Meant to Be, page 1
Meant To Be
BY
SIENNA GRANT
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by Sienna Grant
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law
For permission requests, write to the author, addressed “Request: Copyright Approval” at authorsgrant@gmail.com
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.
The authors are in no way affiliated with any brands, songs or musicians or artists mentioned in this book.
Acknowledgements
Well, here we are again. It hasn’t been five minutes since the last book so I’m keeping this short and sweet.
There’s so many people who have made it possible for me to do this, to follow my dreams and do something that I love to do. That goes for old friends and new friends.
I’ve been writing this book for a while now and if it wasn’t for my daughter and her best friend telling me to hurry up and write it - it would probably still be sitting there half done. So thanks Melissa and Sophie for the push.
I’ll be honest, I love writing teen, there’s just something different writing about teen issues. I mean we’ve all been there, some have sailed through the teenage years and others have struggled with one issue or another and it’s issues that shouldn’t be brushed under the carpet but they need to be dealt with head on.
Even though this is a work of fiction it still deals with real life issues and I hope I’ve done it justice.
To everyone who has shared, read, reviewed, thank you so much.
A little shout out to my editor/formatter, Maria Lazarou who always comes through for me, you're my guardian angel. Jen Thornhill my writing wifey, you’re my double, you know what I’m thinking all the time.
There’s so many people that go into making a book possible and you all do it out of the love of my words so for you guys, Joy, Lauren, Rhonda, Sheryl and Tracy I’m sending lots of love and a huge thank you for sticking with me.
Jo-Anne and Brian at Illuminate Author services, you’re amazing thank you.
Last but definitely not least My family, my best friend Shell, my sister, who sits by and supports me no matter what - thank you. I will get you at a signing this year.
To my readers a massive thank you for my reading my work. The messages make me smile whenever I read them and it makes it all worth the graft and the blood, sweat and emotion that goes into a book.
Well that’s it from me for now. See you guys soon..
💖 Sienna. xxx
Blurb
Shelby
The day Jaxon Cartwright walked into my life was the day my whole world turned upside down.
I didn’t expect to fall for his natural charm and wholesome good looks, but he stole my heart completely.
I was his.
Jaxon
I was eighteen, carefree and single, I liked it that way; I had my own problems.
Shelby Andrews threw a spanner in the works. She took my heart into her hands and never gave it back.
She owned me.
They say if it’s meant to be, you’ll find a way, but when the unexpected happens, and assumptions are made, can Shelby and Jaxon’s love survive the roadblocks that are about to be put in place.
Fact
The teenage pregnancy rate in the UK has halved in the last eight years.
There will always be a huge stigma around teenage pregnancy, it’s like babies having babies, but with the right guidance, love, and support, they can go on to be whatever they want to be.
Chapter One
Shelby
“Bye Mum.” Pulling the door shut behind me, I head off to school with my best friend, Addison. It’s September, a new term and the start of year eleven - our final year of high school. I hate school... that’s probably a lie actually - I’ll just be glad to leave. I’m very intelligent and in top sets for almost all my lessons. That’s not a personal perception, but one from the teachers - I hate the tag that goes with it though, ‘swat, brownnose, teacher’s pet...’ I’m none of those things. They don’t bother me though, because nine times out of ten, it’s those very people that ask me to help them with their homework or to help them study for an assessment. Then they’re laughing on the other side of their faces because they have to be nice to me, or of course, if they really wind me up, I make them apologise to me first. I love to watch them squirm. There’s always some kid that likes to make you feel less than they are at school, but I don’t worry about those, they’re not worth my time and effort.
My mum is constantly on my back to work as hard as I can, she wants me to be successful - like her. Personally, I think she wants it more than me, but I’m going to try my hardest.
Walking through the gates, we see Harry Cartwright. Man, that boy is gorgeous. His dark hair is styled on top and shaved at the back, and with his dark eyes and the dimple in his cheek, it makes for good scenery in this crappy school. Although the crowd he hangs around with seem a bit dodgy.
“Oh my God, Shelb, he’s so hot.” My best friend Addison elbows me excitedly.
“Who?” I ask nonchalantly.
“Don’t give me that crap... you know who I’m looking at.”
I smirk knowing she’s talking about Harry.
“Come on,” grabbing her by the arm, I pull her across the yard with me for registration.
“Just one more look, pleeease.”
“Nope, we’ll be late. Anyway, he’s in our registration form - you can swoon then.”
“Don’t tell me that he doesn’t do something to you?” Addison stands still, her arms waving in front of her.
