Date: Tue, 6 Dec 2005 22:28:33 -0500
From: jaden.scott@adelphia.net
Subject: Lover's Lane Chapter 18

This story is a work of fiction.  It depicts a romance between two
consenting adult males and may contain some descriptions of sexual acts,
again between two consenting adult males.  If you are not of legal age to
read this kind of story, please leave now.  If you reside in an area where
reading stories that include sexual situations between two consenting adult
males is illegal, please leave now.  This story is for entertainment
purposes only.  Any similarity to any person(s) living or dead is simply a
coincidence.  The author retains all rights to this story.  It cannot be
reproduced in any form without expressed written permission from the author
(me).  Please contact the author for any requests. Copyright 2005.

Feedback (and criticism) is ALWAYS appreciated and welcome.  Please respond
to this story at: jaden.scott@adelphia.net

I look forward to hearing from all of you and I will respond if you write
to me.  Thanks to all of you who have written so far with your encouraging
words.  I have appreciated every one of them.  Jaden

**Please watch for changes in POINT-OF-VIEW**

I apologize that it has taken me so long to post this new chapter of
Lover's Lane.  I took a break for a few weeks, then Thanksgiving came, and
now with Christmas coming up, I've been pretty busy lately.  Hey-I got all
of my Christmas shopping done!!  Hooray for me!!  Here's hoping this latest
chapter finds you safe (and warm--if you live someplace that's cold, like
Ohio is right now) wherever you may be.


LOVER'S LANE

by Jaden

>From the end of Chapter Seventeen:

**JADEN'S POINT OF VIEW**

 I scooted over so that I was sitting closer to Lane.  Our bodies were
touching.  I leaned my head against the back of the couch.  Lane reach down
and tentatively grabbed my hand.  I intertwined my fingers with his.

No more words were needed tonight.  A feeling of peace and contentment the
likes of which I never had before took over my entire body.  For the first
time ever, the future didn't look dark and scary.  In fact, I could clearly
see the light at the end of the tunnel.  Even the tunnel didn't look so
long anymore.

CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: LIMBO

**LANE'S POINT OF VIEW**

I awoke and slowly opened my eyes.  Sunlight was streaming into my room
through the windows, causing everything to be awash in golden hues.  I
realized the blankets had come off my naked torso sometime during the
night.  It was cold in my room!!  I quickly drew the covers around me and I
snuggled under the soft blankets.  I started to feel warm and content.
Suddenly, I remembered something.  Today made it only nine more days until
Christmas!!

I had to hold off my excitement surrounding the thoughts of Christmas as I
remembered the two finals I still had to take before I could go home for
the holiday break.  All I had been doing recently was studying.  It had
always been a minor struggle to discipline myself to study during normal
classes because my friends could be very distracting.  But, my grades and
my future were important to me, so I made time to keep up with my
schoolwork.  Around the time of finals, it was especially important to
sacrifice having fun with my friends and dedicate myself to studying.  I
had barely seen most of my friends during the past week, and that included
Jaden.  We still met each morning for our daily workouts, but the only
other time I saw Jaden was three nights ago when he had dinner over at my
house.  He had been studying a lot too, either holed up in his apartment,
at the library, or with his study group.

'Of course, it really didn't matter if Jaden and I were spending time
together.' I thought rather bitterly.  'LANE!!  Stop thinking that way!!' I
told myself.  I'm not sure exactly when it happened, but at some point I
noticed I was starting to feel impatient with the slow progress of Jaden's
recovery.  It seemed like he really hadn't gotten any better or moved
forward in the last three months.  I had to keep reminding myself that I
promised to stick by him and wait for him to be ready to start a
relationship.  However, it was becoming increasingly frustrating to keep
that promise.

The night of the dinner, the night when Jaden told me about his past, had
been absolutely amazing.  It almost defied description.  Jaden and I had
made a deeper connection that night.  He...he even KISSED me!!  It was a
simple kiss, very soft and very innocent.  I could remember sharing more
passionate kisses with some of the GIRLS I dated in high school.  But, the
kiss that Jaden and I shared that night was absolutely the favorite kiss in
my memory.

