It was strange how seamlessly Nora fit in with my sister and her friends. A week into school, and you’d never know she was a new kid in a small town, which is the exact reason why that particular set of girls flocked to her.

Nora is from L.A. She has designer items most people here could only dream of owning. Her life before seemed glamorous and exciting, though it’s not hard to top anyone’s life here in the provincial town of Dale Hollow.

Her I-don’t-give-a-damn attitude furthered her popularity. There were whispers it was all an act to impress, but from the glimpses I got of her in the halls, I knew it to be true.

She didn’t care.

Whatever happened to her, whatever made her go into the system, it had taken its toll and she’s at her limit. She has nothing left, no more fucks to give. And I know it to be true because I’m in the same situation. Either stop caring or break down. Remove all emotion or freak out.

When the only options are to react and fly off the fucking handle, or do nothing at all, I feel safe to say nine out of ten people will choose the latter. And that random one is already batshit crazy to begin with.

“Come on, Charlie,” I pant and pick up the pace. It’s five AM, and we’re already out jogging down the twisted path that runs along the base of the mountain. After tossing and turning and waking with a racing heart from a nightmare I couldn’t quite remember, I decided to fuck sleep altogether and go for a run.

I’ll be tired later, and it’ll hit me at the wrong time, of course. After lunch in math usually, and I’ll doze off like usual. I’m already doing bad in that class. What does it matter anyway? I could use even a few minutes of shuteye before the game tonight.

I’m hot, sweaty, and hungry by the time I get back to the house. Dropping Charlie’s leash, I stretch and then go in.

“You went for a run without me?” Dad asks, forcing a friendly smile. He fills the coffee pot with water.

“I didn’t want to wake you.” I unclip Charlie’s leash and fill a cup with ice cubes to add to his water bowl.

“You know I’m always up for a run with my boy.” Dad claps me on the back. “Which path did you take today?”

“The usual.”

“You’re getting faster.” He looks at the clock. “Don’t think I didn’t hear you leave this morning.” He winks. “Pretty sure you’re going to be in better shape than your old man.” He pats his belly with a smirk. “Or maybe you already are.”

I make myself smile back, eyes going to the gun on his utility belt. Growing up with my father in law enforcement familiarized me with weapons. I saw them, heard him talk about them, then later was taught how to properly use them. Other than the one he carries for work, my father owns a few more guns, all locked up in the gun safe. Only my parents know the combination.

“We got some time. Take a shower and we can go to Jimmy’s before your mom and sister are up.”

“Sure. I’ll be quick.” I pat Charlie’s head and go upstairs. I’m not up for one-on-one time with my dad. It always ends the same way as it begins: fucking awkward. He’s still not sure how to act around me, and to be honest, I have no idea how I want people to act around me anymore.

I strip down to my boxers and stop at my desk in my room, shoving my school books back into my bag.

And then I see her.

Nora is sitting in the treehouse, which is set back in the yard and nearly level with my window. She’s listening to music, looking down at her Kindle. She looks up and our eyes meet. A second passes before she gives me a small wave. I smile without meaning to and wave back. I’ve seen her in the office a few times now. We both have to talk to the counselors on Mondays and Fridays. I leave as she waits, and every time, we share a silent moment.

I know why she has to talk to Mrs. Freeman. As far as I know, she has no idea why I’m talking to Mr. Levine. And she hasn’t asked. Not me, not Veronica or any of her other friends. If she did, I’d hear about it from my sister, I’m sure.

While Nora is friends with my sister, for some reason, I feel like I know her better. We share something unspoken, something said only through the way she looks at me.

She’s seen the darkness.

I don’t know her story, but I assume it’s left her jaded and bitter, like me. It’s left her knowing the world is fucked up and good people get hurt. Good people—innocent people—die for no reason. That one careless mistake could lead to catastrophic events that not everyone walks away from. And for those who do walk away…well, they’re left there, laying amidst the carnage for the rest of their lives no matter how far away they get from the bloodshed.

Nora holds my gaze for a moment and then sweeps her eyes over me. She raises her eyebrows and smirks before looking down at her Kindle. Right. I’m only wearing boxer briefs. The wind picks up, blowing her hair around her face, as well as blowing her loose-fitting dress up around her thighs. Her legs are slightly apart, dangling over the edge of the treehouse. I get a glimpse of hot pink panties. Fuck, she’s beautiful. I allow myself another few seconds to admire her beauty before pulling myself away.

* * *

“Do you mind if I have a friend over tonight, Mom?” Veronica asks. I open the pantry and pull out a treat for Charlie. Dad and I got back from breakfast at Jimmy’s Cafe a few minutes ago and now I’m waiting for Veronica to get her slow ass ready so we can leave for school.

