’s direction.

Isaiah shook her hand lightly but kept his down. He had Hershey brown hair that looked so soft it tempted the girls to run their hands through it. His beautiful golden eyes framed his flawlessly craved facial features and his soft pink lips held a secret smile. His tux fit him perfectly, accentuating his toned muscles. Both girls were left weak in the knees but not just because of his handsomeness.

“Boyfriend?” Miranda asked, her usually perky tone had dropped to a sad defeated tone.

“I wasn’t aware you started dating again,” Lacey said darkly silently cursing at her rotten fate.

“Well, we met last week and something just felt right,” She replied and Lacey held back a snort.

Like I haven’t heard that one before!

Lacey thought angrily. Ever since her dad left, her mother brought home a different man every week, claiming to be falling in love again. But it’d been awhile since she’d addressed someone as her actual boyfriend. Miranda shifted uncomfortably on her heels and pretended to pick a piece of lint off her dress as Lacey held back a smile.

“Something wrong, dear?” Lenora asked her voice tight with tension.

“Oh no, Mother,” Lacey said in a sugar-coated tone, “I think I’ll go greet the guests outside.” She called over her shoulder as she walked over to their patio.

When the cool august air hit her face she took a deep breath to calm herself. It’s certainly a shame that he had to have such a cute son, She thought silently as the cool wind blew her back away from her face.

“Laaacey!” Lenora called from the kitchen, dragging out the A in her name in the way she hated.

“What!?” She yelled back feeling annoyance creep up on her.

“I’d like it if you would please go talk to the Robert,” Lenora said.

“I still have a year before I graduated mom,” Lacey replied then braced herself for the lecture she knew was coming.

“A year? Do you have any idea how many people can get into Harvard in a year? If you think you’re going to sit around until last minute then…”Lenora’s voice began to fade out of Lacey’s mind as she noticed the set of golden eyes watching her. Isaiah met her eyes from inside their house and Lacey felt her insides melt into putty. “Lacey Marie are you even listening to me?” Lenora demanded waving a hand in front of her daughters face to get her attention.

“What? Oh yeah, talk to Robert, no last minute stuff, a lot can happen in a year. I get it,” Lacey said giving her mother a reassuring pat on the arm then started walking towards the house.

“He’s in the driveway, just got out of his car,” her mother called after her, but what her mother didn’t know was that she wasn’t headed to see Robert. She was headed to talk to Isaiah, the boy who had her mesmerized with one quick glance of his warm, golden eyes.


Chapter 2

As Lacey walked fearlessly over in the direction of Isaiah she felt someone put their hands over her eyes. “Guess Who?” They whispered into her ear. She smiled and let out a giggle.

“Jared, would you stop it already! I totally know it’s you!” She insisted as she tore his hands from her face. They both burst in fits laughter and Lacey again thanked God that she’d met Jared, he was her closest friend since they first met in 1st grade.

“That dress is absolutely stunning, it’s a Betsy isn’t it?” Jared said giving her a smile that made her laugh even harder.

“Yes, it is. Listen, it’s great to see you but I’ll be right back okay?” Jared put on a look of fake shock.

“Is little Miss I-Hate-Rich-People actually adjusting to her new life?” he asked giving her an accusing glance.

“I don’t know, but that question isn’t nearly as interesting as to how you know what designer I’m wearing,” Lacey replied shooting him a winning smile as she walked over to see Isaiah.

“Hey sis! Having fun yet?” Miranda asked, linking an arm through Lacey’s. Lacey gave her sister as smile, smelling the champagne on her breath.

“I think mom’s let you have one too many toasts,” Lacey replied unhooking her arm from Miranda’s. Miranda shot her a disappointed glance as she walked away, continuing toward Isaiah.

“How dare you!” Lacey heard her mother’s voice above the party talk. She followed it outside where she saw Jeremiah and her Mother yelling at each other. Her mother’s eyes were red and puffy and her mascara was smudged, leaving her looking very disheveled. Jeremiah’s eyes blazed with fiery anger and a vein bulged unattractively on his neck. They continued to scream at each other but Lacey couldn’t quite make out what they were saying. Finally, at what looked like the ending of their fight, Lenora pointed her long finger at the door and yelled something the Lacey guessed sounded a lot like, ‘get out of my house’. Jeremiah threw his hands up at the sky then shot a glare at Lenora who angrily screamed at him to leave again. Then the fighting started up once more.

“It’s pretty bad, huh?” muttered a voice from behind her.

“Not for my mother it isn’t,” she replied turning around to come face to face to the beauty she’d been looking for.

“I doubt it’s her fault thought, my father’s a hot head,” he said, his voice ringing like chimes. Lacey let out a snort then burst into a giggle fit. Isaiah looked at her, confused.

“Did I say something funny?” he asked cracking a smile with her.

“Well, it’s just. How can you not be a hot head while you’re dating her? She’s so controlling!” she said and they both burst into laughter.

“Well my dad tends to tell a lot of ‘white lies’ so that probably didn’t help either,” he replied and they laughed even harder.

“Well I guess we both have messed up parents,” Lacey replied after they shared a few more laughs.

“Yeah, I guess we do,” he answered give Lacey a smile that made her knees go weak.

Lenora and Jeremiah’s shouting suddenly came to a halt and the sound of footsteps brought Lacey’s rational thinking back. She turned around to head back inside just as Isaiah did. Their arms brushed up against each other and she let out a soft gasp. Just a small touch had sent shivers of pleasure down her spine. He reached out and brushed a strand of her fiery red hair away from her face, giving her a smile while doing so. A nearby bang cause them to jump away from each other.Moments later, Jeremiah rounded the corner and grasped Isaiah firmly by the shoulders.

“Come son, we are no longer welcome here,” he said, his voice strained and tight.

“But-” Isaiah began to protest but his father cut him off by pulling him away, towards their parked car. Lacey wanted nothing more than to run after them and beg him to stay but her feet remained firmly planted to the ground. Her mother came around the corner soon after, catching sight of Lacey and stomping over to her.

“You dare eavesdrop on your own mother?!” she shouted, her voice reeking