Read Forgiving You: A Switched Series Novella (The Switched Series Book 3) for Free Online

normal.
    “Hey babe. Are you home yet?” he asks. I don’t know why he calls me babe and baby all the time. He just started one day and I never stopped him. I guess I have been leading him on all of this time just by not doing anything to stop him.
    “No, I decided to stay a couple of days.”
    “What do you mean? Maya, come back home, now,” he demands, sounding angry.
    “I can’t. Ava has a right to know her father and her family. I’m not taking that away from her.”
    “Are you crazy? He didn’t want her, Maya. I do, though. You know I think of her as mine and I miss her and you. Please come home.” he says, trying to hold in his anger.
    “He didn’t know about her,” I say, trying to keep my cool.
    “You have got to be kidding me. You have always been so blind when it comes to him. He left you when you were pregnant and had no one. He hasn’t tried to contact you in five years,” he screams. “Come home now or I will come get both of you.”
    “Okay, we will come home. I just have one question. Did you send those pictures?”
    “What pictures?” he asks.
    “The ones of us in bed together. How did you even get them? I never slept with you.”
    “Why would you think I sent those?  I didn’t even know about them until this morning. Just come home, we will talk about this like adults when you get here.”
    “You didn’t answer my question. Did you send them?”
    “Come home, Maya.”
    “How could you do that to me? What did I ever do to you?” I say, not understanding why he can’t come up with some explanation of what happened.
    “I said come home, now Maya.”
    “No, you knew about those pictures without me even telling you about them. How did you get them? I never slept with you,” I scream at him.
    “If you aren’t home in the morning, I will come find you and take back what is mine. Do you understand?” he asks.
    “Stay away from her, she is mine,” I say. Jaxon walks in the kitchen and looks at me suspiciously.
    “Maya, you know I think of her as mine and you can’t cut me out of her life. I will not stand for that. I don’t know what he is telling you, but you need to get the both of you home now. I’ll see you tomorrow and we will talk about this like adults.”
    “Why did you send the pictures?” I ask again letting a sob come out.
    “Tomorrow. Don’t make me come find you,” he says before hanging up. I can’t take it anymore and my legs give out and fall to the floor sobbing. In no time Jaxon is sitting on the floor with me with his arms around me and his face buried in my hair.
    “I am so sorry. I promise that I will do anything and everything in my power to make sure the two of you are safe,” he whispers. And for the first time in five years, I let myself pretend this is where I belong.
    I lift my head from him and scoot back to put some distance between us. “He said if I wasn’t back tomorrow he would come find us and take what belongs to him. He has never acted like this. I don’t know why he is doing this now.” I watch Jaxon narrow his eyes at me.
    “He threatened you?” he asks.
    “I don’t think he would ever hurt Ava, but he seems determined not to lose her,” I say.
    “Give me your phone,” Jaxon says holding his hand out.
    “I don’t think that’s a good idea,” I whisper.
    “He will not threaten the two of you. Give me your phone, please,” he says again. I hand my phone over to him because I don’t want to fight with him and for right now he is making me feel safe. He slowly gets up and walks out the door. I should probably follow him, but right now I don’t have the energy to get up and follow him. I just want to get to my daughter as soon as possible.

Jaxon
     
    I try not to look and see how many phone calls she has made to Trent. Other than the one to Callie and a few to some girl named Jenn, they are all to Trent. Not even her parents. I never imagined they would completely turn their back on her because of me, especially