“He’s good-looking, I’ll admit, but I’m not going to give him a reason for his head to swell anymore. Plus, I’d be just another girl out of many that would fancy him.”
“There’s something wrong with you,” Addison says, laughing as we walk to our classroom. Following her in, we take our seats at a table right at the back of the room. The tables we choose today will be ours for the next year or so, depending on when we leave of course.
Wow, I still can’t believe we leave so soon, we’ve got a hard few months of revising and exams coming up though. If I mess about, Mum will kill me. I made her a promise I’d do well, so I’m going to try, at least.
Addison elbows me again but in the ribs.
“Ow.”
She widens her eyes and looks to the front of the classroom, which is when I hear our teacher calling my name…
“Earth to Shelby.” Smiling to cover up my embarrassment, I lift my hand slightly.
“Yes Sir, I’m here,” he grins at me but shakes his head then goes back to the register. I look around the room until my gaze meets the alluring one of Harry Cartwright. He’s staring right at me…
Oh God, that’s all I need. Addison will go mad if she sees him looking at me. He smirks a kind of lopsided smile, it’s quite cute, to be honest. Looking away from him I find something else to fix my sights on, I can’t afford to be getting involved with boys this year.
The bell goes for the end of the day. I’m walking towards the doors as Addison jumps on my back. My rucksack falls to my forearm as I grab her legs and push through the crowds. I drop her outside the doors.
“You’re such an idiot. Addy.”
“It’s why you love me.” She shrugs. “So, did you see any more of that hottie, Harry?”
“No, he’s not in any of my lessons, I thought he’d be in yours.”
“Nope.”
She links her arm with mine as we walk towards the main gates of the school and of course you’ve heard the saying… ‘talk of the devil and he shall appear,’ well yep, he’s outside the gates with his friends. Some of them I recognise from this school, but the others aren’t from here, if they go to school at all.
“Wow, aren’t they the hottie gang!” Addison stares and speaks loud enough for them to hear her as we walk past them. A couple of them wolf whistle, Addison looks back and smiles.
“Will you stop,” I whisper loudly.
“What? Don’t be so boring.”
“You’re so bad,” I tell her as we carry on walking, but laughing too.
Walking a little further on, I hear footsteps behind us, I look back as an arm on my shoulder stops me in my tracks. Looking to the side, I see the infamous Harry.
“Girls.”
Addison is speechless with her eyes wide as I grin politely.
“Hi.”
“We’re going to grab some food, want to come with us?”
“Erm, I can’t, I have to go straight home... but how about you Addy?”
“Not today. Sorry.” Addison says in shock that Harry asked. He never bothered with us last year.
“Okay.” he shrugs, “Maybe another time?”
“Yeah, of course.” We say in unison.
“Cool. See you tomorrow,” Harry says walking backwards from us to join his group of friends. He smiles fully as his dimples popping in his cheeks make him look so much more good looking.
“Oh. My. God. Shelby did you see him, ahh... he’s so HOT.”
While Addy swoons over Harry, the boy with the dark hair and eyes stays in the forefront of my mind. If I thought that Harry was good looking then jeez, this boy is ten times hotter. I don’t think he’s our age though, I’m sure he’s older... I’ll have to ask Harry tomorrow at school. I really shouldn’t be getting involved with boys, reminding myself again of my vow, but damn, it’s going to be hard if he’s around. He’s the epitome of bad boy and one that I certainly shouldn’t be lusting over.
“Hey, I’m talking to you.” Addison pulls me from my bad thoughts back to the here and now.
“Sorry, what...?”
“I was just saying, we should so go with them next time if Harry asks us again.”
“Yeah, definitely.”
With a smile plastered to her face, we walk home to her house.
Jaxon
“Who’s that?” I ask Harry, nudging him with my elbow. We watch them walk away before he turns back to me like some lovesick puppy.
“That would be, Shelby Andrews and Addison Woods.” He turns back to see if he can still see them, then turns back and faces me again.
“Who’s who?” I ask intrigued.
“Shelby is the brunette, Addison is the blonde.”
I feel a smirk stretch at my lips.
“Why? You don’t think you have a chance with one of them, do you?”
“I think I have more than a chance.” Being the big head I am, I give him a chin lift.
“Which one?”
“The brunette. I could teach her a thing or two.”
“She’s way too good for you.”
I tut. “Yeah, whatever. Want her for yourself or something little cousin?” I ask scoffing.
“No... her friend, I thought if I could get friendly with her then Addison would be a dead cert.” My arm wraps around his head holding him in a headlock as I laugh.
