Unbidden (Brighton Academy Book 1) Read online

  Contents

  Unbidden by Cala Riley

  Chapter One

  Chapter Two

  Chapter Three

  Chapter Four

  Chapter Five

  Chapter Six

  Chapter Seven

  Chapter Eight

  Chapter Nine

  Chapter Ten

  Chapter Eleven

  Chapter Twelve

  Chapter Thirteen

  Chapter Fourteen

  Chapter Fifteen

  Chapter Sixteen

  Chapter Seventeen

  Chapter Eighteen

  Chapter Nineteen

  Chapter Twenty

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  Chapter Twenty-Six

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Author Bio:

  Acknowledgements:

  Unbidden by Cala Riley

  Copyright @ 2020 by Cala Riley

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means without the prior written consent of the publisher, except brief quotes used for reviews and certain other non-commercial uses, as per copyright laws. This is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, places, events and incidents are either the products of the author's imagination or used in a fictitious manner. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or actual events is purely coincidental.

  Unbidden Cover Photo by: TakeCover Designs

  Dedication: To Ashley, thank you for loving Sage as much as we do.

  Chapter One

  “She’s acting out due to grief.”

  “This is a cry for help.”

  “Don’t give up on her yet.”

  I sigh as I sit outside my case worker’s office, listening as she lies to my most recent foster parents.

  “She hit another student.”

  “She’s violent.”

  “We cannot have her in our home with our child.”

  I snort. Their precious child is a douchebag who’s selling dime bags for the local drug dealer. He’s out partying every night with them while his parents think he’s studying with his friends. Yet I’m the dangerous one for punching a bitch after she swung on me first.

  “Thank you for coming by and speaking with me,” Mrs. White says as she escorts Mr. and Mrs. Richmond out.

  “Of course. Sorry we couldn’t be more help.” Mr. Richmond walks by without looking in my direction.

  “We look forward to your next call, Sylvia.” Mrs. Richmond shoots a glare my way before following her husband down the hall.

  “What am I going to do with you, Sage?” I look up to find Mrs. White shaking her head. “Come in. Let’s have a little chat.”

  I follow her into her office and flop down in the chair in front of her desk.

  “It wasn’t my fault, you know. She made the first move. Am I not supposed to defend myself?”

  She drops her head into her hands and lets out a heavy breath.

  “I’m not saying you shouldn’t defend yourself, but violence should never be the answer.” She looks up at me. “You can’t keep this chip on your shoulder forever.”

  “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

  “I’m so sorry your mother died. I truly am, but you cannot keep blaming the world. The Richmonds were good people. You could have had a good life until you aged out. Now I’m not sure what we’re going to do with you.”

  I swallow hard. The Richmonds weren’t the worst foster parents I’ve had. No, that award goes to Michael Chester, or Chester the Molester, as I prefer to call him. He was a creep with a capital C. I only stayed there two days before I kneed him in the balls for trying to sneak into my room in the middle of the night. Of course, he claimed he was checking on me, but he and I both know the truth.

  “What now?” I ask, not really caring where they put me next. I only have eight months until I turn eighteen. I just need to stick it out until then.

  “I need to make some calls. Sit outside my office until I can figure out what to do with you.”

  “Sure thing, boss.” I stand and salute her before doing as she asks.

  ∞∞∞

  “Good news.” Mrs. White’s voice comes from out of nowhere, making me jump.

  “Holy shit! Don’t do that to me.” I clutch my chest, comforting my pounding heart.

  Mrs. White scowls. “Language, young lady. Come on in and I’ll explain your new living arrangements.”

  I find myself sitting in the same chair as before, waiting for her to reveal my fate.

  “Did your mom ever talk to you about her sister?”

  I narrow my eyes at Mrs. White. “Occasionally she would talk about her childhood and mentioned a sister once or twice, but I’ve never met her.”

  Truth is, before my mom died, she never really talked about anyone in her family much. I preferred to believe they were all dead and it was too painful for her to talk about. Obviously, I was wrong.

  “Well, thankfully we found her through our family finding program. They’ve been looking for a relative for six months, since your mother’s death, to find you a permanent home. After speaking with your aunt Alice, we feel it would be the best placement for you.”

  The laugh that comes out of my mouth lacks humor. “Of course you do. I mean, what’s one more stranger? I don’t know why you don’t just place me in a group home again.” I lean back, feigning boredom.

  Mrs. White stands up and walks around the desk, leaning against it close to where I’m sitting.

  “Listen, Sage. You’re a good kid. Your mom raised you well. I know you’re angry at the world. You lost the most important person in your life. You’re allowed to feel those feelings. Anger, grief, sadness, emptiness. Those are all normal. However, your actions are within your control. You need to get a grip on those emotions and funnel them into something more productive. We both know you don’t want to go to a group home. This aunt could be just what you need.” I go to speak, but she holds her hand up, cutting me off. “Even if she’s not, you’ll only need to stick it out for eight more months. Do you think you can keep it together that long?”

  “I guess I have no choice. When is this Aunt Alice getting here?”

