AllFreeNovel
Share Us
Zara nodded because she didn’t trust hervoice. Or the tears burning her cheeks. Her father retreatedwithout another word, leaving her to cry into Dodger’s shoulderwhile Fallon whined and rubbed against her leg. Everyone alwayssaid the truth set you free. They never mentioned the absoluteterror or the spiraling horror as endless, shadowy possibilitiesspun out before you. Or the bitter taste of a friend’sfalsehood.
That was how Gia found her, eons later, whenher twin crawled into the bed and cuddled up to Fallon. Zarawould’ve usually yelled at her to get out, but tonight she didn’tmind. Especially since she’d expected Gia to walk in and set thebed on fire. “That was stupid as fuck, Zara.” The words werehollow. Even Gia was too tired to muster any anger.
“I know.”
“He’smade. You can’t fucking trustanyone made.”
“I know.”I just wanted the boy I lovedback. That’s all.She couldn’t say that, not even to Gigi, buther twin’s huffy sigh sounded like she’d heard it all the same.
“Bury it, Z. Before he buries you.”
A long, taut silence stretched between them.Gia rubbed Fallon’s silky ears and hummed a lullaby theirgrandmother had used.
“But it’s done, right? Dad won’t let Ben inthe front door again.”
“Or any other, from what he said.” Giadidn’t sound any more excited than Zara felt. They both knew theirbrother wasn’t going to lay back and accept being cut off. “Maybehaving bodyguards for a while isn’t so bad.”
“If Dad would hire someone new.” Zara rubbedher cheek along Dodger’s coat, trying to forget Dane’s touch. “I’mgoing to die next time I have to see Dane.”
“Spend a lot of time reading in the library.That’ll keep him in a different room.”
“Hah. Hah.” Zara rolled onto her back andflung one arm over her eyes. “How are you so calm aboutthis?”
“I think I hit some kind of event horizon.I’m so freaked out I’ve turned calm. Like I’ve just accepted I’mgoing to drink myself stupid and eat my bodyweight in Adderalltomorrow. Or something. I don’t know.” Gia groaned. “Mostly, I’mstill too panicked about what the fuck Ben is going to do to us toreally give a shit about Dad and his sudden attack of parentalsentiment.”
The silence returned, broken this time byFallon scratching her ears and Dodger’s tail thumping the mattress.Finally, Zara’s disoriented thoughts organized themselves intosomething like a line, and she grasped at a single thread. “What ifwe go to France?” Their first, and closest, stepmother had a bestfriend who owned some kind of vineyard or chateau or something.Convincing Darla to take them for an extended holiday wouldn’t behard. She loved traveling and had almost no interest in her currenthusband.
“Worth a shot,” Gia admitted with a trace ofa smile.
She was right. Dad probably wouldn’t pay toship Dane and Sawyer overseas. He’d hire locals or send someonefrom the East Coast. That would take care of the summer. If sheauditioned for every performance at the studio, took up every clubat school, and filled in every remaining hour working at theshelter or running the dogs around the lake house, that sorted theschool year.
Then I’ll go to college and never come home.Yes. This is a good plan.
Zara smiled back at her twin and relaxedinto the pillow. “Want to do facials?” Beauty routines alwayscheered Gia up. “You’re still going out for that audition tomorrow,right? Need to make sure your complexion leaves the photogcrying.”
Gia nodded. “Still have those masks youordered from South Korea?” She got up without waiting for a reply.Of course, Zara had them. She didn’t manage the same routine asGia, even on a good week. “I’ll have to walk for every half-asseddesigner and catalog I can find for the next year if I ever want toleave the house again. Apparently, Dad doesn’t count work assocializing, thank fuck.”
Zara watched Fallon stretch into Gia’svacant spot, rubbing her face across the coverlet. The only badpart of going to France would be leaving the dogs. But they’d beokay. Ben couldn’t come home, and Dad liked them.Maybe hisguilt would extend to paying for them to go too?That thoughtfelt better than most of her others, so she sat up to rub Fallon’sbelly while Gia padded back across the hardwood floor and Persianrugs with an armload of beauty products. “Where’d you get all that?Did you ninja yourself to your room?”
“All those gift baskets Mom sends that youshove in the back cabinet.” Gia said it so easily. As if she didn’tcare that their mother only communicated with expensive presents,arriving irregularly from whatever luxury spot she’d landed in longenough to remember any of her seven kids.
“And you don’t?”
“I re-gift them. You can do that when allyour friends aren’t covered in fur.”
“And you hate their non-furry faces enoughto give them presents with bad juju.”
Gia’s eyes rolled. “Jesus, Zaza. Have Martaburn some sage over the swag if you’re that freaked out. But stopbeing ridiculous about your skin. The way you act, I’ll be lookingfifteen years younger instead of fifteen minutes oldersoon.”
“Shut up and give me the green tea mask.”Zara snatched the mask from Gia’s bundle, then grabbed an eye creamas her twin laughed.Maybe the world wouldn’t look as bleakthrough a few layers of moisturizer.
Chapter One
DANE
Chicago, Illinois, August 20, PresentDay
Another night, another overpowered bassspeaker and bad club music in a blurry summer full of them.Justget through this week, and you’re done ‘til winter break.If hekept reminding himself, he might make it to closing time withoutcommitting assault. No matter how much Zara’s latest fuck-buddydeserved it.
