Not My Hero

Her words make a huge smile spread over my face. Lifting my head, I press a kiss to her hair. “I’m glad I found you in time.”

“Me too,” she murmurs.

I lie awake as Brie drifts off to sleep, and only once it’s me and my thoughts do I admit to myself that I have a crush on her. But I know it will take a little luck and a lot of patience before I can ask her to be my girlfriend. In the meantime, I’ll be the best friend she’s ever had.Chapter 16BRIEMom: Stop throwing a tantrum and get your ass home.

I woke up to the message waiting on my phone and have been staring at it for a couple of minutes, not knowing what to reply.

My heart is stuck in my throat, and I’m filled with familiar apprehension.

I still have to get changed for school, but can’t bring myself to move. There’s a soft tap on my door, and my head snaps up. “Yes?”

“Can I come in?” Colton asks.

“Yeah.” I get up from the bed, my gaze darting back to the phone in my hand.

Colton comes in and asks, “Why aren’t you dressed?”

I hold the device out to him. “I don’t know what to reply with.”

He takes the phone and reads the message. “Oh, that’s easy. You don’t reply and just delete the message.”

He hands the device back to me, and my gaze darts between his eyes and the message. “But… it will make her angry.”

Colton places a hand on the side of my neck, giving me an encouraging smile. “Brie, she’s already pissed off, and it doesn’t matter. She doesn’t have a say in your life anymore.”

I still feel apprehensive but also realize Colton is right. I’m living with them now, and there’s nothing my mother can do about it.

“Unless you want to reply,” Colton adds.

I shake my head. “No.”

I suck in a fortifying breath and read the message one last time before I delete it.

When I glance up at Colton, there’s a proud smile on his face. “Get ready, or we’ll be late.”

I nod, and as soon as he leaves the room, I quickly change into my uniform.

It feels weird living with the Lawsons’. Like it’s not my house. It’s also frequently in the back of my mind that they might tell me to leave at any time. Kinda like I’m on vacation with them, and one day I’ll have to return to my mother.

My eyes dart to my phone, and I regret deleting the message. I should respond.

What if things go wrong here? Where will I go then?

I draw my bottom lip between my teeth, and trepidation tightens my insides.

Colton wouldn’t do that to me. Right?

Ugh, this is really hard. What do I do? I really don’t want to go back to my mother.

Maybe I should get a job.

My eyes widen at the thought.

Yeah, I’ll get a job, and then if things go wrong, I can maybe find a place of my own.

Deciding to look for work after school, I feel a little better and leave my room. When I reach the front door, Colton presses a kiss to his mom’s cheek.

With a quick wave, I dart out of the house.

On the way to school, Colton mutters, “It’s finally Friday.”

“Yeah,” I agree. “This week was super long.”

“Do you want to do anything tonight?” Colton asks.

This will be the first weekend I won’t have to deal with my mother, and the thought alone makes my blood rush through my veins with exhilaration. “Anything is good.”

“Want to show me around town?” he asks. “I’ve been here for three months, and I only know where the store and school are.”

“Okay,” I agree, excited to spend time with Colton. I’ll also be able to see if there are any job vacancies in town.

After Colton parks the truck, we walk into school, and it’s the same as yesterday. Students stare, but no one says anything.

We take our seats in English, and minutes later, Colton drops a piece of paper on my desk. Opening it, a wide smile spreads over my face.

‘It is never too late to be what you might have been.’ – George Eliot.

I glance at Colton and mouth the words ‘thank you.’

Knowing he meant well by giving me the quotes, I have to admit I missed them.

As the day progresses, there’s no sight of Sully and Michael. I find myself relaxing a little and not feeling as anxious.

That is until Lindy and her friends corner me at my locker before social studies.

“Dang, just when I thought you couldn’t look gloomier,” she taunts me.

My muscles tense, and I glance at Colton as he walks closer after shutting his own locker.

He glares at Lindy before turning his eyes to me. “Tell her to go to hell.”

Crap.

Okay.

I suck in a deep breath for courage.