Chapter One
Olivia
Ten Years Later
A scream rips from my throat as I abruptly jolt upright in bed, drenched in sweat, clawing at my neck. It takes me a few seconds to realize the hands are gone, I escaped, and I am safe.
Am I really, though?
Sunlight is filtering through the stained yellow curtains.
The air conditioning is humming, and the room smells like plastic mattresses and regret.
Even this shitty motel room is more welcoming than where I came from, though.
The walls might have mysterious spots, but at least they don’t feel like they are closing in.
I am an hour from Willow Creek, but I stopped here so I didn’t have to bother Daisy so late for the keys to the cabin.
When I called her and told her I was coming home—told her I needed a place to rent—she didn’t even let me finish asking.
She just said yes and asked when I'd be by to get the keys.
She had this tone like there was never going to be any other answer, so I was wasting her time even asking.
Willow Creek has a little over 1,200 residents, and I used to be one of them.
This is the kind of town where everyone is in everyone’s business.
I was from the part of town that everyone calls ‘The Flats,’ but this town still takes care of its people, even the druggies and criminals.
This place isn’t bad because when my biological parents tried to kill me when I was six, I was taken in immediately by the nicest couple in the entire state of Texas.
Six months later, they formally adopted me.
When I turned eighteen, I didn’t even look back. I went to college and got married to the first man who smiled at me. What started as love bombing ended with handcuffs and running faster than I have ever run before. Leaving Jason wasn’t the hard part; it’s surviving him once he finds me.
Once I have my bag in the shitty rust bucket of a car that I bought with crumpled-up cash, I start back down the road and let the warm breeze come in through the windows. It’s a nice day, thankfully.
I was already nervous, but my anxiety is through the fucking roof when I pass that Willow Creek sign, welcoming me in.
Everything looks exactly the same, and I’m not even surprised.
As I’m driving toward the cabin, I think of Mom and Dad again.
I haven’t talked to them in two years. I haven’t directly told them I’m back, but I’m sure they know.
I’m afraid they’re mad at me, but I think that’s just years of abuse talking.
It’s been a few months since I ran. I didn’t want to come straight home with bruises wrapped around my throat and all over my body.
Jason damn near fucking killed me that night, so the last thing I needed was to send my parents into a rage and have them in jail for murder.
There is still a chance, though, but at least this way they won’t see how bad it was.
I basically vanished, and even though Jason never knew where I was from specifically, he is bound to find his way here. It’s going to fuel my paranoia for the rest of my life.
When I pull into a parking spot at Daisy’s Diner, memories come rushing back to me of meeting up with friends here after school. Burgers, milkshakes, and fries. I was always so damn predictable.
Those days are behind us now, because I am not the same person I was ten years ago. It feels like I am watching someone else's memories, but I’m not. The sad reality is that I am a broken and hollow version of that person.
The bell on the door chimes, and I feel like everyone in this damn town is here.
It’s lunchtime on a fucking Sunday; of course they are.
Murmurs kick up, and I can only imagine what they are saying.
I can’t focus because it’s all just too much.
“Hey, baby girl,” Daisy says, saving me from an emotional meltdown.
She wraps me in a hug so tight that it nearly fills the years I’ve been missing.
“Hey, Ms. Daisy,” I whisper.
“Come on over and sit, baby. Let me feed you,” she says, dragging me to sit at the bar.
“I’m okay. I had…”
“Hush,” she says. “Tony, Olivia is here.”
“Olivia?” he asks, peeking through the hot window. “Olivia! My goodness, girl! You’re all grown up!”
“I am,” I laugh.
“Well, why the hell did ya come back to this ol’ place?” he asks.
“I just couldn’t stay away from you, Tony,” I say with a sweet smile.
“That’s what I’m talking about, girl,” he laughs. “I’ve got you. Food will be up soon.”
I want to clarify what I would get, but I know they know. Daisy and Tony probably have the whole town’s order memorized. I’ve always wondered who this place will go to when Ms. Daisy dies. Tony is just a cook; she never married or had kids, so maybe it will just get sold off.
