Chapter 1

“I’m sorry,your card was declined.”

I blinked at the guy behind the desk at the financial office at the community college. He looked back at me, bored.

“I’m sorry, what?” Cause there was no fuckin’ way what he said was true. Beckett and I made damn sure there was enough to pay for my classes. That was all this account was for.

“Your card was declined. Do you have another one you can try?”

I closed my eyes, torn between punching the kid and wanting to cry. “T-that’s not possible,” I whispered, as it got hard to breathe.

The guy just shrugged. “Well, if you want to come back, you have 10 days to pay the tuition before they drop you from your classes.”

I blocked him out as I fished my shitty phone out of my pocket. There was no fuckin’ way. None.

I clicked on the browser, went to the back site, and logged in. Becks and I didn’t have any apps on our phones for anything so Dad couldn’t possibly get our information. It would make it way too easy for the fucker to steal from us.

The tightness in my chest increased as I stared at my screen. No . . . this couldn’t be happening.

I refreshed the page again, hoping it was a mistake. But nothing fucking changed. The big ass 0 was right there on the top of the page, taunting me.

I was all too familiar with empty or negative bank accounts. It was a regular part of our lives. But it shouldn’t be happening with this one. Becks and I were so fuckin’ careful.

I started to dial his number before I thought better of it. Beckett was at work. He’d finally gotten a decent job at the factory, one that paid over minimum wage. I shouldn’t bother him there. He couldn’t lose it.

Still, I didn’t hang up.

“Riley, what’s wrong?”

My laugh was hysterical. Of course he automatically knew something was up. I never called him at work unless it was an emergency.

“I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have called. You’re busy. I’ll talk to you later.”

My finger didn’t even get to the disconnect button when Becks’s deep voice stopped me.

“Riley.”

It was all he said, but that tone was enough to stop me in my tracks.

“It’s no big deal, Becks. I shouldn’t have called. I-I’m sorry.”

I heard Beckett’s heavy sigh through the line. “It’s obviously not nothin’. Just tell me, butterfly, before I start imaginin’ the worst.” Beckett had always said that butterflies remind him of me. Ever since I’d started walking, I used to chase the butterflies that would fly around our mom’s garden. I didn’t really remember that, but I loved hearing the stories. The last couple of months, he’d started calling me that. I was dying to know why but was terrified to ask. Sometimes, I thought he wasn’t sure he was saying it, and I was afraid if I brought attention to the sweet term of endearment, he’d stop. I also ignored the little shiver I’d been feeling whenever he used it on me.

“It’s just, I’m at school and . . .”

“Did something happen? Are you hurt?”

I smiled at my brother’s instant overprotectiveness. He’d been like that since I could remember.

“No. No, I’m fine. It’s just that I went to pay my tuition and, Becks, um, don’t freak out, but there’s nothin’ there.”

The line went deadly quiet. I slumped against the wall in front of the financial office and slid down it till I was sitting on my ass. People walked by and kept glancing at me, but I didn’t give a fuck. All that mattered was whatever Becks was about to stay.

Finally, he spoke. “I need more information than that.”

Fuck. His anger was right on the surface, so I debated lying for a second. I didn’t want him to lose it and mess up this job. His boss, Tim, was a pretty cool guy and he knew our situation, but still. We couldn’t afford to fuck this one up.

But I couldn’t lie to Beckett. I never could. “The account is empty, Becks. There’s nothin’ there.”

“That motherfucker.”

I swallowed, throat feeling so dry. “It’s okay. I’ll figure something out.”

My brother didn’t hear me. “I’m gonna kill that fucker. How dare he steal that money. Fuck!”

“How?” I managed to get out, that weight on my chest heavier by the moment. I tried to keep the growing panic out of my voice, otherwise Beckett would come here.

“How’d he get his hands on it?”

“Yeah, we were so careful.”

There was a loud sound, like a fist landing on something metal. I really fuckin’ hoped that wasn’t some heavy machinery or something. I was going to kill him if he broke his hand.

“I don’t know, Ri, but I’ll find out. I’ll fix this. How long do we have?”

“10 days, but Beckett, it’s okay. Please don’t do anything crazy. If I have to take a semester off, it’s not a big deal.”

