Always and Forever

Chapter 29

*Jake’s POV*

I always hated going to school. Don’t get me wrong, I loved learning new stuff and I always had my homework done, but there was some other reason. I was always alone. I had no friends. Somehow everyone in school knew that my real father left me before I was born and that I was raised by step-father. Everyone was looking at me differently, even teachers and no one wanted to be friends with me.

At home everything was great. We lived like a real and normal family. Lewis, my step-father loved me like his own son. I was so thankful for him. He was and he will be my only and real father.

Lewis was on trips from work almost always. I was really sad when he left but I knew he was doing this because of our family, so I got used to it. Even though he was a very busy man he always would find time to spend weekends with us. It was the best time of week for me.

I was a quiet kid in school. Always alone, wearing hoodies, I would only talk when I was asked a question in class. Long story short I had social anxiety. I felt nervous when I was with a lot of people, so I stopped talking with them and found my favorite room in school – the computer lab. I spent a lot of time there, little did I know that room would change my life forever.

Years passed, Lewis spent less and less time with us. I fully concentrated on learning IT and was rarely leaving my room. My mother was really worried about me and kept telling me to spend time with her. I didn’t believe her and kept spending time with my PC.

Before I could even understand what happened, I was too deep into hacking and the FBI was already searching for me. I left my house in the middle of the night because I didn’t want my family to be in any kind of danger. I completely erased information about me and cut off all the contacts with my family.

Years passed since that day and I still had no contact with them whatsoever. Once I was free from the FBI and I asked Ella to marry me, I decided it was time to meet my mother. I was really nervous but Ella was calming me down. She held my hand when we both approached my childhood home. How I missed this place.

I raised my hand to knock on the door but I froze. I couldn’t find the courage to meet my family after all this time. I put my hand down and decided to go back but Ella stopped me. She reassured me that I had to meet them. I took a deep breath and agreed. Ella hugged me tight. I kissed her on the forehead and held her hand in mine. I looked at our interlocked hands and smiled. She was wearing the ring I gifted her. I’m happy to see it on her hand. I can’t wait for our wedding day, so I can finally put a marriage ring on her beautiful hand.

I sighed and approached the door again, this time I actually knocked. I heard my mother’s voice and only then I realized how long it’s been since I last saw her. She could even think that I died a long time ago.

I was about to run off with Ella and never come back again, when the door opened. All of my thoughts and worries disappear. I looked my mother in the eyes and forgot about everything. In the past I watched her from a distance a few times, I saw how happy she was with Lewis and I was really thankful for that.

She watched me with her teary eyes. I wanted to hug her, kiss her, tell her I was with her but I couldn’t even move. Me and my mother just looked at each other without saying anything.

-         Who is it, Sarah?

I heard Lewis call my mother from somewhere from the house but none of us even said anything. My mother still looked at me while crying. Once he got no response from my mother he came to the front door and saw me.

-         Jakie?

I looked up and saw my step-father looking worried at me. He went past my mother and hugged me tight.