A feeling of happiness had taken over me that night.  At the time, I think
I could have died peaceful and content, without any regrets.  The way that
Jaden made me feel was beyond comparison.  In fact, since that night, I
never thought about Zach anymore.  Zach was the past and Jaden was my
future.  Everything Jaden told me about his life until now answered most of
the questions I had about him.  He made sense to me now.  The mystery of
Jaden Scott had been revealed.

I clearly remember my thoughts after he told me his story.  I thought how
unfair life could be.  I didn't understand how something so horrible could
happen to such a sweet, kind, and compassionate person like Jaden.  Once I
heard the whole story, I realized that the one emotion I never heard from
him was bitterness, even though he had every right to feel that way.  He
was such a strong person, and I hated the fact he couldn't see that in
himself.

His...existence...sounded so lonely.  He wasn't living or, at least, he
wasn't living life to its fullest potential.  I felt sorry for him and for
the struggles he had to face on a daily basis.  One overwhelming emotion
that coursed through me that night besides my feelings for Jaden was
complete hatred for that asshole Leon.  That particular emotion hadn't
subsided, even though it was three months later.  If Leon wasn't dead, I
think I might have hunted him down to exact revenge for what he put Jaden
through.  Nobody, absolutely nobody, deserved that kind of treatment,
especially my Jaden.  At the time of our talk, I really felt like I
understood it wasn't going to be an easy road to walk with Jaden,
especially at first.  I knew that if I wanted him, I was going to have to
wait.  But, I liked him so much, even after finding out about his past,
that I decided it would be worth it to help him work through his problems.
I wanted a chance to have a relationship with Jaden and, at the time, I was
willing to wait as long as needed to get that chance.  I felt committed to
him that night, in a way I had never experienced before.

But now, while I still felt strongly committed to him, I had to admit those
feelings weren't as powerful as they were in the beginning.  During the
first month after 'the talk', I was very strong, providing support,
encouragement, and anything else Jaden needed.  Month two came along, and I
still felt really good.  I was able to stay positive and keep my fears in
check.  But, as month three was coming to an end, I was starting to doubt
if Jaden would ever fully heal and be ready to have a relationship with me.

I was starting to doubt if he still 'liked' me anymore.  I knew he still
considered me a friend, but I wasn't sure if his feelings ran any deeper
than that.  I had a reason to be suspicious because--he gave me nothing!!
We didn't flirt with each other anymore and we didn't have any more deep
discussions about our lives or anything personal.  In fact, we rarely hung
out alone.  We didn't really have a chance to talk during our workouts.  He
always came over to my house to see me and, between my roommates and their
girlfriends, someone was constantly at the house.  We never had another
discussion about what was or wasn't going on between the two of us.
Sometimes it felt like that night, the night of 'the talk', hadn't
happened.

We were stuck in a weird state of limbo.  Sometimes, I wanted to place the
blame of where we were at solely on Jaden's shoulders.  But, the truth was,
I was equally responsible for the state of our relationship.  I hadn't done
anything direct, like bringing up the subject to discuss with Jaden.  In my
defense, however, I wasn't sure if I could do that.  I told Jaden I
wouldn't push him, or do anything to make him feel uncomfortable.  But now,
as things continued to get worse between us, I was starting to think that
maybe I should say something to him.  I'd been waiting for him to make the
first move, but now I wasn't sure if he would, or even if he knew how.  I
had to keep reminding myself that Jaden had never been in a relationship
before, and he probably didn't know what he should or shouldn't be doing in
terms of our relationship.

Dammit!!  What am I supposed to do??  Part of me felt like I should take
the lead with Jaden, but the other part told me that I needed to wait.  It
was important to me that he take the first step, so I would know that I
hadn't pressured him into doing something he wasn't ready for or didn't
want to do.

