Jailbird Read online

  First published Amazon/Amazon Kindle 2021 Copyright © 2021 by Harper B Conway

  Charshade Press Overhead

  All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, scanning, or otherwise without written permission from the publisher. It is illegal to copy this book, post it to a website, or distribute it by any other means without permission. This novel is entirely a work of fiction. The names, characters and incidents portrayed in it are the work of the author’s imagination. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events or localities is entirely coincidental. Harper B Conway asserts the moral right to be identified as the author of this work. Harper B Conway has no responsibility for the persistence or accuracy of URLs for external or third-party Internet Websites referred to in this publication and does not guarantee that any content on such Websites is, or will remain, accurate or appropriate. Designations used by companies to distinguish their products are often claimed as trademarks. All brand names and product names used in this book and on its cover are trade names, service marks, trademarks and registered trademarks of their respective owners. The publishers and the book are not associated with any product or vendor mentioned in this book. None of the companies referenced within the book have endorsed the book. Harper B Conway has no responsibility for any mental distress caused by forewarned material in this work

  Paperback ISBN: (9798523487521) Ebook ASIN (B097KJNRKR)

  First edition

  Editing by V. B. Emanuele / Cover art by Kraken Artistry & HBC / Proofreading by V. B. Emanuele / Editing by Hana Blue C.

  Praise for Jailbird

  With a blend of wit and charm, Harper B Conway is a modern-day Jane Austen.

  Fellow Author

  I highly recommend this book. You feel and hear the emotions in every word. I have read a lot of books, but Jailbird is one of the books that easily catches your attention and hard to put down. You fall in love with all the characters flaws and all including the kids. I’m glad to have been one of Harper’s ARC reader. I’ve read it twice, and I’ll be reading it again and again. Give it a try and you won’t regret it.

  Anonymous ARC Reader

  Jailbird is such an amazing book, I was sucked in and couldn’t put it down. I found myself so invested in the story and characters that I had to keep reading until completion. So many raw emotions I laughed and definitely cried you can genuinely sympathize with the characters. It was very well written….. I can’t wait to see where the story goes next

  Luvmy3monkeys ARC Reader

  Reader discretion is advised

  Some themes in this book may be upsetting to some readers.

  Sincerely, Harper B Conway

  I had loved you when I first saw you. In all black-and-white. I adored you when I first held you. Not a flaw in sight. From the day you were conceived, until the day I die, I will be there to dry your tears, champion your battles, and stay by your side.

  Contents

  1. Prologue

  Chapter 2

  Chapter 3

  Chapter 4

  Chapter 5

  Chapter 6

  Chapter 7

  Chapter 8

  Chapter 9

  Chapter 10

  Chapter 11

  Chapter 12

  Chapter 13

  Chapter 14

  Chapter 15

  Chapter 16

  Chapter 17

  Chapter 18

  Chapter 19

  Chapter 20

  Chapter 21

  Chapter 22

  Chapter 23

  Chapter 24

  Chapter 25

  Chapter 26

  Chapter 27

  Chapter 28

  Chapter 29

  Chapter 30

  Chapter 31

  Chapter 32

  Chapter 33

  Chapter 34

  Chapter 35

  Chapter 36

  Chapter 37

  Chapter 38

  Chapter 39

  40. Jailbait

  Acknowledgments

  Nightingale

  About the Author

  1

  Prologue

  NADIA

  * * *

  "Your parents are going to kill you guys," Margret muttered as the three of us entered my house, only to find ourselves thrust into the midst of a raging house party.

  Furniture was on its side, some of it shattered. The stink of sweet smoke, most definitely not cigarettes, clung to the air and walls, a dense cloud sparkling under the rainbow colored bulbs replacing all the lamps. Our dad was a smoker, I knew the difference. I thought I’d vomit as the smell of stale alcohol and someone else’s sickness caressed my nose. I was going to be in so much trouble. Life as I knew it would cease to exist once our parents got home. Lea, who was following close behind, was evidently not as startled by the scene as Margret and I were. This was her type of Saturday night—— not Margret and I. We had never been to a party like this in our lives.

  There were red cups and rebellious college students as far as the eye could see. The heavy metal music that rumbled from the tv’s surround system was enough to break your eardrums. The lyrics nothing more than a mash of angry screaming. Reaching up to check my ears to see if they were bleeding, I scanned the room, looking for the worthless shaggy haired culprit. My personal pain in the butt.

  "Let's find Tyler," I called back to them. Margret nodded, but Lea was nowhere to be found. Tyler, my older brother, and all around black sheep with an affinity for roping me with his trouble. I sighed, knowing that Lea, no doubt, had gone off to mingle with the party, and would be of no help to us. She was far more rebellious than us, but we still loved her. Mostly. I rolled my eyes as I elbowed my way through the crowd, still scouring for my brother.

  We searched high and low, room after room. I didn’t find Tyler, but I found Lea perched on the lap of a college guy, with his hat on backwards, sipping on a hard lemonade. I scoffed at her, shooting the most disapproving look that I could muster. She didn’t care. No, she just giggled and curled her arms around him tighter, her lips plastered to his stubbly neck. I cringed. Way to just leave us hanging, Lea. Appreciate it.