“Depends on who,” Mom replies.

“Nora.”

I stiffen, mind immediately going to a dirty place. It feels like only minutes ago I was looking outside at her, wishing she’d part her legs just a little bit more. And now she might sleep over tonight.

Mom finishes making Veronica’s lunch and puts it into her backpack. “Of course I don’t mind. That’s nice you’re getting along well with the new girl. Especially since she’s our neighbor.”

“Our neighbor?” Dad echoes, taking the coffee pot from Veronica and filling up his mug before leaving for the day. “She’s staying with the Kellers?”

“Yeah. Her parents died when she was a kid and then her grandma got sick and got put in a home. Super tragic, if you ask me,” Veronica says.

I look up, inhaling sharply, feeling unnerved to suddenly learn the tragedy of Nora’s past, and not liking that Veronica actually does know her better than me. “What?”

“Did I stutter?”

“Veronica,” Dad scolds.

“Fine, sorry. Nora told us that she’d been living with her grandma after her parents died when she was like six, I think. Oh, and her grandma was an interior decorator and did celebrities’ houses and super expensive offices in downtown L.A. Nora has met like a million famous people.”

“What happened to her grandma?” I ask.

“I don’t really know. She said she got sick and that she couldn’t take care of her anymore. I could tell it upset her to talk about it, so I didn’t press.” Veronica looks up from her coffee, eyes meeting mine. I see empathy reflected in them, thank God. She sits across from me at the table. “I don’t think she’ll ever admit it, but she has to be lonely, right? I mean moving away from your friends has to be hard enough, but she moved away from…from everything.”

Every once in a while, my sister surprises me in a good way. Mom smiles at Veronica. “I think it’s great you’re making sure she fits in. You’re right. This has to be so hard on her.”

“She’s not a troublemaker, is she?” Dad asks. “Some of those kids have a hard time adjusting.”

“Dad!” Veronica shrieks. “Nora is nothing like that. I told you, her situation is tragic, not troubled. Ugh! You don’t understand anything!”

“Don’t be so quick to judge, James,” Mom says quietly. “I ran into Stephanie Keller at the grocery store this weekend. She said Nora is a polite and bright young girl stuck in an unfortunate situation. She went to a private school in L.A. and has a 4.0 GPA. She wants to go to Berkeley to study engineering. But she’s only sixteen, so when her legal guardian could no longer care for her…” Mom shakes her head. “I couldn’t imagine not having any family left like that. That poor girl.”

“That is tragic,” Dad agrees. “Maybe she can teach our kids a thing or two about being a go-getter.”

Veronica rolls her eyes and Mom gives me a sympathetic smile. I used to be a go-getter. I used to know exactly where I wanted my life to go and worked hard to get there. And then hell came to earth, consuming me with death and darkness.

“You two better get a move on if you want to get to school on time,” Dad says and stands, adjusting the holster on his belt. “Watch out for your sister,” he says quietly to me. “I know you will.”

I reply with a curt nod, give Charlie his treat, and go out to wait for Veronica in the Jeep. Nora is sitting on the bottom step of the Kellers’ front porch, long legs stretched out in front of her. Her head is tipped up to the sun as if she’s trying to soak up as much as possible in the short amount of time we have before the start of school.

The front door creaks open and snaps shut as Veronica leaves the house.

“Hey, Nora,” she calls and crosses the yard. Nora pulls her headphones off to talk to Veronica. A minute later, Nora goes inside for a moment and comes back out. Whatever she told Veronica made her smile, and they both start to come over to the Jeep. Then Charlie comes running out, spotting Veronica and Nora first. He jumps at Veronica, bumping into her right as she lifts her coffee to her mouth to take a drink. It sloshes out, going all over the front of her shirt.

“Get down, stupid dog!” she yells. “Now I have to change.”

Nora slips her fingers under Charlie’s collar, crouching down to pet him. That dog is my buddy and has helped me get through some tough shit. To say I’m protective of him is an understatement. Right now, he’s wildly wagging his tail, trying to lick Nora in the face. He plops over for a belly rub, ignoring me as I walk over to get him.

Nora looks from Charlie to me. “I think he likes my nails.” She scratches the top of his chest, and his hind legs start wiggling. A smile breaks out over her face at the dog’s response. “His name is Charlie, right?”

“Yeah. He likes you.”

“The feeling’s mutual, buddy,” she tells him. “How’d he get out?”

“He knows how to open the screen door. Veronica forgets to lock it all the time.” I do my best to keep the anger out of my voice. I’ve gotten into it more than once with her. If she lets Charlie out and he gets hit by a car or runs away, there’ll be hell to pay.