Right now, I need to stop all of this complaining, I told myself.  Let me
make it through finals and the holidays and I'll reassess this situation
after the new semester begins.  I looked over at the clock and saw that it
was 9:30AM already.  I usually loved Sundays, especially Sunday mornings,
because it was the only day of the week I could sleep in really late.  But,
I needed to get up and start studying for finals.  Against my own will, I
forced myself out of bed.  Time to get this day started!!  I knew that I
needed to get a lot of studying done today, so I forced myself to get
Mr. Jaden Scott out of my mind.  I'll deal with him later.


**JADEN'S POINT OF VIEW**

The loud ringing cut through the peaceful quiet of my apartment like a
knife.  The noise startled me so much that I dropped the book I was reading
and it fell to the floor with a loud thump.  What the hell is that noise??
I thought for a second until I finally realized it was my cell phone.
'It's finals week!!' I screamed in my head.  'Whoever's calling me had
better have a really good reason!!'

I looked over at my alarm clock and saw that it was 12:30PM.  I had been
studying so intensely that I didn't realize four hours had passed since I
first started.  George was lying quietly on the floor, giving me the space
I needed to get my work done.  I found my cell phone sitting on my dresser
and I picked it up.  I looked at the caller ID.  It was one of my parents!!

"Hey mom." I said as I answered the phone.

"Hi honey.  You're dad is on the line too."

"Hey dad.  How are you guys doing??"

Now that I had recovered from the shock of the phone ringing, my mind went
to work.  Why were my parents calling me so early on a Sunday??  That was
unusual, which peaked my curiosity.  We usually spoke in the early evening,
so I realized something must be up if they are calling me at this time.

"We're doing good, kiddo." my dad replied.  'Kiddo' was my dad's pet name
for me ever since I was little.  I hated it.  "How's the studying going??"

"Ok, I guess.  I've got two more finals to take and I'm really stressing
out about them.  But, I guess that's usual for me."

"Do your best, like always.  That's all we ever ask of you.  Don't worry,
sweetheart, you'll do fine!!  We have confidence in you!!" my mom said,
attempting to encourage me.

I guess that's what parents are supposed to say to you at finals time, but
didn't they remember the pain of taking a final??  They both went to
college.  Do awful memories fade over time??

"So, what's up??  I was expecting to talk to you guys tonight.  Is...is
everything alright??"  It suddenly occurred to me that they might be
calling with bad news, since we weren't talking at our normal time.

"No need to worry, kiddo, everything's fine.  But, your mother and I did
want to discuss something with you, and we couldn't wait until later." my
dad replied.  "Something's come up, and we wanted to get your input."

"OK.  What is it??"  I still felt slightly apprehensive.  What could
possibly be going on??

"Well, as you know, Christmas is next week.  Your mother and I got
presented with a unique offer for Christmas, and we wanted to know how you
felt about it."

"OK, OK, tell me already!!"  I was getting impatient.  My dad had a
tendency to take his time getting to the point.  Right now, during the
stress of finals week, it was really starting to frustrate me!!

"An opportunity came our way.  We were having dinner with our friends Cliff
and Robin last night, and they told us that a spot had opened up on the
cruise they are taking to the Caribbean over the Christmas holidays.  The
cruise leaves this Friday and returns the following Saturday.  Your mother
and I haven't had the chance to take a vacation in quite awhile, so we were
thinking about going on this trip.  If we go, we have to make our
reservation this afternoon.  How would you feel if we were gone on
Christmas day??"

My parents wanted take a vacation...during Christmas!!  The question caught
me off-guard, and I wasn't sure what I feeling about this whole idea.

"Of course, our main concern is for you, honey." my mom said.  "There's
only enough room on the cruise ship for your father and me.  Otherwise,
we'd take you with us.  We wouldn't be together on Christmas Eve or
Christmas Day.  Is that something you think you can handle??"

I still wasn't sure how to feel about this news.  But, I knew my parents
worked very hard at their jobs and rarely took the time to do anything for
themselves.  They deserved to go on this trip.  Plus, it wasn't like I was
a little kid anymore.  Sure, Christmas was fun, but the excitement had sort
of waned over the last few years as I got older.  Christmas morning just
wasn't the same as it was when I was five or six years old.  We celebrated
Christmas, but we didn't make a big deal out of the holiday anymore.