Then I could go full-time and finally help out the way I should have been from the start. But Beckett refused to let me work more than part-time while I was in school, no matter how much we fought about it.

“No.” Yeah, why was I not surprised?

“Beckett . . . ,” I started.

“I said no. I’ll fix this. You’re not quittin’ school.”

I banged my head against the wall. The stubborn ass. “I didn’t say that, asshole. Just takin’ a semester off. I’ll start workin’ full-time . . .”

“You don’t think I know how this goes? One semester becomes a full year, and then another, and then next thing you know, you’re standin’ here right next to me, pressin’ the same fuckin’ lever thousands of times a day until you die. You deserve more than that. We’re not fuckin’ with your education, Riley. Do not argue with me on this.”

Tears stung my eyes, but I kept quiet. I would absolutely argue with him over this, but not on the phone in the middle of the hallway where I was already being watched like I was a freak. I didn’t understand the judgement though. This whole county was a shithole. I wasn’t the first kid to have a meltdown in front of the financial office and I wouldn’t be the last.

“Whatever,” I muttered under my breath, as I resorted to being a petulant brat. I hated fighting with Beckett, and we rarely did. The only time, honestly, was when it came to me contributing more financially or school. It just seemed unfair to me that Beckett had to work two, three, sometimes four fuckin’ jobs, plus whatever shady side hustle he could find, while I worked 20 hours tops at the gas station. He kept telling me I was destined for more, but I didn’t fuckin’ get it. I wasn’t any better than him.

Beckett sighed again, and I knew some of his initial anger started to lessen. “Listen, we’ll talk more about it tonight, okay? Just don’t do anything yet. We have ten days. Who knows, maybe we can even get it back from the old bastard.”

I laughed dryly. “Yeah, okay. What’re we gonna do? Extract it from his veins?” We both fuckin’ knew Michael Cooks, aka dear old Dad, already had whatever he stole the money for running through his blood, or maybe up his nose. He wasn’t picky.

Beckett laughed, and some of that tightness eased. We would get through this. “Alright, little shit, you gotta point. Regardless, we’ll try to figure something out, okay? Please try not to worry about it for now, and we’ll talk more tonight.”

Of course I was gonna worry about it. Beckett didn’t think I knew some of the shit he had to do for us as kids to keep food on the table and a roof over our heads, as shitty as it was. But I’m not fuckin’ stupid. I knew. I was terrified of the lengths he would go to for me.

This wasn’t the time to bring that up though. “I’ll try.”

“Thanks, butterfly. We’ll be okay.”

“I know. We always are.”

“I gotta go. Will you be alright gettin” home? I can send Jay over there to get you.”

Jay had been Beckett’s best friend since we were kids. We moved around a lot, so neither of us really had anyone outside each other. But Jay was like a barnacle: he latched onto us and never let go. It probably didn’t help that his home life was just as shitty as ours. It was a sad state when bunking at whatever cheap apartment or motel room we were staying at was better than his house, but it was what it was. And even though Jay and Becks were both 25 now, he was still around all the time.

“No, I’m fine. Go back to work, Becks. I can get home on my own.”

“As long as you’re sure?”

“I am. Go. I’ll talk to you tonight.”

“Okay. Keep your eyes open.”

He’d been telling me that every time he wasn’t with me since I was little. I smiled at the reminder. “You too. Love you, Becks.”

“Love you too, Ri. Forever.”

He disconnected the call, and it left me reeling from everything.

It took me a full 10 minutes before I finally got my shit together enough to stand up and leave the building. I needed to stay in control. This was nothing to panic about. It just was what it was. It wasn’t even that shocking. Dad would steal anything he could fuckin’ get his hands on. It was just our life. But I couldn’t stop my hands from shaking even as I got to the street and started the short walk to the bus stop.

Beckett would be home in about 3 hours. That meant I had that long to calm down enough to talk to him. If he saw me panicking, there would be no way I could convince him to let me take a semester off. It was a long shot anyway, but I had to try. There was no way Becks could get that kind of money in 10 days. At least not legally or safely. I wouldn’t let him do that. I just wouldn’t.