Chapter 6
It’s my first day at my new school.
I spent all of Saturday and Sunday adjusting to life with the Harringtons. I explored the house and some of the surrounding property, but mostly, I kept to myself. I don’t want to wear out my welcome before it’s really began.
I ran into Axel and Johnny a few times going up and down the stairs. Our interactions were short, polite, and painfully awkward, but at least Axel hasn’t picked another fight since our first night showdown. So... progress?
When I wake up, the shower’s already running.
Twenty minutes later, it still is. I knock politely. No answer.
Wait five more minutes. Water’s still going. Then, I’m pounding on the door like the house is on fire. At this rate, I’m going to be late.
Thirty minutes after my alarm, I give up. No shower for me, I guess. It’s not the end of the world. I showered yesterday, and I keep most of my toiletries in my room. Deodorant, mouthwash, dry shampoo. All of the survival essentials.
Note to self: wake up earlier or claim bathroom priority by force.
I eye the outfit I laid out last night and frown. It doesn’t feel right anymore. After all, this is a new school. A clean slate. I should take advantage of my anonymity.
Here, I’m not the sheriff’s daughter. I’m not the girl everyone avoids because they’re scared of what Joe might do. Ben doesn’t seem like the type to harass my classmates or threaten boys for looking in my direction... at least I hope not.
After a few wardrobe changes, I settle on high-waisted, wide-leg jeans and a pale, yellow crop top that says WILDFLOWER in retro lettering. I leave my curls natural, swipe on some makeup to make my skin glow and my lashes pop, and finish feeling like a ‘70s goddess.
Satisfied, I sling my purple backpack over my shoulder and head downstairs.
The first thing I see is Axel, sitting at the kitchen table with a smug expression and dry hair. My eyes narrow. The shower was still running when I left my room, but obviously, it couldn’t have been him in there. Was it Johnny? Was anyone actually in the shower?
Ugh. Boys.
I pour a cup of already brewed coffee and sit across from him, helping myself to an already cooked stack of pancakes. We don’t speak, but I catch him watching me more than once. Not hostile, just… curious?
“Morning, Lina!” Maryanne says as she bustles into the kitchen. Her silky blue blouse and neatly styled waves scream Monday morning professional.
“Ben wants to see you in his office before you leave for school. There’s no bus out here, so you and Axel will carpool.”
I glance at Axel for his reaction to this news.
“I leave at eight. Sharp,” he says flatly. “If you’re late, I will leave without you.”
Charming.
I offer him a mock salute and head to Ben’s office. He’s at his desk typing when I enter.
“Morning,” he grunts. “I have your new ID.”
He hands it over, and I give it a cursory scan.
Carolina Harrington.
My stomach twists.
“You gave me your last name?” I ask, attempting to conceal my shock.
“It seemed appropriate.” He shrugs.
Appropriate my ass.
My thumb rubs over my new name, letting it sink it. I’ve never given much thought to a name before now, but having Ben’s last name makes this feel more real. Like I’m part of an actual family, even if we are just playing pretend.
Pocketing it, I decide to let it go, for now. I have bigger things to worry about.
“Do you remember the backstory we talked about? People in this town are nosy. They’ll ask questions.”
“Let’s see… we’re sticking to what actually happened, minus the whole murder part.”
Ben grimaces.
“My mom died recently of a heart attack, and I came to live with my ‘uncle’ Ben. Maryanne’s my aunt. Axel and Johnny are my cousins. My real dad’s dead and I never knew him. Everything else is pretty much the same. Did I miss anything?”
“Nope, sounds like you got it. I have something else for you, too.”
He reaches into his desk drawer and hands me a brand-new phone.
“I went ahead and programmed mine, Maryanne’s, and the boys’ numbers into it. You’ll need to keep the location sharing on at all times.”
When I hesitate, he lifts his hands in surrender.
“I don’t care where you go, Lina. You’re almost an adult. Everyone in this family keeps it on for safety. That’s all. Just stay aware of your surroundings, and make smart choices about who you’re with and where you go. This area’s relatively harmless, but we still have crime like anywhere else.”
I blush, my mind having automatically jumped to conclusions of Ben already controlling me. The way he explains it, it sounds like a reasonable request, so I agree. I’m not going to turn down tools that might save my life.
“You’re free to go and do as you please, within reason. Just check in with either me or Maryanne. We trust our adult kids, and we’d like to extend that same trust to you.” He pauses. “Just know, if that trust gets broken, there will be consequences.”
“Sounds fair.”
Ben leans back, his tone softening.
“We’ve added additional security to the property.