"I...I guess it would be alright.  I'll have George with me so I won't be
completely alone."  A thought suddenly occurred to me.  "Maybe I'll just
stay up here at school and come home at the end of next week."

"You know honey, we were thinking that maybe you could spend the holiday
with Lane and his family, since they live so close."

Hmmm, now that's a possibility I hadn't had time to consider.  But...could
I crash Lane's Christmas with his family??  Wouldn't I be imposing on
them??

"If you're worried about asking them, you shouldn't be.  I already spoke to
Kathy and Mike and they said you were more than welcome to spend the
holidays with them."

'MOM!!'  I shouted in my head.  I kept forgetting that my parents had
become friendly with Lane's parents.  The first step toward that meeting
was when I finally told my parents about Lane, which had been about two
weeks after the night I told Lane about my past.  I don't know why I waited
so long to tell them.  I guess I was nervous.  First of all, I hadn't had
any friends since I was ten years old.  Plus, since Lane was slightly more
than a friend, I was worried how my parents would react to the news.  My
parents and I rarely spoke about my sexuality.  Since I hadn't dated
anyone, there weren't too many occasions for the subject to come up.  I
knew that my parents loved me, but telling them about Lane would be the
first time they had to directly confront my sexuality since I had announced
to them that I was gay.

Thankfully, I had nothing to worry about.  My parents were thrilled that I
had made a friend.  I decided not to let on that there was something more
going on between Lane and I, but I think they figured it out anyway.  Even
if they wanted to know more about our relationship, they didn't push me.
They were respectful of my feelings, and I loved them all the more because
of that.

So, when my parents came up to visit me in early November, they naturally
wanted to meet Lane.  It just so happened that Lane's parents came to visit
him on the exact same weekend.  My parents and Lane's parents ended up
meeting and, before long, my mother and Lane's mom were acting like long
lost friends.  Both of our fathers got along really well too.  I had to
stifle a laugh at both Lane and his parent's reaction to how young my
parents were.  They couldn't believe that my parents had a 21-year-old
son!!  Lane's parents were only about ten or eleven years older than my
parents, but it was still a shock to them.

Before they left to go home, my parents asked me if there was something
more going on between Lane and I than just friendship.  I guess they could
sense a certain tension between us.  I told my parents that I liked Lane,
but we were staying friends until I was able to recover fully.  Once I
confirmed that a relationship with Lane was a possibility, my mom started
teasing me every once in a while by referring to Lane as her 'son-in-law'.
Mothers!!  Can't live with them, can't kill them!!

"Oh, really??  Lane and I haven't discussed anything about the holidays.
In fact, I'm not sure if we were planning on seeing each other over the
break." I said.

"What's wrong, honey?  I thought you and Lane were getting along great.
Is...is everything alright between you two??" my mother asked me.

Boy, I didn't even know how to begin answering that question.  What was the
status between Lane and I??  Lately, I wasn't sure.

The night I told Lane about my past had been magical.  I would dare say it
was almost perfect.  Lane and I had gotten much closer that night.
Everything he said and did had been right on the money.  Despite
Dr. Swatt's warnings going through my head, I started to feel like Lane was
my boyfriend.  I was the happiest I had ever been in my life.  Sometimes, I
wish we could have stayed in that moment forever.

But, by the next morning, I began to feel embarrassed by what I had told
Lane.  The side of me that was terrified of intimacy started to take
control of my thinking.  I had kissed Lane, which I regretted doing because
I didn't want to give him the false hope that I was ready to start a
relationship with him.  Those first few days after "the talk", I felt
incredibly shy and acted very awkward when I was around Lane.  It was
almost like we were back at square one.  I felt very much like I had on the
first day I met him.

Lane was true to his word to support me during my recovery process, and I
was incredibly grateful to him for doing that.  He never pushed me
concerning the status of our 'relationship'.  He was, very simply, my
friend.  And, at first, I really needed him to do that for me.  I was
determined to work through my issues once and for all.  To that end, I
started seeing Dr. Swatt twice a week for therapy sessions.  She forced me
to confront my demons and I met the challenge, battling them head on.