  "Over there," Margret groaned, thrusting her long finger towards the living room couch. There sat my bother with a couple of his guy friends, and a trashy looking blonde curled up under his arm. Lipstick of the strangest pink smudged across her face and chin, yet still she grinned and giggled as though she looked pristine. I straightened my shoulders, trying to put on my best "tough girl" face, and smoothed the deep blue plaid fabric of my skirt. My school uniform making it hard to look like I meant business. There hasn’t been a girl in a school uniform yet, who looked intimidating, expect for the anime I had watched of course, but that was make believe.

  Chest puffed and shoulders wide, I toiled my way over to the couch where he was sitting, and he lifted his cracked plastic cup at me. I didn’t get it. How could he sit there nonchalantly on the couch, throwing a party that wrecked our parents’ house, all while our parents were out of town? Not a single care in the world. They were going to kill us, well actually, they were going to kill me. Since I was the only one who still lived at home, I, like always, would take the brunt of his troubles.

  "What the heck, Tyler?! Get these people out of here!” I screeched at him, the crack in my voice leaving a namely mess of emotions that no one could take seriously. Yep, there goes the tough girl thing, welcome back Whiney Nadia. Clearing my throat, I cursed at myself for shedding the act so easily. I nervously brushed my hands over my uniform again, then tapped my foot at him.

  "Come on, Nadie, I'll get it all cleaned up before tomorrow, relax." Relax? RELAX? Fumi
ng now, the spreading heat of pure, raw, unbridled rage boiled under my skin. How DARE he tell me to RELAX!

  "Relax?! I need to study for my finals! How on earth am I supposed to do that when this crap is going on downstairs? Not to mention how much trouble you are going to get me into!" I wailed angrily, waving my hands around. There was no hope of remaining calm or tough anymore. The panic of what could happen to me, and the trouble that was certain to come as soon as our parents returned, gripped my nerves. I thought I was going to explode, and no one seemed to care. They all just looked at me like I was some pissy little sister, here to ruin their fun.

  A low, throaty chuckle sounded from beside Tyler, momentarily snapping me from my tunnel vision. I hadn’t even noticed who was sitting with him, other than the girl who mindlessly licked at the shell of his ear like an ice cream cone. How drunk were these people? Sitting next to my brother was a tree of a guy with black jeans, riddled in fraying holes and stains, and a gray t-shirt that pulled tight against the muscles of his chest. A dark tattoo that I couldn't quite make out in the dim lighting peaking under the sleeve. He leaned back, casually smoking on what I knew definitely was not a cigarette. Probably a joint, or so I hoped. His free hand tussled his hair out of his face, revealing the smirk that stained his face.

  "Awww, the little angel has homework.” His tongue slid over his upper teeth as though he was planning to jump up and break my throat out with them. “Bet she's done nothing against the rules in her life." A heavy, cocky voice rolled out of the guy sitting next to my brother, so dark it made my skin crawl in the curiousest way. Laughing from behind the rim of his cup, Tyler nodded his head, agreeing with this jerk.

  With a small chuckle, the guy raked his fingers through his tousled, dirty blond hair once again, giving me a once over arrogantly. Quickly becoming timid and uncomfortable, I wrapped my arms around my chest. I felt my face flushing over, and I wanted nothing more than to take a step away from this rude guy, who, against my better judgment, was actually really handsome. Stop it, Nadia! He just insulted you!

  He was nothing but a hoodlum hanging out with my older brother. He was rude to me. What is my freaking problem? I had a boyfriend! One who was far more respectful and decent than this guy. Why was I getting so flustered? Rage and disappointment quickly slipped into a strange hum of butterflies and clammy hands as the rude guy took a puff of the joint, his eyes never leaving mine. Like a challenge.

  "Run along, goody two shoes." He smirked again, and I almost lost it. I was going to either hit him or kiss him. I wasn’t sure which, but it didn’t matter. I needed to leave, and I needed to leave NOW! But I couldn’t move. I locked my eyes onto the smirk. One of those smirks that I recognized all too well. It was a telltale sign: a guy was no good, and up to no good. One of those smirks that makes your heartbeat uncontrollably, like a stampede in your chest, but always meant trouble. Always.

  "Come on, Nadia, let's just go study at my place. Ok?" Margret yelled over the music from behind me, grabbing at my arm. Biting back tears of embarrassment, I nodded to her. The reality of what was happening sinking back into my thoughts returned the frustrations.

  "I'm not taking the fall for this. I will call dad tomorrow if this isn't fixed." I snapped at Tyler, showing one last bit of strength despite my eyes burning, ready to let the floodgates burst.

  "Alright daddy's girl, bye now." The guy said again, winking at me. Nope. I was going to punch him straight in his pretty mouth. I felt my heart skip a beat momentarily from the wink, but it flitted away as soon as it came. This guy was irritatingly handsome, and he plainly knew it, but he was a jerk with a capital J. A straight-up Jerk.

