Broken by Vic Johnson (accelerated reader books txt) 📕

I watched him walk away. I was a bit confused as to what had just happened.

‘Elizabeth?’ I heard from behind me. I rolled my eyes and turned around. Jessica was stood right in front of me. She looked at Jacksons retreating figure.

‘It’s Beth!’ I said

‘Fine, Beth’ she said. ‘Look I don’t like Jack, he is not a good guy and I don’t want him around Paige or you’

‘He just walked us home, it was very nice of him actually’ I said smiling as sweetly as I could.

‘You’re not to see him anymore’ she said folding her arms. I started to laugh.

‘Fine, I dint plan on seeing him again anyway’ I walk into the house with a smirk. That will have annoyed her. She didn’t really get to tell me off.

I went straight up to my room and lay on my bed. I could still feel his kiss on the side of my mouth. I rubbed it with the back of my hand but it wouldn’t go. I never felt like that when someone touched me. He took my breath away. I wasn’t planning on seeing him though. I wasn’t lying. It was too complicated and I came here to get away from complicated!

The next morning I got up to an empty house. I looked at my watch and it was 9:15.

‘Thanks for been here for my first day waking up in a strange house’ I said to nobody.

I got in the shower, got dressed and went to make some breakfast. As I got to the bottom of the stairs there was a knock at the door. I opened it and there he stood in all his gorgeous glory. Why was he so hot?

‘Hey’ he said

‘What are you doing here?’

‘I told you I would pick you up at 10’ he said smiling that amazing smile. This was not good.

‘I thought you were joking’

‘No’ he said.

‘Well…I…you see’ I muttered

‘Is it my handsome face and rock hard abs that have you tongue tied?’

I actually laughed. ‘I can’t even see your abs’ I said.

‘You know they’re there though’ he said still smiling. I couldn’t help smiling back. ‘Come on, what else you gonna do today?’

I looked back at the empty house ‘fine let’s go’ and off we went.

‘So what’s your name?’

‘It’s Beth’

‘What do you want to do first Beth?’ he asked me when we got in his car.

‘Breakfast’ I replied.

‘I know just the place’

After a breakfast of beans, tomatoes, sausages, eggs, the works he took me to the beach. The sun was up and it was a beautiful day. I was glad I went for shorts and a vest top this morning. I was also glad I had a bobble on my wrist so I could tie my hair up. It was too long for this weather.

‘So where in England are you from?’ he asked me.

‘Leeds. It’s in the north’

‘I like your accent’

‘I don’t have an accent’ I say smiling

‘What’s it like there?’ he says smiling back

‘Cold’ I say

‘You don’t give much away do you?’

‘How do you mean?’

‘You’re a closed book’ he said tilting his head to the side ‘I have got nothing from you all morning’

I sigh ‘Leeds is a great city, its big; it has a great town centre with shops and places to eat. It’s got nice parks and places to go in the summer. Not that we get much of a summer. Not like this’ I say holding my hands up to the sun. ‘It basically rains 12 months of the year’

‘That’s pretty miserable’ he says

‘Nah, you get used to it’

‘Well that is the most you have spoken since we met’

I don’t say anything I just look at the sand.

‘Why are you so sad?’ he says pulling me round to face him. His face is really close to mine. Looking in my eyes it feels like he can see my soul, my heart. What’s left of them anyway.

‘I’m not sad’ I say lying. My own mother hasn’t picked up on that.

‘You are. I can see it in your eyes. Even when you smile it’s a sad smile’

My heart starts beating really fast. I think he is going to kiss me. What do I do if he kisses me?

‘I’m broken Jackson’ I say as tears spring to my eyes.

‘I’m going to fix you’ he says

‘You can’t, I’m not fixable’

‘Well I’m gonna try’ he kisses my forehead, takes my hand and we carry on walking down the beach.

I can’t stop looking at him. Nobody has spoken to me the way he did on the beach. Not since my dad.

We are on the pier. We have rode the rides and played the games and ate far too many sweets. He won me a stuffed bear which we called Bert.

We are in a little diner drinking milkshakes and sharing a sundae. I have had a great day. Better than I thought. I don’t want it to end. When it does I’ll have to go back to that house.

‘What you thinking?’ He’s asks

I look into his eyes and every time I do I spill out my secrets. ‘I feel like a stranger in my own home’ I say looking down at the table ‘I don’t wanna go back there but I don’t have a choice’

‘Why are you here? What is Jessica to you?’

‘She’s nobody important. As for the why, im going to keep that to myself for now I think’

‘Ok’ he says smiling. ‘I’ll find out eventually’

I just shake my head at him knowing he is right.