I am sitting here, trying not to make direct eye contact with anyone to avoid them talking to me. When hands cover my eyes, I nearly panic… Until I hear her voice.
“What’d I say if I found you 'round here in these parts?” a woman says with a dramatically low voice. I spin around, and Kate drags me out of my chair and hugs me so tightly that emotion surfaces.
Kate Owens was my high school best friend, but she was Kate Johnson back then.
She’s married now, and I am so fucking happy for her.
She married fresh out of high school like me, but Luke isn’t a piece of shit like Jason.
They’ve been dating since diapers and are the very definition of couple goals.
When I first moved, we spoke every single day.
By the time Jason made me cut contact with everyone two years ago, we would go months at a time before talking again.
It never mattered, though, because she and I can pick up the next day or years later.
I have always known that when I was able to get back to her, she would be there.
I sniff back tears, and she pulls back and grabs my face. “I am so fucking happy to see you, Olivia,” she says. “I am going to feed you, pour alcohol down your throat, and make you tell me everything about your shitty husband. Then we can get Luke to bury him with his backhoe.”
“I’ve not seen Mom and Dad,” I say. “I haven’t spoken to them in… Fuck… Two years.”
“Girl, the whole town has been talking. You know Ms. Daisy loves you the most. She was so damn excited when you called her,” Kate tells me. She’s still tall, slender, with long blonde hair. Her skin is tanned, and she looks great. Time has done her well.
“Mmmm. I can only imagine,” I mutter. “But yeah, I called Ms. Daisy to rent her cabin. I didn’t even actually get to ask. She just kinda told me that’s where I was staying.”
“And if you think you are paying me rent, I’ve got another thing coming for you,” Ms. Daisy says, setting a plate of food in front of me. She sets another plate down in front of Kate, and I laugh. “What? I knew this little shit would be here as soon as you got here.”
“I’m also closing,” Kate laughs.
“Whoa! Ms. Daisy doesn’t work open to close anymore?” I ask.
“Nope,” Kate says. “When she had a heart attack, I told her I’d burn her diner to the ground if she didn’t let me help her.”
“That tracks,” I laugh and bite into my burger. Flavor explodes in my mouth, and I groan. “So good.”
“You eat up, baby. Take your time,” Ms. Daisy says, setting a key on the bar by my plate. “The cabin has everything you’ll need. I just had Paula clean it yesterday.”
“Thank you so much, Ms. Daisy. Seriously,” I say. “You don’t understand how much this means to me.”
“Olivia, baby… Do you know what brought me to Willow Creek?” she asks. I shake my head as I chew another bite, so she continues. “I fell for an older man when I was sixteen. I ran away from home, got married, and had a baby.”
“You have kids?” Kate asks.
“I’m supposed to,” she says. “Well, that man beat the piss outta me every day. One day, he shot me, shot our little boy, and then himself.”
“Oh my God,” I say. “That’s terrible.”
“I don’t tell you that to scare you, baby,” she says. “My point is, I get it. I get how hard it is to want to leave and actually follow through. I wasn’t nearly as strong as you are, baby, so hold onto that. Don’t let that man take any more from you than he already has. Okay?”
“I won’t,” I say quietly. She nods and pats my hand before walking off.
“No wonder she’s so damn grumpy,” Kate says.
“I heard that, Kate,” Ms. Daisy says, and Kate giggles.
“She loves me,” Kate declares. “So…”
“So…” I repeat. Kate smiles at me, and I can’t help but smile, too. Her happiness is contagious. “God, I’m so glad you’re back.”
“Feels weird, but normal,” I tell her.
“Oh, our class reunion is Friday,” Kate says.
“Ha!” I laugh. “Fuck no.”
“Oh, come on,” Kate says, poking her bottom lip out and pouting dramatically.
“Girl, no,” I laugh again. “Absolutely not.”
“Please!” she begs.
“Whatever it is, say yes so I can get rid of her for a while,” Luke says, wrapping me in a hug from behind. I gasp and nearly choke on my food, but instantly tear up.
