“Gotta motor,” Jenna called as she slipped out of the door. “Bye!”

Ralph and I called goodbye, and he shut the door. I turned toward the kitchen when I was yanked back by my hair. I let out a small scream before I bit my lip to hold it back. He liked it when I screamed. He liked it more if I cried. I tried like hell not to do either.

Ralph pulled me backward by my hair, arching my back, and put his face in mine. His breath was hot when it hit my face, and I wondered how much he’d had to drink already. The more he drank, the harder it was for me.

“Who do you think you are making plans to go out with your friends to meet another boy?”

I cringed when he pulled my hair tighter. “I’m not. I just told Jenna I’d think about it so she’d stop asking.”

He paused, eyes narrowed at me. My back muscles quivered and burned. If he didn’t let go soon, my feet were going to give out. It felt as though he was pulling my scalp from my head where his fist was wrapped around my hair. “I don’t believe you.” His voice was quiet. That scared me more than his yelling. He let go of my hair, and I collapsed on the floor. “You’re nothing but white trash like your mother.” He kicked me hard in the back. Pain radiated through my body, like a thousand needles on fire.

Crawling to the archway leading into the formal living room, I used the wall to pull myself up. I tried to dodge him by cutting through the living room, but he grabbed my arm and yanked me backward. I slipped on the polished wood floor and fell on my hip. Sliding across the floor, I slammed into the front door, the handle burying itself into my shoulder.

Ralph grabbed me under the arm and hauled me off the floor. He stood in front of me, his finger poking me in the chest. “I’m the only reason a nice boy from a decent family will even look at a piece of trash like you.” Grabbing my cheeks and squeezing hard, he pulled my face to his. My skin stretched over my cheekbones where his fingers pinched it together. I could smell whiskey and the sweet stench of cigars on his breath. “My stepdaughter is not going to date some piece of crap kid from a nothing family. I have a reputation to uphold. Jaden is doing you a favor. You’d do good to remember that.” With one last shove, he turned and sauntered into the kitchen.

“Willow?” My mom’s soft voice came from the stairs. I turned toward her. She stood with a hand at her throat, her eyes wide. “Are you alright?”

“Yeah, Mom. I’m great,” I whispered.

Thanks for your help, by the way. I love how you stepped in for me. So loving.

I gave her a fake smile and made my way to the kitchen, where the three of us would sit at the dinner table and eat Ralph’s homemade spaghetti and meatballs and pretend like nothing had happened. Just another happy family living in suburbia.

After dinner, I texted Jenna and told her I was game for a group of friends going out and inviting Brody along. Screw Ralph. And Jaden.

Jenna: Yay! You slut.

Me: It’s just a bunch of friends.

Jenna: You so want the biology hottie!

Me: Shut up.

Wednesday. Jaden had football practice after school. Afterward, he and the team always went out together, usually to Jamieson’s house to play pool and raid his dad’s liquor cabinet. Jenna and I decided it was the perfect night to get a bunch of people together to go bowling and out to dinner.

Jenna pulled her books out of her locker. “Ask him in biology,” she said.

“No! You have to ask him. I can’t risk someone overhearing me and telling Jaden.”

“I don’t know him,” she complained.

I shut the locker and looked at her. “So follow me to biology. I’ll introduce you and then you can ask him when you mention it to Tim. It’ll look like a last-minute thing.” Jenna stared at me with a smirk. “What?”

“You’re sneaky.”

I picked an invisible piece of lint off my shoulder and flicked it away. “I prefer to call it problem solving.”

“Okay, let’s go do some problem solving.” She pushed me in the direction of my classroom.

I threw the strap of my messenger bag over my shoulder. “So where are we going?”

“Let’s go to Super Bowl and then we can grab something at The Dive afterward.”

We walked into my class, and I tossed my bag on the table. “Brody and Tim aren’t here yet. Perfect. When Tim comes in, we can call him over and I can introduce you both. Then you can start talking about tonight to Tim and casually invite Brody.”

“How come I never knew how devious you are?” she asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

I smiled and winked. “I have many wicked skills that you are unaware of. One day I will pass on my knowledge to you.” Looking over Jenna’s shoulder, I saw him stroll into the classroom. “Here he comes,” I whispered. “Tim’s right behind him.”

Jenna turned and gave a bright smile. “Hey, Tim, come here.”

“What’s up?” He leaned his hip against the table next to me. “Hi,” he said to Brody.

Perfect opening. Thank you, Tim.

“Brody, this is Tim and Jenna. Guys, this is Brody,” I said, trying not to stare at Brody when I made the introductions. Jenna, however, was openly staring. I think I saw a drip of drool run down her chin. Yep, she was officially a member of the Brody fan club. If she kept drooling, I was going to have to get her a cup.

“Hi,” Brody said, one side of his mouth lifted in a small grin. I almost groaned. It was the sexiest smile I think I’d ever seen.

Jaden, I’m with Jaden. I can’t think Brody’s sexy… but oh crap is he ever hot and smells so freakin’ good, like sun and the ocean and something totally male.

Jenna just smiled at him. Maybe his grin had rendered her speechless.

“Hey, man,” Tim said.

Jenna kept staring at Brody. I cleared my throat and glared at her. She didn’t notice, so I plunged forward.

“Jenna was just saying we should go to Super Bowl tonight and bowl a few games before grabbing a burger at The Dive. You game?” I asked Tim.

“Sure. What time?”

“Let’s meet there around five. Sound good?”

“I’ll be there sporting some horrendous and awfully odorous shoes, that only God knows what’s growing in them and whose foot last occupied them.” Tim shuddered.

“Thanks, Tim. I think I’ll wear two pairs of socks,” I said, wrinkling my nose. “Gross.”

“Hey, you should come, Brody,” Jenna finally said. “A group of us are going. It’d be a good way for you to meet people. Plus, there are always people hanging at The Dive.”

“I don’t think so. Thanks for asking, though.”

Jenna’s face fell. It was almost comical. She wasn’t even trying to hide her interest in him. “Come on, I won’t take no for an answer.”

Brody glanced at me. “Are you going, Willow?” When I nodded, he sighed and said, “Okay, give me the address and I’ll see what I can do.” He flipped his notepad toward me.

“Where do you live?” I asked. He raised an eyebrow at me and his grin was back. I rolled my eyes. “I need to know where you’ll be coming from to give you directions.”

“Rosewood Estates.”

“We’re practically neighbors,” I murmured as I wrote down the directions to the bowling alley. I turned his notepad back to him. “I live in Rose Creek.”

He looked at the directions and the small map I drew, furrowing his eyebrows. “I think I know where this is. Give me your cell.” He held his hand out. When I just looked at him, he let out a sigh like he was dealing with a toddler. “This is when you give me your cell phone so we can exchange numbers. That way, I can text you if I have trouble finding the bowling alley.”

“Oh. Sure.” I handed him my cell, and he programmed his phone number into my contacts. I added my number and address in his, handing his phone back to him. Jenna plucked it out of my hand before he could take it.