And, it was working!!  My nightmares about 'IT' were gone.  I hadn't had
one for almost a month and a half now.  I was feeling better and better
every single day.  At first, a lot of our discussions centered on Leon and
the specific things he had done to me while I was kidnapped.  It was
incredibly painful to keep reliving those memories.  But, I made up my mind
to put these things behind me, so I kept at it.  The change happening
inside of me was taking place so slowly that I didn't realize it at first.
Around the same time I noticed the nightmares becoming less frequent, I
began to feel a sense of peace concerning Leon and the sexual acts he had
subjected me to.  For the first time, I was putting my ordeal behind me.

After awhile, Dr. Swatt and I were talking almost exclusively about my
relationship issues.  It felt like a war was raging inside of me, with the
side that wanted a relationship with Lane fighting against the side that
was completely scared by the possibility.  This battle, if you will, was
definitely affecting how I was interacting with Lane.  At first, I had
purposely pulled away from him because I knew I wasn't ready.  But now, it
seemed like things were starting to get awkward between us.  I wasn't sure
how to put a stop to that.

Lately, the most amount of time Lane and I spent together were during our
workout sessions.  We never really had a chance to talk while we were
exercising and, when we did speak, it was mostly pleasantries or something
about school.  I never invited Lane over to my apartment to hang out
because that meant we would be alone and I was terrified of that prospect.
His house always seemed to be the safer place to get together and hang out.

I didn't know much about being in a relationship, but even I could figure
out that if we kept up the way we were going, we wouldn't have much of a
friendship left, let alone a romantic relationship.  But, I wasn't sure
what to do or how to stop us from continuing down the path we were on.  I
was too scared to try anything with Lane and I was equally afraid of losing
him.  I was trapped inside of my conflicting emotions, which led to
paralyzing inaction.

Even my doctor was starting to wonder if Lane and I were going to get
together.  In the beginning, Dr. Swatt was completely against the idea of
Lane and I trying anything romantic.  But, as I started to recover and our
sessions focused more and more on my relationship issues, her attitude
changed.  During our last two therapy sessions, Dr. Swatt had come right
out and verbally endorsed the idea of me dating.  She was even starting to
give me relationship advice!!  She warned me not to wait too long or else I
risked the window of opportunity closing for Lane and me.  Something needed
to change because the path we were on was leading nowhere.

I admit that part of me was hoping Lane would make a move, but he continued
to stick to his promise to give me the time and space I needed to heal.  It
was almost annoying how true to his word he was being.  I wasn't sure how
to indicate that I wanted something more to happen between us, even though
I was scared to death at the same time.  There were a few instances when I
almost said something to him, but my fears were able to effectively keep my
mouth under lock and key.  I hoped I would be able to find the key and use
it before I lost him forever.

"Things between Lane and me are fine." I lied.  "We've both been so busy
with studying for finals that we haven't had time to discuss our plans for
the holidays yet."

"OK, honey.  Talk to Lane when you get a chance and figure out what you
want to do for Christmas."

"So I guess this means you guys are really going on this trip??" I asked,
feeling a bit defeated.

"We'll only be gone for a week, kiddo.  We'll get to see you when you come
home on Thursday, and we'll still get to spend a lot of time together after
we get back." my dad said.

There was no stopping them.  I took a deep breath and resigned myself to
the fact that this was actually going to happen.

"OK you crazy kids.  Go have fun on your cruise.  You have my blessing."  I
paused for a second before I continued speaking.  "There is one thing,
though."

"Uh-oh.  What is it??" my mom asked apprehensively.

"I want something more than a lousy t-shirt for a souvenir, got it??" I
said with a laugh.

"But honey, the t-shirts are the best part!!" my mom tried to protest.

"Whatever.  Get creative.  I mean, you'll have a whole week to find
something for me.  And, don't think that means you get to buy me one less
gift for Christmas.  I expect my usual bounty!!" I declared.

"Fine, fine.  You win!!" my mom said with a defeated sigh, though I heard a
smile in her voice.