“So you’re smart as well as pretty,” Nora coos, making Charlie’s tail wag faster. He’s a friendly dog but can be a bit choosy with who he submits like this to. If he likes Nora, then…nope. It doesn’t matter. She’s two years younger than me. A minor. My sister’s friend. The fact that I can see down her top from this angle shouldn’t do anything to me. Her bra is light pink and thin, enough to faintly see the outline of her nipples. But, fuck, it does.

“I’ll take him inside.”

Nora gives Charlie one more pat and stands. I hold onto Charlie’s collar and put him back inside, reminding Veronica not to be a dumbass and let him out again. Nora is still standing by the Jeep when I come outside.

“Veronica asked if I could ride with you. I mean her. Well, you both, I guess. You don’t mind, do you?”

“No.” I open the door and toss my bag inside. “Want to sit?”

“Sure.” Nora gets in the front, and when she sits, her blue dress bunches up around her thighs. Her skin is tan and smooth, and I want nothing more than to be between those thighs.

I blink and look away. “She’s going to take forever changing.”

“That’s okay.” She’s holding her iPod in one hand, and I can faintly hear music playing through her headphones.

“Are you listening to Tom Petty?”

“Yeah. I love him.”

“Really?”

She smiles, green eyes sparkling in the early morning light. “You sound surprised.” She pushes her hair back, then lets her hand fall to her shoulder and runs it across her collarbone. I can’t tell if it’s deliberate or not, but I can’t look away. She inhales, and her tits rise inside her dress. “But yes, really. I listen to him a lot. Stevie Nicks is a close second. There’s just something…I don’t know…calming about it. The music is damn good, and the lyrics are deep without being over the top, ya know?”

She shifts in the seat, angling her body toward me. My eyes go right for her breasts, and I know they’re another thing I want to get between.

She’s sixteen.

I have to remind myself she’s underage in the state of California, where the legal age of consent is eighteen.

“I didn’t think any of my sister’s friends would have good taste in music.”

A smile plays on her face, and she takes her bottom lip between her teeth. “Are you judging me, Jack Harrington?”

Fuck, it sounds good when she says my name. “You’ve met my sister. And her friends.”

“Very true. I guess I should cut you some slack. But I’m not like them.”

I swallow hard, taking another look at Nora. She’s nothing like my sister or her friends. Nora is more mature. She has a darkness around her, one she doesn’t flaunt or use to prove herself. Nora is different in that aspect, almost as if she has a scar on her soul and she’s given up hoping it will heal.

I nod and put one hand on the steering wheel and move my legs, doing my best to hide the semi I have going on right now. She leans back and inhales, moving her hair off her chest and twists it into a messy bun on the top of her head, securing it with an elastic hair tie from her wrist. My mind wanders and I’m wondering what she’d feel like on top of me, to have those large breasts pressing against my chest. To run my hands up the back of her thighs and squeeze her ass as I drive my cock inside her tight pussy.

Maybe it’s because she’s new. Maybe it’s because she looks at me like I’m just a normal fucking person. Whatever it is, Nora doesn’t feel like one of Veronica’s friends. I’ve known them all for years, and they feel almost like sisters. I’ve never so much as looked at them as anything more, and I know a few have had crushes on me over the years. But Nora…hell…I’ve never had this strong of a physical reaction just by looking at someone before.

“So,” she starts, turning to look at me. “I’m guessing you don’t want me to know.”

“Know what?” I ask and shift my weight again, thinking she knows exactly what she’s doing to me.

“Why you have to talk to the counselor every Monday and Friday.”

“Oh.” I let out a slow breath. “Right.” I stick the key in the ignition and turn on the radio.

“Why do you go?” Her voice is soft and gentle, but the words are like nails on a chalkboard. If I tell her, will she look at me differently? Everyone else does.

“Shit happened.” I don’t move my gaze off the steering wheel. I can’t.

“Please, spare the details.”

“If I wanted to talk about it, I would,” I spit harshly. Nora tenses, and slowly turns away. She tips her head down, and when I look over, I see the darkness back in her eyes. She’s not like everyone else.

I grind my jaw. The words are burning on my tongue and for some insane reason, I want to tell her. I haven’t talked to anyone about it outside of answering questions I’ve been asked by the police. I’ve never opened up to anyone and admitted how fucked up my head is. Not Mr. Levine. Not the therapist all the fucking way in Greendale my parents took me to. Not my football buddies. Not Coach Jefferson. Not a single soul.

I inhale, not letting myself think of the shock on her face when I blurt out the truth. Just then, Veronica opens the door and gets in, and for once I’m glad for her incessant talking.