Hold on to Hope

He smirked. “I’m sure my sister could be handled then.”

Was he serious?

That’s what this was about? What Ashley wanted? It just . . . didn’t make sense. Not with the way she appeared that night.

He strode toward me, angling to the side as he passed, turning around and walking backward when I whirled around to watch him go. “I’ll be around.” He jutted his chin toward Everett. “Since he’s here, I figure this is where she’s gonna show.”

Then he spun around and kept walking casually down the street.

While I stood there feeling like I’d just got shoved off a bridge.

No foundation underneath.

And I had no fucking idea where I was supposed to land.

Nine

Frankie Leigh

“Jack will be here in fifteen minutes. You need to get your lazy butt out of bed.”

Groaning, I barely cracked open an eye from where I had been hiding under my pillow for the last three days.

So yeah. I’d been calling in sick. It wasn’t exactly a lie. It wasn’t called heartbreak for nothin’.

Carly leaned against my doorframe, sporting all kinds of judgment in her expression.

“No, thanks.” It was nothing but chipper sarcasm before I was rolling over and dragging the pillow over my head.

A disbelieving huff hit the room, her feet stomping on the floor as she stormed to the side of my bed.

“It wasn’t a suggestion.” She ripped the pillow out of my hold and tossed it to the end of the mattress.

“What the heck? That was so uncool. And here I thought you were supposed to be my best girlfriend. You are so fired,” I whined, flopping over onto my back with a pout.

“Up.”

“I already told you there is no chance in this whole wide world that I’m going. It’s not gonna happen. Forget it.”

Carly crossed her arms over her chest. “Oh, it’s gonna happen if I have to drag you there myself.”

On a moan, I flung my forearm over my eyes. “Remind me to kick you out.”

“Please do. Turns out my roommate is prone to sudden bouts of self-pity and moping. It’s kind of gross. Almost as gross as her stinky ass that hasn’t seen a shower in three days. Seriously, Frankie, you’re gettin’ ripe. Josiah’s worried we’re goin’ to have to fumigate.”

My lips pursed. “You two are so mean.”

“And you’re pathetic. Now get up, Pig Pen, before I haul you out back and douse you with a hose.”

“Fine.” I tossed off the covers and sat up on the edge of my bed. Milo lifted his head from his dog-bed on the floor with one of his deep groans and a stretch, probably shocked that I was actually surfacing.

Him and me, both.

“But don’t forget that I said this is a horrible, terrible idea and bad, bad, bad things are gonna come of it.”

“Wah, wah, wah,” she sang right back.

I punted her a glare. “You owe me, big time.”

Carly rolled her eyes. “Believe me, it’s me who’s doin’ you the favor.”

Was pretty sure my eyebrows disappeared under my bangs. “A favor? The last thing I want to do today is go to the lake . . . with Jack . . . and everyone else.” I pushed out the last through gritted teeth.

“It’s got to happen sometime.”

“Well, I’d prefer for it not to be today. Or ever. Sounds like a plan to me. I’ll pencil it in on my calendar.”

“You can’t hide from him forever, Frankie Leigh. He’s your family whether you’re with him or not.”

Oh, no, no, no. Family he was not.

Family didn’t ditch you. Forget you.

They stuck firm.

No matter what.

Except . . . except that was a lie, wasn’t it?

The boy forever etched so deep in me there would be no erasing the effects.

And now he was back and implying things that I couldn’t afford for him to imply. His excuse one I sure didn’t want to hear.

Then he’d gone and branded me with the mark of his touch. I could still feel it singed on my hip, the shape of his hand and the want in those eyes.

“Besides, you know he’s gonna be out in the lake.” She waggled her brows. I had half a mind to pluck all of them out. We’d see how she liked that.

“I hate you,” I told her.

She pecked a kiss to my forehead. “You love me and you know it. Now get your ass in the shower and hurry up about it. I already have our things packed.”

“This is a bad idea,” I grumbled again as I stood, scratching at my lower back and giving into a big yawn as I shuffled on bare feet toward the bathroom.

Carly’s expression shifted, a true frown marring her brow. “It’s true, Frankie. You can’t hide from this forever. You need to face it and embrace it, no matter which side you decide to land on.”

Pained laughter rippled free. “There’s no deciding.”