F R E E ✔ [completed]

Jayden:37

"No," I said. "Not yet."

I just sat and thought about all the things Tony was telling me and wondered if they were true.

...

I sat at the dinner table with my parents, my sister, her husband, and Noah.

My older brother, Aaron, who just graduated college was also there. We never really got along at all. He was always pointing out the fact that I wasn't as great as he was. He always put me down and shoved me to the ground just to make sure I was always beneath him. He was always rude to me and he never really understood me. He called me names and trash talked me before any event of mine. When I became super popular at school for playing football, he ran for SBO and joined the swim team just to beat whatever I was doing. If I got good grades, he'd get good grades, a better citizenship and got a job to top me. He crushed my spirit all the time and I became so used to it that it's easy for me to take the pain now. Well, up until I met Deja.

Deja made me feel things all over again. I was no longer immune to pain. She made the numbness in my life go away and she brought me cheer and joy. I honestly love her with everything I've got. But she deserves a lot better than me.

"Jayden, how was your day at school?" My sister asked.

"It was alright," I said. My brother laughed a little. "What?"

"Nothing," he said. "Oh, guess what mom?"

"What?" My mom asked.

"I proposed to Angelica yesterday and she said yes!"

"Yay!" My mom squealed.

Angelica was my brother's obnoxious girlfriend. In my opinion, she's only dating him for his money and he's only dating her for her looks. But I could care less about what he does with his life.

"Jayden has a girlfriend," My mom said looking at me. I looked up from my plate.

"Really? Is she imaginary?" Aaron asked.

"Shut up," Naomi said. Her husband, Cole chuckled quietly beside her. "Leave baby alone."

"Wow, you have a child now, but you still call our 18-year-old little brother baby?" Aaron laughed a little.

"I'm 17," I said. "You'd know that if you weren't such a stuck-up jerk."

"And you wouldn't be such a sensitive loser if your girlfriend didn't leave you for another guy in 8th grade."

"You're an assh-"

"Jayden, watch your language," my dad said.

I scrunched up my fists in tight little balls and stared at Aaron who was doing the same.

"Baby," he mumbled.

"Momma's boy," I said rolling my eyes.

"Anyways," my mom said clearing her throat. "Why don't you call Angelica and Jayden call Deja and see if they want to come over for dinner. Like right now."

"I'll text her," Aaron said pulling out his phone.

"Deja's busy," I said continuing to play with my food. I wasn't hungry.

"School work?" She asked.

"I don't know," I said.

"C'mon Jayden, I'd sure love to meet your girlfriend," Aaron said.

"She's super nice and pretty," Naomi said smiling. "Noah loves her."

"Sounds like a great girl..."