Chapter 2
TWO
The bus station bench was hard and cold through the back of her thrift-store sundress, and the lights buzzed overhead with a flicker that got on her last frayed nerve. April Taylor crossed and uncrossed her legs as she twisted the strap of her duffel bag around one wrist like a tourniquet.
Shane was late. But he was coming. He had to be.
She glanced at the giant clock above the ticket counter. Twenty minutes before their bus left.
He said he’d meet me here. They were supposed to be on their way to California, kissing this shitty little town goodbye and leaving every bitter memory behind.
He was going to defy his family and join the Navy, become a SEAL.
She was going to work for one of the tech start-ups and build something amazing, then retire as a multi-millionaire at twenty-five.
Shane had told her if that didn’t work out, she was gorgeous enough to be an actress or a model.
He’d also told her he loved her. That he’d marry her once they were settled.
That was the plan. Their plan.
She blinked hard, eyes burning.
All throughout the graduation ceremony yesterday, April kept telling herself it was the last time she’d see any of those assholes from high school again.
Especially Leslie Trent. It wasn’t good enough that Leslie and Shane were the king and the queen of Homecoming, and the Snow Ball, and the prom, while April stayed home pretending she didn’t care about a stupid dance.
Leslie Trent had booted April right out of being valedictorian with that smirky smile and her lies about April cheating on her mid-term exams. Those lies had cost April a full-ride scholarship to Stanford.
Leslie Trent had ruined April’s life out of jealousy over Shane.
April clenched her jaw. She’d done everything she could to prove her innocence, but the principal stared right through her while she laid out her case, then told April she was lucky she wasn’t getting expelled.
She should’ve known the system would never let a girl like her win. Not when she came from a family of drug dealers and black sheep. Not when everyone in town was just waiting for her to screw up and prove they were right about the Taylors—every last one was a criminal and a loser.
But Shane hadn’t cared about any of that.
Had he?
She glanced toward the door again. Ten minutes.
Still no Shane.
April never thought she’d be the girl to catch Shane Foti’s eye. Not in a million years.
Shane was the kind of guy who’d been born with a spotlight already shining on him.
Rich, handsome, athletic—destined for prom king before he’d even gotten to high school.
The kind of boy who never had to try too hard because the world just..
. tilted in his direction. Teachers smiled at him.
Girls practically melted into their lockers when he walked by.
And the guys? They could have been jealous but most of them liked him anyway. Shane Foti had swagger.
Everybody wanted to be his best friend but he’d kept the friends he’d made as a kid.
There was Elias, the charming disaster. Waylon, quieter but just as dangerous.
Gabe, the golden retriever of the group, all kindness and decency.
Badger, who was exactly as obnoxious as his nickname.
Sean Volker, who threw a baseball like God’s favorite pitcher and whose last name spoke of generations of successful Coloradans.
Teachers and old-timers nodded approvingly at everything he and his little sister did.
And then there were the two big guys—Jon Behr, but no one dared call him anything but Bear.
And Ben. Sweet, stammering Ben who people whispered about like he was slow, which just showed how little they paid attention.
April had shared honors classes with him.
Ben always sat in the back, quiet as a shadow.
Teachers forgot to call on him half the time.
Students barely noticed him at all. But April did.
And she knew the truth. Ben wasn’t dumb.
He was a goddamn genius who just didn’t like taking up space or making noise.
Maybe that’s why Shane had paid attention to her. If he had a smart, quiet friend like Ben, then he could see beyond the pretty, popular girls always vying for his attention. See her—smart, hard-working, determined to make a better life for herself.
They were friends, sure, especially since she was constantly helping him out.
However, April never expected Shane Foti to fall for her.
Fall hard enough to share his dreams with her and to take hers seriously.
Just not seriously enough to be open about their relationship.
She told herself she understood—he was protecting her in his own way, from bullies like Leslie who would openly attack her.
From his parents who would never understand or accept her and could not only make life hard for April, but for her whole family if they wanted to.
April looked at the clock again. Five minutes.
