Prologue
Dylan Burns
10 years old
My breath hitched in my chest and my scalp burned. I hated,hated, crying in front of Maddie. And I swore to myself that I wasn’t going to do it this time.
“You can take my dad if you want to.” Her long chocolate hair brushed against her thin shoulders as she leaned toward me and put an arm around me. “I know he’d go if we asked him.”
And I lost it. Sobs heaved from my chest and tears coursed down my cheeks. Hunching my shoulders, I folded into myself and scrubbed at my tears. I hated crying. Hated being so weak. Especially in front of her.
I didn’t see Maddie as a girl—she was my best friend—but when I saw the way she stared at my older brother, Nathan, it still burned for some reason. He was in high school—way too old for my friend.
And way too stupid for her. Nathan was a jerk who didn’t have patience for us “little kids.” Maddie deserved only the best.
Which definitely wasn’t me either; the kid with scraped knees and dirty clothes because Aunt Wendy forgot to do laundry this week. The kid with the older brothers with anger issues, who fought.
All. The. Time.
The kid who had to bring his brother for the father/son lunch because my dad was in prison for killing my mom.
Maddie pulled me toward her and let me cry on her shoulder like the little boy I desperately didn’t want to be.
It hurt. It hurt so much.
It wasn’t fair.
After a few minutes, I pulled away and used the bottom of the dingy t-shirt to wipe my face kinda clean.
“But really, Dyl. My dad would go if you asked him.” Maddie patted my shoulder. “He’s an awesome dad.”
Yeah, that didn’t help. I wrapped my arms around my knees and rested my chin on them. “It’s not the same. And I hate going to these things with my brother. Austin might be sixteen and have a tattoo, but he still looks like a teenager. He’s not my dad and everyone knows it. Everyoneknows.”
I didn’t have to tell Maddie about the taunts the kids on the playground teased me with. She’d heard them as often as I had.
“It’s a stupid tradition.” Maddie sighed, resting against my side.
I snuck a look at her, but she had her head tipped back as she stared up at the dark sky.
“I can’t wait ‘til we’re older and don’t have to go to this stupid elementary school anymore. I hate having everyone tease me about my mom.Teacher’s pet. Brown noser. Snitch. I’m not even in her class and everyone still hates me.”
This time it was my turn to put my arm around her. “Only the stupid ones don’t like you, Maddie. Everyone else knows what an awesome friend you are.”
“The same stupid ones who tease you about your dad. Forget them. They’re not worth the gum on the bottom of your scruffy shoes.”
I gently shoved her shoulder. “They’re not scruffy. My shoes are as awesome as me.”
Maddie leaned away to look at my shoes then shook her head. “If you say so. I think they’re smelly and gross, but it doesn’t mean I like you any less, Dylan Burns. Dad or no dad, you’re still my best friend.”
I gave her a shrug then shoved her shoulder again.
That feeling of love and home I had every time I was near Maddie settled in my gut.
I wished it made up for the Dad-sized hole in my heart.
Chapter 1
Indigo Evans