‘Can I have your number?’ he asks

‘I don’t have a phone’ I say

‘Why not?’

‘Well I have my English phone but that doesn’t work very good here and plus it costs a fortune to use’

‘Come on’ he says reaching for my hand.

I take it. ‘Where we going?’

‘To get you phone’

‘I don’t have any money on me’ I had all the money I had changed before I came but I didn’t bring any of it with me. ‘You’re not buying me a phone. You already paid for everything today’

‘Look’ he says staring me straight in the eyes ‘I need to be able to contact you, probably tonight so you need a phone’

‘Why would you need to contact me by phone you know where I live?’

‘What if you’re not in? Plus Jessica hates me. It was just luck that she wasn’t in today. Next time she might be and she won’t let me see you so you need a phone. Also ill need to text you tonight because I don’t think I’m going to be able to stay away from you and not have any contact with you for more than an hour’

‘What if I don’t want to see you again?’

‘Do you?’ Do I? He is the only person I know. He was watching me ponder my answer with his eyebrows raised.

‘Fine I’ll see you again’ He smiles and I just shake my head.

We are in his car outside my house. He is writing his number on a piece paper.

‘When your phone is set up and charged text me so I have your number ok?’

‘Ok’ I say back. I was sad. I didn’t want to leave him and go in that house.

‘You will be ok’ he says noticing my hesitation getting out the car. I look at him and smile. ‘There’s that sad smile again’ he leans over and kisses me again on the side of the mouth. I breathe in the smell of his hair as he does. It smells amazing. I want to run my fingers through it. I get out the car fast. I lean back in and look him in the eyes.

‘Thank you I have had a great day’

‘Thank you’ he says. ‘Call me if you need anything’

‘I will’ I close the door and walk to the house. When I get to the door and look back he is watching me. I wave and go in the house.

I run up the stairs but halfway up I hear my name called. Jessica was at the bottom of the stairs looking up at me.

‘Can you come in the living room please Beth?’ I followed her in and she sits on the sofa next to Max. ‘Sit’ she says pointing to the other sofa.

‘Where’s Paige?’ I ask and Max smiles. I think he likes that I like her.

‘She’s on a play date’ he says

‘Beth where have you been?’ Jessica asks

‘Out’ I say

‘With?’

‘Why?’ I know she knows.

‘I asked you not to see him again and you said you wouldn’t’

‘That was before I woke up on my own for the first time in your house’

‘I’m sorry about that’ she says looking at the floor ‘I thought you would sleep longer. We were just running errands’

‘Look I had no intention of seeing him again but he turned up and I was on my own so I went out with him. It’s really no big deal’

‘We had no way of getting in touch with you. You could have left a note or something’

‘You were worried?’ I ask gobsmacked.

‘Of course I was’ she says shocked. ‘Did you think I wouldn’t care?’

‘Why change the habit of a lifetime’ that hurt her. ‘Look I got a phone today so now you can contact me. I’ll give you the number when its set up’ I stood up ‘and please stop lecturing me about Jackson. He’s just a friend. I didn’t come here for anything more. I’ll stop it myself if he gets too much’

I go to my room and set up my phone. I write my number down and give it to Jessica. I don’t ask for hers. I put Jackson’s number in my phone. One number, how sad am I? Was I going to phone him though? He bought me the phone so I guess I should. Then an idea popped in my head. I searched my bag and found what I needed then went to find Jessica again.

‘Your friend in that house we went to she is Jacksons mum right?’ I asked

‘Yes she is’ she replied

‘Next time you go can you make sure Jackson gets this?’ I say handing her the money ‘it’s for the phone’

‘Jackson bought you it?’

‘Yeah’

‘Ok’ she said and I go back to my room. I feel a little bad for doing that but I just can’t deal with that until I’m more settled

I wake up early on Saturday morning. I have to pick the new girl up. I have her address and I’m on my way. She lives on the same street as Jackass but he lives at the richer end. Her house is still big though.

I knock on the door and a very handsome man answers.

‘Hi’ He says

‘Hi I’m here for Elizabeth Cooper’ I say

‘Come in’ he says. I take a look at him and he has been painting. It’s spattered all over him. ‘Beth’ he shouts.

‘Coming’ comes a voice from upstairs.

‘She won’t be long’ he says moving into the kitchen. I’m just about to follow when the girl I assume is Elizabeth comes down the stairs. She has a short denim skirt on with a blue strappy top on and converse. Her dark brown hair is tied in a messy bun on top of her head. She has a