“Do one, man.” Harry steps away from me putting his hair straight and begins to walk. I look back and see the girls have gone out of sight, so I catch up to the lads.
I hadn’t been back to the school since I left here. Let’s say the teachers were glad to see the back of me. Smoking at the back of the sports hall, skiving, detentions, exclusion, you name it - I did it. My mum was at the end of her patience with me; she had call after call from the school because of me. By the time I was in my last year, her drinking had got worse, and she didn’t give a shit about me anyway. When Dad was still here, all they did was argue and fight all the time, he eventually left us when I was thirteen, I was going through puberty and didn’t know where to turn. I got kicked out of school in the final year. I’ve never had the love and support that most kids have - I’ve coasted through adolescence, and I’m no better now.
We walk into the local McDonalds in town, I order a Big Mac meal, get a coke and sit down to wait for the others.
“Harry?” I call out.
“Yeah?”
“Grab me some nuggets.” Harry sighs, but orders them anyway. I pull my phone out and open Facebook. I scroll through, but nothing takes my interest, so I open the bag containing my big mac and fries while I wait for my nuggets.
I’m at the school again, for a week I’ve been here trying to get another glimpse of Shelby Andrews. That girl is fucking hot. Looking back down the path, a crowd of kids walks through the gate, but she’s not there. I remember this well, only I didn’t walk out, I ran out – but those were only the days I decided to turn up. Half the time I couldn’t be arsed. The teachers hated me, and I spent more time in detention or skiving than I actually spent here learning.
Half hour passes, the biggest part of the school have left for the day. Stamping out another cigarette under my foot, I’ve come to the conclusion that she either wasn’t here or she’s gone already. Taking one last look, I turn on my heels and walk back home. I’ll ask Harry, see what he can tell me.
Knocking on the door, I wait for an answer. Harry’s mum opens the door with a not so friendly smile for me.
“Hey.” I smile sarcastically at my aunt. She doesn’t like me much, she's my Dad’s sister, but she thinks I’m just like him, a waste of space dickhead. I’m nothing like him, but she refuses to see that.
“What do we owe the pleasure, Jaxon?”
“I’ve come to see Harry. I mean we are cousins.”
“How are your parents?”
“Why don’t you ring and find out. Is he in?” I have no patience for her false niceties.
She holds the door open for me to walk in. “Just like him. A chip off the old block,” she says as I pass.
“Whatever,” I shout as I run up the stairs to get away from the dragon aunt and knock on Harry’s door.
A voice shouts ‘what?’ from the other side, so I walk in. Harry looks up as I enter. He frowns. “What brings you here?”
“I’ve come to see you.”
“Why?”
“Just because. Is that a problem?” I sit down on his bed and flop back. My hands go behind my head as I stare up at the ceiling.
“No, not at all. Except, it must be important if you’ve dared to face Mum.”
“It’s not my fault she doesn’t like me. She likes my sister and my brother but not me, how does that work?”
“Maybe it’s because they haven’t got the same gene pool, don’t you think?” He tells me with a smug grin. I actually have nothing to do with my half-siblings, they don’t live with us, they’re older and have their own lives, they have nothing to do with my mum.
“Hang on a minute, I’m her blood, she should like me.”
“It’s probably why she doesn’t like you.”
“Cocky shit.”
“Now tell me why you’re really here.” He asks with a smirk. “It doesn’t have something to do with a certain brunette, does it?”
“No.” I scoff.
“Have you been to the school today?” I look at him intently as he asks. “You won’t catch her this week, she does dance, and she’s doing exams.”
Trying to look like I’m not interested isn’t working at all because Harry just laughs.
“Screw you,” I tell him.
Dropping the subject of Shelby, I ask him about school and how he’s doing. I don’t want him to turn out like me – I want him to do well. I know he’s got some revising to do so I leave him to it, after an hour, to go home.
“Bye Aunty Sheila. It’s great to see you again. We really must do this more often.” She walks from the living room and props her shoulder against the doorframe. “Shall I tell them you said hi?” I ask. She places her hand on the door, and as I walk over the doorstep, she swings the door shut behind me.
Maybe that’s a no then. Pulling a cigarette from the box, I light it up and walk home.
Chapter Two
Shelby
Last assessment of the week.
Dance is brutal when you have assessments all the time, it’s like every single lesson is one. I sometimes wish I hadn’t taken it – but I love it. I walk from the dance studio with some friends and out towards the main school gates. As we get closer, I see a figure with blue jeans standing and smoking a cigarette.
Oh my god, is that who I think it is?