"OK, I've got to get back to the books.  My next final is in twenty
hours!!" I exclaimed.

"Good luck, honey."

"Take care, kiddo.  We'll talk to you in a few days."

"Bye mom.  Bye dad."

I hung up the phone and tried to let this turn of events sink into my mind.
My parents would be gone for Christmas!!  George and I would be on our
own!!  I wasn't thrilled with the idea, but I loved my parents and wanted
them to be happy.  If this cruise made them happy, then I was willing to
make a sacrifice.

The issue I had to deal with now was what I would be doing for Christmas.
Would Lane's family mind if I spent the holidays with them??  And, what
about Lane??  With everything that had been going on with us lately, would
he even want to spend Christmas with me??


**LANE'S POINT OF VIEW** I was sitting on the porch, staring out the window
watching the cars drive by.  I was waiting for Jaden to come over to my
house.  He called earlier, rather unexpectedly, and said he wanted a study
break and needed to get something to eat.  I invited him over to have
dinner with Nick, Kelly, and me.

I had spoken to my mom earlier in the day and she told me about Jaden's
parents and their plans to go away for Christmas and the possibility that
he would be spending the holidays with us.  She mentioned that Jaden's
parents were going to speak to him today, so she wanted me to be prepared
in case he asked about spending Christmas at our house.  I wondered if
Jaden would actually WANT to spend Christmas with me.  I really wanted to
spend time with him, but it had to be his call.  He had to tell me that he
wanted to come over.  As much as I felt like forcing him, I knew that he
needed to be the one to make this decision.  In a way, I felt like if he
chose to spend Christmas with my family, and me he would be telling me he
wanted something more to happen between us.  That's why it was so important
to me that he came of his own free will, and not because I put his back
against the wall and MADE him come.

The sound of a barking dog broke me out of my thoughts and I saw Jaden and
George trudging through the snow on our driveway.  Nobody had bothered to
shovel it since the last snowfall, but, then again, it was finals week!!
Nothing else mattered, especially chores like shoveling!!

I got up and opened the porch door.  A gush of cold air rushed in, chilling
me instantly.

"Hurry up, you two. It's freezing out there!!"

Jaden let go of George's leash and he came running up the steps and onto
the porch.  As usual, George was visibly excited to see me.  Even though my
relationship with Jaden had softened recently, George and I were still as
tight as ever.

"Hey George!!  How are you buddy!!" I said as I bent down to scratch him
behind his ears.

Jaden finally made it up the steps and onto the porch.  I closed the door
as quickly as I could.

"Hey Jaden."

"Hi Lane." Jaden mumbled.

Wow, what a warm and friendly greeting, I thought sarcastically.  Hopefully
this night won't be as bad as I'm starting to think it will be.

All three of us walked into the living room.

"Something smells good in here." Jaden remarked.

"Yeah, at the last minute, Kelly decided to cook for us.  She said
something about pizza not being 'brain food'.  I don't know what that
means.  It's all the same to me!!"

"Well, I could use a good home-cooked meal right now. I've been existing on
nothing but cereal and fruit for almost three days now!!"  Jaden said with
a smile.

A smile!!  That was something a little more positive.

I sat down on the couch and Jaden sat down on the opposite end from me, as
far away as possible.  I desperately wanted him to be closer to me, and I
had to resist the urge to scoot towards him.  'Give him time, give him
time.' I thought.

"How is your studying going??  Are you ready for your final tomorrow??" I
asked him.

"Just about.  I'll put in a few more hours tonight, then I'm going to try
and get a good night's sleep.  How about you??"

"I'm OK.  I was planning on doing the same thing tonight."

"I was going to say great minds think alike, but there is only one 'great'
mind in this room!!"  Jaden said with a laugh.

WOW!!  What's going on??  I haven't heard any type joke or sarcastic
comment from him in weeks.  It felt really good.  Maybe all we need to do
is get through finals and the holidays and then we'll get back on track, I
thought optimistically.