The speaker overhead crackled to life and announced departures.
If Shane didn’t hurry, they’d miss the bus and have to wait until tomorrow for the next bus to California.
Her parents would read her letter and know where she’d gone.
They’d come and get her, and that would be—
The top of a head of dark hair caught her eye.
Shane! Thank God.
April stood up and smoothed out the cotton skirt of her sundress. She bent to pick up her suitcase handle and her backpack. They’d have to sprint to catch the bus but they could do it.
He came around the divider and his familiar face caught her by surprise.
Not Shane’s. Ben’s.
Ben knew about them? Had Shane told him and he was here to stop them? Or… Joy sparked in her heart. Maybe Shane had told all his friends he loved her and they had come to see them off.
She tried to look past Ben. Heaven knew half a dozen guys could get swallowed up in his shadow.
But, no. No other friends following the big guy.
And no Shane.
Ben spotted April. He looked at her sadly.
April shook her head in denial as Ben ambled toward her.
“What happened?” she asked. “Where is he? Is…is he all right?” The sudden, horribly welcome thought that he’d been in a car accident popped into her head.
She’d rush to his bedside, stay there without being afraid of getting chased away.
She’d rather face that than believe he’d abandoned her like this.
“Sh-Shane’s not c-c-oming,” Ben said. He was upset enough that the stutter he fought hard to control and hide was on full display.
April’s heart broke right there and then. Ice-cold fury filled its place.
“He couldn’t even show his face? He couldn’t come and tell me himself that he changed his mind? That he didn’t care enough…”
Enough about me.
“…Enough about what he wants versus what his parents want to at least come and tell me that I’m on my own?”
Ben shook his head sadly. “It isn’t right, what he’s d-doing to you.”
“To me? I don’t care about him,” she lied. “This is just convenient for us to go together, that’s all.”
Ben’s eyes told her he could see right through her lies. He reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and an envelope.
“What are you doing?” She took a step back.
“He sent a note and the money he’d planned on using for both tickets and your first six months’ rent. I told him he should turn over his entire bank account to you.” Ben pulled a stack of bills from his wallet. “He said he w-was.” Ben held out the cash and the envelope.
He didn’t even buy the tickets in advance. How long did he know he was going to leave me here?
“I don’t want that,” April said. “I don’t need it. I don’t need anything from him. Ever.”
“April, just take the money. You can just toss the letter. I w-would.”
“No.” She crossed her arms, wishing to God she wasn’t so stubborn. If she had no job nibbles whatsoever, that money plus hers could keep her afloat for eight or nine months—ten if she stretched her budget until it broke. Without it, she’d better hope someone hired her right away.
Just take it the quiet, practical voice in her head told her. You’ve earned it.
That last thought made her stomach heave. Earned it. Right.
“April. California is expensive,” Ben said. “Take the money.”
She reached out—and curled Ben’s fingers closed over the money.
“I don’t care if you give it back to him or keep it for yourself, Ben. I’m not taking it.”
Ben finally nodded. “All right then.”
“I’m going to be fine,” April said, smiling harder than she felt.
Ben studied her. “Yes. You will be. You’re amazing, April.” With that he turned and left.
April watched the bus to California pull away.
I can’t go home. I left a letter saying I was leaving.
April went back to the ticket counter and studied the day’s bus schedule. She mentally counted up her money to see how far she could get without starving once she got there.
It looks like I’m heading to Las Vegas.
It was the middle of the night when the bus finally reached the terminal in Vegas.
April was exhausted. She’d had hours to cool down and think about Shane’s betrayal.
While she wasn’t sure she could forgive him, she also knew firsthand what he was up against with his father, the only person Shane ever feared.
Daniel Foti ruled his family with a steel grip.
Or maybe an iron fist was more accurate.
Shane was often bruised and he laughed off his bruises, saying they were from playing sports, or skiing the Alps, or from whatever adventure his family took.
April knew better. Daniel Foti had no problem beating Shane whenever he was caught rebelling.
Or talking back. Or just breathing the wrong way.