Chapter One
Darien
“Oh, man!”
I throw my body against the couch cushions in frustration, twisting the game controller in the air as if I were actually behind the wheel of the wacky vehicle on the big screen TV.
Kade and I have the racing game set to the highest speed, something we’ve never tried before.
But since it might be the last time we get to play together, we’ve decided to go for it.
I jerk forward again, gasping as Kade blocks my car, sending me careening into a boulder.
“Oops.” Kade laughs maniacally, and I growl.
“Curses! You’ll regret that rash move.”
I run my tongue across the top of my teeth, tension coiling in my body. One vicious T-bone, two sideswipes later, and a sore jaw from clenching my teeth—I reign victorious, barely making it across the finish line before he does.
We both go limp, the controllers falling out of our hands as we pant as though we’ve run the LA Marathon.
“Phew,” I say. “I thought you had me up until the last second.”
Kade shrugs. He has a rep in our small circle of friends for being a sore loser. “Well, it wouldn’t be fair for me to beat you on your last night in town.”
I snort. “Yeah, that must be what happened.”
Kade gives me the side eye. “Whatever, dude.”
He launches himself from the couch that takes up most of the space in his studio apartment.
Kade is in one of the older Hollywood buildings, closer to the hills by the sign.
Some of them can be pretty cool, but this one isn’t much bigger than a closet, and I can’t think of anyone who would describe it as being cool.
It’s the type of building that might’ve been built in the early days to accommodate the droves of hopefuls climbing off buses and dreaming of stardom. This particular throwback of a structure boasts charming architectural Deco touches but is primarily a wreck.
The rickety cage elevator hasn’t worked in decades, the ravages of time have been painted over so often the cupboards won’t close properly, and the stains on the ceiling from water leaks past have become a part of the décor.
But it’s what he can afford, and I’m grateful to have a place to spend my last night in California.
I’ve already cleared out of my bedroom in the apartment I was renting with our other friend, Chuck.
He’s stuck working a shift at the fancy French restaurant where he’s a server, so he wasn’t able to join the festivities.
Kade emerges from the bathroom and pads the five steps into the kitchen. Fuck me, it’ll be so great to escape this city, have some room, breathe clean air. Get away from all the noise and chaos. A flutter fills my chest.
This is really happening. I’m really leaving for Arkansas in the morning. I swallow around a lump in my throat. All by myself. Sadly, no one in our crowd but me appreciates calm and nature.
Kade peeks from around the open refrigerator door. “Wanna soda or anything?”
“Nah, I’m good.”
I sniff, clasping my hands before placing them in my lap. Yeah, I’m excited to finally be starting my new life after planning my escape from LA for so long. But I’m also leaving behind everything and everyone I’ve ever known.
Kade takes another five steps from the kitchen toward the couch and plops down next to me, beer in hand. Square footage is for the wealthy. Not one of us in our crowd can lay claim to the W word. Not even close.
He pops the tab of his drink and takes a big slug. He wipes his lips with the back of his hand. “Sorry that you’re stuck sleeping on the sofa bed with me tonight.”
I frown. “What makes you say that? I’m grateful you’re letting me stay.” I whack his knee. “You saved me from having to get a motel. And anyway, it’s not like I haven’t crashed here before.”
Kade takes another gulp, then sets the can on the TV tray. A coffee table would’ve taken up the only space left to walk on. At least the tray can be moved around at will and folded up when it’s in the way.
He glances up. “I just figured maybe Gia would’ve asked you to stay with her tonight.”
Ah, yes. That’s what this is about. He’s fishing for ex-girlfriend gossip.
I rub my mouth to mask my smile. “Dude. The last thing Gia would ask me to do is spend the night with her. We’ve been broken up for over a month.” I look away. “Officially, anyway.”
Kade smacks my arm. “What do you mean by that? You have a side piece?”
I gasp, whirling around to face him. “How could you think that? You’ve known me since the eighth grade, bro. You know how I roll.” I huff. “I’m insulted.”
I don’t say it with much heat, but I am pretty insulted. Cheating is a hard no for me—coming from either side.
Kade holds up his hands in surrender. “Sorry, sorry. Didn’t mean anything by it. I know you guys were at odds for months, but you never said you were breaking up with her until it happened.”
I shift my position on the sofa. “Uh, yeah. About that. I wasn’t the breaker-upper.”