Cameras at every entrance, motion sensors along the perimeter, and emergency response alerts that go directly to my office and the FBI.
We also have a private alarm code for you to use if something feels off.
It’s different from ours. I’ll show you how it works. ”
That actually helps. A lot.
“Thanks.”
“Last thing, and then you can head to school. I want you to start training in our home gym with me and the boys.”
I scrunch my nose. “Umm… I’m not exactly what you’d call athletic.”
Ben chuckles. “I’m not asking you to bench press a truck. I want to teach you some basic self-defense. Call me selfish, but I’ll feel a lot better knowing you can handle yourself.”
The idea of working out gives me hives, but I get where Ben’s coming from. If I ‘d learned self-defense years ago, maybe it would’ve saved me from Joe.
“Fine. I’ll do it.”
“Great! The FBI handled all of your ‘transfer’ records and you’re all registered. Just stop by the front office this morning to pick up your schedule. See you after school, Miss Harrington!”
He grins, and I half-heartedly roll my eyes at him, struggling to hide my own.
That smile is immediately wiped from my face when I hear a car start in the driveway. I check my new phone. Eight o’clock on the dot.
“Shit!”
I take off at a sprint. I swear if Axel leaves me on the first day…
I grab my backpack by the front door just as his red car peels out.
“Dammit, Axel! Wait!”
I hoof it down the gravel drive, choking on dust kicked up by his tires. I end up doubled over, coughing hard. Mercifully, the car stops.
When I catch up, I tug the passenger door open to find him laughing.
“Bas… tard…” I wheeze between coughs.
“I told you to be on time,” he teases, clearly amused. He puts the car back in drive.
“I was… talking to… Ben.” I pant, buckling my seatbelt.
He clicks his tongue.
“Excuses, excuses. Be on time after school. I don’t like staying at that dump longer than I have to.”
“Noted.” This time, I take his warning seriously, but it won’t be a problem. It’s not like I have any friends to hang out with anyway.
It takes us five minutes to get back to the main road, then another fifteen to reach town. I stare out the window, chewing on my lower lip, anxiety bubbling up.
The good news is school only started back a month ago. Hopefully, I won’t be too far behind. I’m not sure how Tennessee’s curriculum compares to Arizona’s, but I’m a good student. I have plans, and staying on top of my grades is a non-negotiable.
Axel’s hand suddenly lands on mine. I suck in a sharp breath, but he lets go before I can truly go into panic mode.
“Stop squirming. You’re driving me nuts,” he complains.
“Sorry,” I whisper. “First day jitters.”
He glances over at me, and whatever he sees on my face softens his expression. Just a little.
“You have nothing to worry about. I’m sure you’ll be back on top of the social hierarchy by lunch, Princess.”
“What?” I blink at him, genuinely confused.
He scoffs.
“Please. Don’t be modest. What were you? Head cheerleader? Homecoming Queen?”
Silence stretches between us as I process that. Then, I burst out laughing. He looks at me, bewildered.
“Oh my God! You think I was popular, don’t you? A cheerleader? That’s rich!” I’m still chuckling as I shake my head. “Why in the world would you think that?”
Axel looks sheepish and doesn’t answer right away. For a second, I wonder if he’s gone back to ignoring me.
“Like you don’t know,” he accuses. “I’m not going to feed your ego.”
“Know what exactly?” I smart back. “That I’m a total nerd?
I make straight A’s. I like writing research papers.
I actually enjoy math. Not to mention Joe was a dick and made having any kind of a social life impossible.
He had no problem harassing or arresting my fellow classmates.
Everyone avoided me like the plague, all because I was the sheriff’s stepdaughter. ”
His hands tighten on the wheel.
“Huh,” he says thoughtfully, just as we pull into a parking spot, and I get my first look at our school.
It’s smaller than my last one, but that’s to be expected now that I’m living in a much smaller town. As a positive, the building looks nice and relatively new. Groups of students are already hanging around the parking lot or trickling through the doors.
“Seriously,” I press, genuinely curious. “Why would you think I was popular?”
Axel doesn’t look at me, just kills the engine and grabs his bag.
“Because you’re stunning, Lina.” Axel sighs as he hastens to get out of the car.
My mouth drops open as I sit there, mind racing. Surely, I didn’t hear him right.
He gives two pointed taps on the roof. “Let’s go!”
Snapping back to reality, I shut my mouth and get out. Not knowing what to say, I trail behind him in silence. It’s not that I don’t know I’m naturally pretty with my blonde hair, blue eyes, button nose… but stunning? No one’s ever said that before. Definitely not like that.