  Instantly I turned away from my brother and his friend before the waterworks started, my face red with embarrassment, and stomped away, clutching the straps of my backpack tight. Margret and I called to Lea as we left, and she followed. A little begrudgingly, but at least she came. Piling into Margret's run down, clunky car, I frantically wiped the warm tears from my face.

  "They are going to kill me," I moaned into my hands, forcing myself to focus on the trouble to come from my parents, rather than the pathetic feeling of embarrassment from that jerk friend of Tyler’s. "What am I going to do? I never get in trouble. What if they won't let me go to prom?" The waterworks broke free like a flood, and soon I started sobbing into my hands.

  I couldn't get into trouble, I just couldn’t. This was my last week or so of high school and I didn't want to spend it grounded because of my brother being an idiot. They had never grounded me! Never, and I prided myself on that. I sobbed a little harder, burying my face in my hands. This couldn't be happening. What did I do to deserve this?

  Margret placed her hand gently on my arm. “Hey, your parents know you aren't like that. I'm sure you won't get into trouble."

  I sniffled, wiping the snot from my nose with the back of my hand. I sure hoped that she was right. But—— I had a suspicion that she wasn’t. It wouldn’t be that easy. Not this time. I could taste it.

  “I. AM, NOT. A GOODIE TWO SHOES!" I wailed, thrusting my notebook onto the plush ivory carpet where I sat in Margret's room.

  Lea looked up at me, startled, then laughed. Margret and Lea had been my best friends since grade school, they knew me better than anyone one else. We were on our own dream team. Of course, Lea was a little wilder than us, but we loved her anyway, and although we never wanted to go out and be rebellious or take risks with her, she loved us. She was our brutally honest guard dog, who had just enough of a tough girl reputation to keep Margret and me from looking like complete losers.

  Margret was the smart one, always keeping us up on homework and scouting out the sales at the mall to optimize our allowance. She was the motherly one, too. She was fiercely protective of us and was always there with a soda and a shoulder to cry on when things got too demanding. Then there was me—— little ol’ me. Nadia Archer. I never got into trouble. I wasn’t especially smart or especially cool. I wasn’t all that pretty, and I wasn’t great with people. I was just—— me.

  Simmering down her laughter, Lea shook her head my way, pushing her bright, freshly dyed, gray hair behind her shoulders. "You kinda are Nadie. Let's be honest."

  Twirling my light brown hair around my finger in irritation, I chewed on my lip for a moment, forcing back something sarcastic to say. Then finally settled on the not so clever—— I am not."

  Margret giggled in the corner, still glancing down at her textbook. Math. My least favorite subject, and the only one I couldn’t completely pass, no matter the amount of studying. Smiling to herself, Margret tried to stay out of the conversation, probably to spare my feelings.

  Lea swung her legs out in front of her and leaned back on her hands, laughing again. "You don't swear, you don't drink, you don't smoke. You are the last virgin in the senior year. You are a textbook goodie two shoes. I still love you, and there is nothing wrong with that, but it's the truth."

  I rolled my eyes and her, pushing my hair behind my ear. She was right, which inadvertently meant that jerk friend of my brothers was right too. That made my blood boil. I could be reckless if I wanted to. I wasn't against it. I just really wanted to focus on school, getting into a good college and making the best out of my life. I wanted to be a lawyer; I wanted to have money and get out of this stupid small town. I just wanted to be the best I could be.

  "Don't let what that guy said upset you, guys are assholes." Margret chimed in finally. "So, are you staying here tonight?"

  "I guess." I shrugged. Closing my notebook. "Thanks for letting me." I rubbed my neck sheepishly. I wasn’t ready to go back home and face the mayhem, or possibly chaos, at my house. There would be no peace there in the slightest. Maybe Margret would let me just move in.

  Margret got up from her desk chair and came to sit by me, hugging me tightly into her chest. The fuzz of her pinkish sweater tickling my nose. Margret was amazing, and so much like a sister to me. I loved her so very much, and I couldn't imagine life without her. I c
ouldn't imagine life without either of them. I enclosed my arms around her, my baffled tears finally drying. Regardless of what happens, as long as I had them, I was going to be ok. I was still worried about what was going to happen when my parents found out about the party but worrying would change nothing.

  "Ok, so screw this studying, I want snacks." Lea piped up, standing up from her spot on the floor. Margret and I smiled at each other, then giggled at Lea. Snacks sounded good.

  "Let me just call Jake real quick, ok?”

  They both nodded at me. I stood up and fished my phone from my bag. Talking to my boyfriend would help get my mind off of what that jerk said. I knew it.

  2

  NADIA

  Present Day

  * * *

  Exhaustion hit me like a tractor trailer truck, emotionally and physically, when I finally pulled up at the gas station. All I wanted to do was fill my tank, grab a pack of smokes, and finally make it back home to my baby girl. This day had already ground itself into the dirt, and I wanted nothing more than to be done with it and all the responsibilities it held. Or lack thereof.