Kade gasps. “Dude. She dumped you?”
“Seriously? That’s how you word it?” I growl in aggravation. “I wouldn’t call it being dumped. Just…things weren’t working out. We weren’t headed in the same direction, like I told you. That’s all.”
“Yeah, no kidding. Totally opposite directions.” Kade sighs. “I gotta be real and say how surprised I was you made it to almost two years with her.”
“You didn’t like her?”
We’d always gotten along as a group pretty well, and Kade never acted as if he didn’t want her hanging around with us.
“No, she was cool. But my guess is you basically had a hard-on for her and nothing else.”
I pinch the bridge of my nose. “We did have things in common, you know. I wasn’t only after her hot body. She’s super smart and funny, we love the same kinds of movies, that sort of thing.”
Kade pursed his lips. “Match made in heaven. Except for the part where you weren’t in love, and you have completely different lifestyles.”
My jaw goes slack. “Who says I wasn’t in love with her?”
“You, if you're being honest.”
I avert my eyes. I’m sure Gia discussed every aspect of our failed relationships with her girlfriends. But Kade and I aren’t like that. He might be my closest, longest friend, but we don’t sit around his apartment sharing our deepest feelings. And as it turns out, it doesn’t seem it was necessary.
“Okay…sure.” I rub the back of my neck. “It wasn’t that kind of madly, passionately in love kind of thing. I still really cared about her though, and I know she cared about me.”
“So what reason did she give for dumping you? All I ever got was the amicable breakup, fit for publication, story.”
I groan. “Must you keep using the word ‘dumping’?”
Kade chugs the rest of his beer and belches. “Sorry. How about unloading you? Setting you free? Uninviting you to the rest of her life?”
“Enough!”
First, Kade chuckles, then I snort, then we both burst out laughing. I don’t know if I’m laughing at our conversation or releasing a buttload of tension. I’m wound up pretty tight from all the abrupt changes and the impending major move.
After we bring ourselves under a modicum of control, I continue. “Look, she basically said out loud what I’ve been feeling for a long time. I never brought it up because I didn’t want to hurt her. Even though I knew I was going to have to. She beat me to the punch, that’s all.”
“See?” Kade smacks my arm again. “That’s what I meant about knowing it wouldn’t work out with you guys.
It’s nothing to do with Gia, she’s cool.
But she’s like wild party girl at night and serious business finance student during the day.
She’s all about designer fashion, trendy restaurants, and the most popular dance club. ”
Kade gestures to me. “Then there’s you. Plant boy.
Loves staying in with his herbal garden and those annoying grow lights, watching movies, or playing video games.
That is, when you’re not trudging up some dusty trail in the Los Angeles National Forest or camping at the base of Mt.
Whitney. There are—or should I say were—dried up old weeds hanging upside down in Chuck’s kitchen so you could concoct whatever weird witch brew you had in the works.
” Kade grunts. “I bet Chuck’s going to really miss that. ”
“Oh, brother.” I roll my eyes. “It would be warlock, not witch, and it has nothing to do with that anyway. I’m an herbalist, hope to be a naturopath someday. I want to help heal people using the earth’s natural resources. How many times do I need to explain it to you?”
I’ve never said this to Kade, but his blind spot about what I want to do with my life gave me the final push to leave.
Initially, the expense of having my own practice in LA was prohibitive.
I’m only twenty-four, so I haven’t established much in the way of credit.
And my barely above minimum wage job in the nursery department of a big-box store won’t inspire anyone to give me a loan.
Once Gia broke up with me? Yeah. It was time. I’ve been researching the Arkansas side of the Ozarks for a while, along with several other states with National parks. And now it seems as though everything in my world has synchronized to give me the final push I needed.
Kade has his head buried in the refrigerator door again. He straightens. “We need a final toast, and I won’t take no for an answer.” A beer comes flying toward me, and I barely catch it before it breaks my nose or chips a tooth.
I smirk. “I think I’ll hold off on opening this for a minute.”
Kade shrugs as he opens his own can. “As if I’ve never drenched the sofa in beer before.” He lands next to me again. “Enough of this nature boy talk. Let’s enjoy your last hours in LA. Should we race again or shoot zombies?”
“Tough call.” I nod slowly, putting on my best serious expression. “Let’s race. I doubt I’ll run into anything otherworldly that way.”
Kade picks up the controller. “One never knows what might happen.”