We proceeded to make small talk for a few minutes.  Nick came in and joined
us and, soon enough, we were playing a video game while we waited for
dinner to be ready.  We were having a good time, laughing and joking
around.  Before long, Kelly announced that dinner was ready.  The food was
excellent, but I expected nothing less because Kelly was a great cook.  I
anticipated that Jaden would mention something about Christmas during
dinner, but he didn't.  The longer he went without saying anything, the
more and more discouraged I got.

When dinner was over, Jaden, Nick, and I did the dishes since Kelly had
done all of the cooking.  The three of us had the kitchen and the dining
room back to normal in no time!!

"Well, I need to be heading home to finish studying." Jaden announced.

I felt like a nail had been driven into my coffin.  I was really expecting
him to mention something about Christmas.  Well, we still had a few more
days of school left.  Maybe he's thinking it over.  I can't let myself get
upset about this.

Jaden got his winter garb on, then attached George's leash.  I walked with
them to the porch.  Jaden put his hand on the door, and I was just about to
say goodbye when he started speaking.

"Um, Lane.  Could I talk to you for a minute??"

He had his back to me, so I couldn't see his facial expression, but he
seemed really nervous all of the sudden.  Was this it??  Was he going to
ask me about Christmas??  I tried to calm myself down.

"Sure, Jaden.  What's on your mind??" I said as casually as I could.

He turned around to face me, keeping his eyes rooted firmly to the ground.

"Um...I'm not sure if your mother has spoken to you yet, but my parents are
going out of town for Christmas this year.  Apparently, my mom spoke to
your mom about the possibility of letting me spend some time with you and
your family during the holidays."

HE'S...ASKING...ME!!  I tried to contain the excitement I was feeling.

"Actually, my mom called earlier today and mentioned something."  I had to
bite my tongue before I invited him over.  I wanted him to ask me.

"Oh, good.  Well, um, since my parents are going to be gone, I was kind of
hoping I could come over to your house and spend Christmas with you this
year." He said timidly.  "Would that...would that be alright with you??  I
don't want to impose on you or your family."

Would that be alright with me??  'Of course!!' I wanted to shout, but I
managed to control myself.

"Yeah, Jaden, I think that would be cool, as long as you want to come
over."

After I made that comment, Jaden lifted his eyes until he was staring into
my own.  I could see so many emotions in his expressive eyes-hope, longing,
and even fear.  I got chills down my spine.

"I...I want to.  We...we h-haven't gotten to s-spend much time together
lately.  I think it will be fun." he managed to get out.

YES!!  He ASKED to come over!!  He WANTS to spend time...with ME!!  This
was very encouraging.

"I think it will be great too.  You'll finally get to meet Sarah and her
husband, and my brother Connor!!  We'll have lots of fun, I promise." I
said with a huge smile.  I just couldn't contain it anymore.

A look of relief washed over Jaden's face, and I suddenly realized
something.  He was just as unsure if I wanted him my family's Christmas as
I was that he wanted to spend Christmas with me.  Boy, we really need to
talk, and soon.  We are getting too far off track.

"Thanks, Lane.  I really appreciate this."

"Like I said, it will be fun.  I'm looking forward to it."

We stared at each other for another few seconds.  I could tell he wanted to
say more, but something prevented him from doing so.  Come on, Jaden!!  I
was trying to will him to talk, but he couldn't do it.

"OK, Lane.  We'll work out the details later.  Right now, I need to get
home.  I'll see you in the morning for our workout."

"Good night, Jaden.  See you tomorrow."

With that, Jaden and George left and started their journey home.  I watched
them until they were out of sight.  I flopped onto the couch and stared at
the ceiling.  Jaden was going to spend Christmas with me!!  I was really
excited about that.  This knowledge really helped to re-ignite my resolve
to stick with him.  I think it's finally happening.  Jaden is starting to
heal.  There's a chance for us to get together.  I wasn't sure, but I had a
feeling this would be a Christmas to remember.


TO BE CONTINUED

Be on the lookout for Chapter 19 coming soon!!

FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK, FEEDBACK---This is lifeblood for us writers, so please
drop me a quick line.

My e-mail address is: jaden.scott@adelphia.net