“Way to go, asshole,” Kate says, smacking his arm.
“I’m sorry,” I say tearfully. I fucking hate that I react that way sometimes. Luke pulls me up and gently pulls me into a hug.
“I’m going to fucking kill him, Liv,” he whispers. When I pull back and wipe my face, he smiles. “You look good, Liv. It’s amazing what it’ll do for you when you get rid of a leech of a human.”
“Don’t even think about it. You’re stuck with me, bitch,” Kate says to Luke. He laughs and kisses her. Seeing them so sweet together is like a knife to the chest, though.
“What is she begging you for?” Luke asks me.
“Class reunion,” I say, rolling my eyes.
“Oh… No, you’re going to that,” Luke says with a grin.
“One word,” I say. “Prom.”
“I, for one, would love to see your titties again,” Kate says with a grin.
“They were pretty nice,” Luke shrugs.
“See?” Kate says. “Girl, that hasn’t been talked about in so long.”
“If anyone gives you shit, I’ll handle it. Okay?” Luke says. “Please?”
“Fine,” I say with a frown.
“Well, I’m going to go bother Daisy,” Kate says, kissing Luke before hugging me. “The diner closes at five tonight, so I’ll come get you, and we can go see your parents.”
“Bless you,” I say. “I’m just going to unpack. Maybe drive down to Oakridge and grab some groceries.”
“No, we have one of them fancy grocery stores now,” Kate says. “By that, I mean it’s a dollar store that sells meat and produce.”
“Close enough,” I laugh.
“Need help unloading?” Luke asks as Kate walks off.
“Nah,” I say. I hear the door chime and glance over, but do a double-take when I see him. I stare at him from across the diner, triggering Luke to look to see what I am staring at.
“Oh, hey, Bodhi,” Luke calls out. Bodhi turns, and his eyes flick between Luke and me.
“What the fuck is wrong with you?” I hiss at Luke.
“What? He’s a good guy,” Luke shrugs. With him is his best friend, Rhett McDonald. I am not surprised to see that Rhett is dressed in a police uniform, since his father is still the sheriff. He was always nice to me, but that’s because his Dad would have kicked his ass for being mean.
“Oh, I don’t believe my eyes. Miss Olivia Monroe, is that you?” Rhett says with the brightest smile. “Can I bother you for a hug?”
“Still a dipshit, I see.” I laugh and put my arms out so he can hug me. His hug is so gentle; it tells me right away that he knows. I pull back, and he gently squeezes my shoulder. “How ya been, Liv?”
“Glad to be back,” I say with a smile. Bodhi is just staring at me, and I’m sure he has no idea what to say.
Bodhi Jensen bullied me from the moment my adoption was finalized. He’s had times when he’s been okay, and we could be civil, but it always went back to him being a dickhead. During our senior prom, I won prom queen, so he unzipped my dress in front of everyone. Talk about a living nightmare.
“Are you actually Monroe now?” Luke asks.
“I am,” I tell him. “I changed my licenses a few days ago.”
“Good for you,” Rhett says.
“Mmm. You know, don’t you?” I ask.
“I might keep up with the Dallas news,” he says simply. “My sister lives out there.”
“You were in the news, girl?” Luke asks me. I glance at Bodhi before answering.
“Ah, no,” I say. “Jason’s arrest was in the news.”
“I’m going to kill that little fucker,” Luke grunts.
“Ha!” Kate says as she walks by on the other side of the bar. “I’m definitely going to be the one to kill him.”
“Who are we killing?” Bodhi asks, raising an eyebrow.
“We… aren’t doing anything,” I snap.
“Ten years and you still got your titties in a twist, Liv?” Luke asks with a big grin.
“Alright. I’m leaving,” I deadpan. “Kate, I’ll see you, girl. Love you.”
“Love you, too,” she calls after me.
It’s not fair that he was a fucking wanker his entire childhood and then gets to grow up to be the sexiest man in this town. Bodhi is a bit over six feet tall, with black hair and a beard that is neatly trimmed close to his face. He looks strong as hell, too. God help me, that man is fine as hell…