Kid.
I hadn’t been a kid in a really long time. But he knew the word grated on me. And Joe Wilder was a master at knowing which buttons to push.
“Get the fuck off me,” I said, yanking my arm free. My wrist smarted but I bit down the yelp of pain. Just what I didn’t need—another fucking injury.
“You’ve always been a pain in my ass,” he spewed the words as I walked away, heading toward the back of the trailer, toward the sanctuary of my bedroom.
“I’ll never forgive her for leaving you here. Stupid fucking bitch,” he mumbled. “Always knew she was a good for nothing whore. Just didn’t realize you’d been the same. A—”
I slammed my door shut, drowning out his cruel, vicious words.
We had little in common, me and my father. But the one thing we could agree on…
I hated her too.
My mother.
The one woman who was supposed to love me unconditionally. The woman who had abandoned me, left me here at his mercy.
The woman who had thrown me to the fucking wolves with no thought as to whether I’d survive.
Nix
“Hey,” I said to Zane at break. “Have you seen Wren? She was supposed to meet me after third period.”
“Nope. Came straight here though.” He tore into the end of his sandwich. “Want some?”
“No, thanks. I need to find her.”
“Seriously, Nix,” he said around a mouthful of food. “You need to lighten up where Birdie is concerned. We start high school next year, bro. High. School. Do you really want her trailing around after you, ruining your street cred?”
“Wren’s cool,” I said, scanning the schoolyard for her. Harleigh didn’t ever break a promise, and she’d promised to meet me after third period. My stomach twisted. What if something had happened to her mom Trina? She was barely sober these days. Or what if Harleigh had gotten sick? What if someone had—
“What’s up, douchebags?” Kye swaggered over to us.
“Nix is worried about Birdie again.”
“Again,” he grumbled. “What happened now?”
“She said she’d meet me but she didn’t show.”
“Maybe she ran off with Peter Fairn. You know he likes—”
“Shut up.” A heavy weight pressed down on my chest. I didn’t like thinking about Harleigh running off with anyone. Let alone a douchebag like Peter Fairn.
“If you’re so bothered about who she likes, why don’t you ask her out?” Kye gave me a pointed look.
“Ew. Gross, Carter. She’s like a sister to me.”
My best friend. She was my best friend.
Kye and Zane were my best friends too, but it was different with Harleigh. She got me in a way they didn’t. Maybe it was because her mom was as checked out as my dad.
He was getting worse lately. Just the other day, I’d accidentally broken the coffee maker and he’d been so pissed he’d almost knocked my teeth out. I had a wicked bruise around my jaw and a swollen lip. Everyone thought I’d fallen off my bike and hit the sidewalk face first, but Harleigh had taken one look at me, wrapped her arms around me and whispered how much she hated him.
She settled something inside me, and I liked to think it was mutual.
But it wasn’t like that between us.
Harleigh was too innocent. Too soft and shy. She wasn’t like Cherri Jardin and her friends who had already started wearing pushup bras and talking about sex.
“I’m going to look for her,” I said, feeling unsettled that she hadn’t showed.
“I’m telling you, Nix, she’s probably with Peter Fairn under the bleachers.”
I flipped Kye off and took off across the courtyard. Some of the guys on the team called after me, but I waved them off. I needed to find Harleigh. Wouldn’t be able to settle until I knew she was okay.
But as I rounded the building to check out the football field, a figure stepped into my path. “Hey, Nix,” Cherri smiled up at me. “I was hoping to catch you.”
“Have you seen Harleigh Wren?”
“Harleigh… no, why?”
“I need to find her.” I went to move around her, but she grabbed my arm, demanding my attention.
“I’m sure she’s fine. At least she will be once Peter Fairn—”
“What?”
“Yeah.” She grinned. “I heard he’s going to ask her out. Personally, I don’t know what the hell he sees in her, but whatever.”
“He’s going…” Crap. “Do you know where he planned to do it?”
“By the library, I think. He knows she hangs out there a lot. She is such a loser. Anyway, I didn’t find you so we could talk about—”
“I gotta go.” I shoved past her and started jogging toward the library.
Harleigh couldn’t go out with Peter Fairn. He was too… too tall, and boring, and he… he smelled funny.
She deserved someone far better than Peter Fairn.
By the time I reached the library, my heart was crashing against my chest. But it instantly calmed down when I spotted her.
“Wren—” I swallowed my words, watching as Peter appeared, smiling at her. He got closer—too close for my liking—but Harleigh stumbled back, keeping a safe distance between them.
Atta girl.
I couldn’t watch any longer, so I marched over to them and said, “There you are.”
“Nix.” She flashed me a nervous smile, her gaze flicking between me and Peter and back again. She nibbled the pad of her thumb as she asked, “W-what are you doing here?”
“We were supposed to meet after third period, remember?”
“I’m sorry. Mrs. Diver gave us this homework and I needed to check a book out. But I was going to come and find you afterward.”
“Um, Wilder.” Peter said. “We’re actually in the middle of something.”
“You are?” I kept my eyes on Harleigh.
“It’s fine. Peter was uh, he was just asking if I wanted to hang out after school, but I told him we already have plans.”
Damn right we did. It was Wednesday and we always went over to Mrs. Feeley’s house for cookies and ice cream. She was like a grandma to Harleigh and me. She let us watch silly cartoons on cable and eat candy until we were on the verge of puking. It was the one place we didn’t have to worry about our parents.
It was our thing.
“We could do tomorrow,” Peter said, and I glared at him, a low growl rumbling in my chest.
Back off, asshole, I silently said to him.
He was brave enough to stare right back. “Didn’t I see you making out with Holly Mansfield on the weekend?”
“So?” My spine went rigid.
He let out a bitter laugh. “Forget it. I’ll see you around, Harleigh.” He stalked off and I felt like I could breathe again.
“He’s such a dork.”
“Nix…” Harleigh sighed, and I frowned.
“What? Don’t tell me you actually wanted to go out with the guy?”
“No, but he’s the first person to ever… it doesn’t matter.” She walked over to the bench outside the library and sat down.