  “She’s flying in now, should be here by this evening. For now, just keep hanging out. Do you have any questions?”

  “Where is she flying in from?”

  “Chicago.”

  My jaw drops. “Illinois? I’m leaving the state? Are you even allowed to do that?”

  Mrs. White gives me her best dramatic eye roll. “She passed all the home studies, background checks, classes, and interviews. This has been in the works for weeks. We were waiting on some final paperwork, but your latest stunt seems to have sped the process up. The next step would have been visitation, but since the group homes are full and you’ve cycled through five foster families in the last six months, the judge agreed that it would be best if we allowed you to go home with her now.”

  “Joy. Another choice taken away from me.”

  “I know it feels that way now, but you’ll see. This will be for the best.”

  ∞∞∞

  Alice Davenport is rich. No, not just rich, filthy rich. After meeting with my case worker and signing a bunch of paperwork, Alice ushered me into a waiting town car with its own driver. After forty-five minutes in the car, we arrived at a small airfield. When I asked her whose jet we were boarding, she laughed and said our family’s.

  Now I’m sitting here sipping on expensive water the attendant brought me while flying ba
ck to Bridgeton, Illinois, where she’s from.

  “I have you set up to start school on Monday. I thought it would give you some time to settle in. It’s the beginning of the year, so you shouldn’t miss much.”

  I flick my gaze to hers. I was so lost in my thoughts, I didn’t even realize she’d put her phone down.

  “Can’t I start tomorrow?” I ask.

  She frowns. “I suppose, but don’t you want time to settle into your room?”

  I snort. “You mean your guest bedroom?”

  She sighs. “It’s your room. Even if you decide to leave, it will always be your room. It will always be there for you.”

  “I don’t want it. Let’s be clear here. I’m only here because the caseworker had nowhere else to put me. Once I turn eighteen, I’m out. You’ll never have to see me again.”

  I’m surprised by the look of hurt that crosses her face. “I don’t want that, Sage.”

  “Well, I didn’t want my mother to die and leave me all alone, but life has a funny way of not giving a fuck what we want, now, doesn’t it?”

  Damn, this woman is a good actress. I almost believe the tears falling from her eyes.

  “Abagail was an amazing woman. She would have never left you if she had a choice. She loved you more than anything in this entire world.”

  “Don’t act like you knew her. You haven’t seen her in nearly seventeen years. The Abagail you knew was nothing like my mom.”

  She pulls a tissue out and wipes her eyes. “I know she loved you enough to leave. Your mother loved you with every bit of her being. I didn’t have to know her in recent years to know that she never loved you any less.”

  She’s right, but I can’t tell her that. My mom always told me how much she loved me. I knew she left the family shortly before my birth, but I never asked why. It didn’t matter. All that mattered was that I had her.

  “She left for a reason, Alice. I don’t care why, and I don’t plan to stay long enough to find out.”

  “I get it. All I ask is that you give this a shot. Give our family a real shot. The reason Abagail left is a nonissue now.”

  “Why would I give you a shot?”

  “You have a cousin who’s a year younger than you. She knows nothing of the past. Start fresh with her. She could be a good friend if you let her.”

  I scoff. “I don’t need any new friends.”

  Alice shakes her head.

  “As stubborn as your mother. If you make it the full eight months, I will give you a ride to the airport, bus station, or wherever you want to go myself. I will also give you the trust fund I set aside for you after your birth.”

  “You can’t buy me. I don’t care about money. I just want to live my life in peace.”

  “I never said you did, dear. I’m only offering you what's yours. Usually you wouldn’t have access until you turn twenty-five, but if you give this a real shot, I mean actually get to know your cousin and keep your studies up, then when you turn eighteen, I will turn it over to you. Then, if you want to leave, you will have the means to do so without having to worry about how you’re going to make money.”

  I roll my eyes. “I can get a job. I don’t need your pity money.”

  “You’re not listening, Sage. It isn’t pity money. It’s money that I set aside in your name, which is your right. Your mother knew about it. She planned to tell you about it on your twenty-fifth birthday.”

  “How do you know?”

  “Believe it or not, Abagail and I kept in touch. Every three or four years, she would reach out and check in with me. We never spoke long because… well, it doesn’t matter anymore. She didn’t want anyone knowing where you were, so we always kept it short. I had been trying to locate her for the past two years to tell her things had changed. That she could come home. I regret that I was too late.”

  “This is all surprisingly touching and all, but it doesn’t change anything. I don’t want your money.”

  “Then don’t touch it, but it isn’t my money. It’s yours.”

  I shake my head at her. “How much longer is this flight?”

  “About an hour or so.”

  “Great. I think I’ll take a nap.”

  I pop my earbuds in, drowning out her response.

  I have to admit that she’s sparked my curiosity. Why did my mom leave? What did she mean when she said Mom could come home? What kept her away?

  I bite my tongue to stop from asking the questions burning in my mind. They don’t matter. They shouldn’t matter. Curiosity killed the cat and all.

  I need to stay out of trouble long enough to age out. Then I can start my new life away from this new aunt and a family my mother wanted nothing to do with. If she wanted me to know them, then she would have told me.

