“No.” She crossed her arms, wishing to God she wasn’t so stubborn. If she had no job nibbles whatsoever, that money plus hers could keep her afloat for eight or nine months—ten if shestretched her budget until it broke. Without it, she’d better hope someone hired her right away.
Just take itthe quiet, practical voice in her head told her.You’ve earned it.
That last thought made her stomach heave.Earned it. Right.
“April. California is expensive,” Ben said. “Take the money.”
She reached out—and curled Ben’s fingers closed over the money.
“I don’t care if you give it back to him or keep it for yourself, Ben. I’m not taking it.”
Ben finally nodded. “All right then.”
“I’m going to be fine,” April said, smiling harder than she felt.
Ben studied her. “Yes. You will be. You’re amazing, April.” With that he turned and left.
April watched the bus to California pull away.
I can’t go home. I left a letter saying I was leaving.
April went back to the ticket counter and studied the day’s bus schedule. She mentally counted up her money to see how far she could get without starving once she got there.
It looks like I’m heading to Las Vegas.
It wasthe middle of the night when the bus finally reached the terminal in Vegas. April was exhausted. She’d had hours to cool down and think about Shane’s betrayal. While she wasn’t sure she could forgive him, she also knew firsthand what he was up against with his father, the only person Shane ever feared. Daniel Foti ruled his family with a steel grip. Or maybe an iron fist was more accurate. Shane was often bruised and he laughed off his bruises, saying they were from playing sports, or skiing the Alps, or from whatever adventure his family took. April knewbetter. Daniel Foti had no problem beating Shane whenever he was caught rebelling. Or talking back. Or just breathing the wrong way.
She’d witnessed it once when she’d arrived early for a tutoring session. The man’s voice echoed through the cavernous house, shouting Shane’s name and calling his own son all sorts of horrible things. But instead of leaving, April had marched on into the house, following Mr. Foti’s bellows until she found them in the library. Shane got his height from his father, but not the man’s bulk, built through countless hours of boxing. Shane had been backed against a wall, arms up in defense.
As soon as Mr. Foti realized she was there, his demeanor changed. Laughing, he tried to pass off beating his son as just horsing around. April was sickened when Shane agreed with the obviously false story, but she went along with it for his sake. Only later did Shane admit to being beaten all his life. He swore April to secrecy—one of a thousand secrets they kept from the world.
Maybe now that I’ve left, he’ll feel safer meeting me here. He’ll have a place to go.
After she got her bags, April pulled out her phone. Coverage was spotty on the bus, but she thought she’d have full coverage now that she was in a city. April had thought about calling Shane for the last two hundred miles. No, the last five hundred if she was being honest with herself. If she wanted people to give her a second chance, then she needed to be ready to give other people second chances, too.
April listened to the phone ring. Would Shane even answer? Would she really tell him where she was, ask him to take a risk and join her?
Shane picked up. Before he even had a chance to say hello, April started in.
“I know you’re afraid of what your dad will do, but Shane, you’re stronger than him. You have your own dreams, and I believe in you. You can still leave and come with me. I’m in Vegas. You could fly here?—”
“Shane will be doing no such thing.”
April froze, the blood in her heart turning to ice water.
“Mr. Foti.”
“Don’t ‘Mr. Foti’ me, April. My son will not be joining you in Vegas. I’m glad to know he’s afraid of me.”
April winced. Now she’d just betrayed Shane’s biggest secret. He wasn’t afraid of his father—Shane was terrified of the monster.
“He shouldn’t be afraid of you,” April said in her coldest voice. “Bullies like you are weak little cowards.”
“Listen here, you little bitch,” Daniel Foti snapped back. “I could ruin your family tomorrow if I wanted to. How’s that for weak?”
April shivered. Mr. Foti ran the bank where her parents had taken out a loan for the start-up costs and the building housing their coffee shop, Riversong. “What do you mean?”
Mr. Foti gave her a laugh full of spite. “That loan your idiot father took out? He didn’t read the terms closely enough. I can call it in at any time for any reason. I doubt your parents have the cash to cover it. I’m not the weak one, he is.”
