Free Love's Destiny (Love Trilogy #2) by Tracey Smith Page A

I was dying to know what was going on. I inched a little closer wishing I could hear what was being said on the other end of the line.
    “Destiny?” my father’s voice startled me and I spun around to face him
    “I was just… uh…” I stammered. “Oh Dad, something’s going on. It’s about Tyler. Mom’s on the phone with Aunt Claire now.” My father’s amused expression immediately turned to one of concern.
    “Why don’t you go back in the other room with Blake, I’ll figure out what’s going on.”
    “Oh. Blake…” I’d totally forgotten he was even here. “Yeah, okay.”
    I slowly walked back into the living room, completely overwhelmed with my concern for Tyler. Hadn’t Mom said something before about him hanging around with a bad crowd? Had he gotten into some kind of trouble?
    “Hey Destiny you missed the best part!” Blake exclaimed as I walked into the living room. “That dude totally just got his head chopped off! Want me to rewind?” Blake asked referring to the ninja movie he’d rented, totally oblivious to my distraction.
    “No, that’s ok. Actually, I’m not feeling well. Do you mind if we finish the movie some other time?” I asked, just ready for him to leave so I could figure out what was going on.
    “Oh. Yeah. I guess… Is it alright if I take it with me? I mean do you mind if I watch it without you?” he asked looking disappointed about turning the movie off.
    “No, that’s fine go ahead. I’ll see you at school Monday.”
    “Okay.” He shrugged ejecting the disc from the player.
    I walked him to the door and was relieved when he was gone and I could go find my parents.
    “Oh Michael, it’s so terrible.” I heard my mother crying as I walked into the room.
    “What’s going on?” I asked. I felt cold, numb. My mother rarely cried.
    “Oh Honey,” my mom said wiping the tears from her cheeks “it’s Tyler. He’s gotten into some trouble. He stole a car and he’s been arrested.”
    I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. Tyler wouldn’t do that. Would he? I realized it’d been almost a year since I’d seen him last, since I’d talked to him.
    “What’s going to happen to him?” I asked my voice barely above a whisper.
    “Charlie is insisting on sending him to this summer military program designed for juvenile delinquents.” My mother shook with fresh sobs and my father pulled her closer to comfort her as she cried.
    I wrapped my arms around myself.
    “That’s not fair!” I insisted finding my voice again “Tyler’s not a juvenile delinquent!” Was he?
    “Destiny it’s not for us to judge. I’m sure his parents are doing what they think is best. Tyler’s had a rough time these last few years…” my father trailed off and I could tell even he had a hard time justifying the decision they had made.
    “It’s not fair!” I said again realizing it was a wasted effort.
    I turned and stormed out of the room and ran up the stairs to my bedroom. The thought of Tyler being locked away in some military camp had my heart aching and I couldn’t hold the tears back. I thought about my childhood friend and of the boy I knew last summer. What had happened to him?
    Pride would not stand in my way this time. I decided I would write him. It was the least I could do. It was all I could do, I realized with despair. I didn’t even know if he could receive letters, but I would write.
    It seemed silly to write as if nothing had happened, but at the same time I didn’t want to pepper him with questions about what he’d done. So while my mind raced with those questions I wrote about everything but.
    I told him about my plans to attend Juilliard, about my busy schedule at school, about working at the bakery. I told him all about Chance and how he’d charmed every teacher in the second grade and even had a few little girls following him around already. I simply wrote to him about anything and everything that was happening in my life. Everything, except Blake.
    My