  I rest my head on the window and lose myself in the music.

  ∞∞∞

  “This is your house?”

  “It’s your house too, but yes.”

  “Do you share it with other families?”

  I marvel at the huge mansion in front of me. After tuning her out on the plane, she left me to myself, only asking if I was hungry or thirsty once.

  “No, Richard and I live here with Victoria. Some staff does stay on premise, but other than that, it’s only us.”

  “Why do you need a house this big?”

  I imagine cleaning it and shudder. It must take days.

  “We don’t need it. Richard picked this house out. When Father died, we considered moving into the family home, but it didn’t feel right, so we stayed here. Besides, Victoria grew up here. I didn’t want to take that away from her.”

  I can tell she’s holding something back. When she mentioned “Father,” she winced. I wonder if he had anything to do with Mom leaving.

  Stop it, Sage. You don’t need to know.

  Parking in a garage big enough to fit at least twenty cars, Alice turns off the engine. “I want to warn you, Victoria’s extremely excited that you’re here. I know you’re not, but please don’t be cruel to her. She’s innocent.”

  I feel a pang of guilt over the way I’ve been treating her. My natural distrust of people comes from my mom. Especially these people. But she’s right. Victoria wasn’t even born when Mom took me away from here, so she’s innocent. I keep that in mind as I exit the car.

  Alice keys a code into the panel by the door before ushering me in. Once inside, she leads me down a hall into a large foyer.

  “Victoria, we’re home,” she calls out, then turns to me. “Richard is away on business, but you will meet him when he gets back later this week.”

  I hear footsteps padding down the hall. I turn to look in the direction they’re coming from, and a body comes to a halt in front of me.

  “Hi, Sage. I’m your cousin Victoria, and I’m beyond glad you’re here.” The girl standing in front of me looks a lot like her mom. Standing about five-six, she has dark hair piled on top of her head. She’s gorgeous.

  “Um, hi,” I manage as I marvel at the pure happiness on her face. Her smile is so bright it could blind me.

  “Can I show Sage to her room, Mom?” Victoria asks.

  Alice glances at me with a frown before pasting a smile of her own on her face. “Of course. I’m sure Sage would like to get some rest. It’s been a long day.”

  Victoria grabs my hand as I clutch my backpack. She begins pulling me down the hall, but I tug her to a stop and turn back to Alice. “Can I start school tomorrow?”

  Alice looks surprised, even though I mentioned it on the plane. “Are you sure?” I nod in response. “Okay. I will make some calls and get it set up.”

  “Thank you. Oh, and my bag?”

  “I will have Thomas bring it up for you.”

  I give her a small smile before letting Victoria continue to pull me down the hallway.

  "Who's Thomas?" I ask her after a few steps.

  Victoria giggles. "The butler, silly."

  What kind of fresh hell did I walk into? A butler? Who has a butler?<
br />
  Apparently we do.

  “I wanted you to have the room next to mine, but Mom said you would probably appreciate some privacy, so you’re down the hall from me. This room is mine.” She stops in front of an open door and gestures inside. “You can come in anytime. I don’t mind.”

  I gawk at the pink that threw up in the room and make a note not to spend a lot of time in there. I hope my room isn’t similar.

  She continues down the hall, this time not pulling me as I follow her. When she reaches the door at the end of the hall, she stops in front of it.

  “Mom and Dad are on the other side of the house, so you don’t have to worry about them. If you plan to sneak out or anything, let me know so I can show you the best way.” She gestures to the door. “This is your room. I hope you love it. Mom tried to decorate it for you, but we didn’t know what you liked, so if you don’t like anything just let us know and we’ll bring the decorator back to change it.”

  When she stops, she sucks in a breath. She’s talking so fast she’s not even taking time to breathe.

  “It’s just a room.” Her face falls slightly so I add, “But I bet I’ll love it. Show it to me.”

  She smiles brightly again. She reminds me of a puppy. Easily entertained, but also sensitive. Then I feel bad for comparing her to a puppy.

  You’re going soft, Miller.

  She opens the door, and I prepare to be assaulted with a ton of pink but am surprised to find the walls painted a light grey. The bedspread is white and brown with some floral design on it. The room is sparsely decorated, with flowers on an end table, a flat-screen TV mounted on the wall, and a couple of art pieces on the walls. What surprises me most is the vanity with a mirror positioned over it. Glancing around, I note there’s no dresser.

  “So, this is a California king. Mom believes everyone should have a comfy bed to sleep in. We made sure the TV is set up with cable and all the normal apps for you to watch. You can order any movies or whatever you want. Mom doesn’t care. They don’t look at the bill either, so no judgement,” She gives me a wink. “Through here is your bathroom.” She gestures to the door on the left. “It’s private, so keep whatever you want in here. The maids will restock anything you use. If you have any soap preferences, let them know and they’ll make sure to get it for you. Mom had the vanity filled with makeup for you. We weren’t sure if you wore it or not. Through this door is your closet.” She goes to the door on the right side of the room and opens it, gesturing for me to go inside in front of her.