I shook my head. She shouldn’t be around this. It wasn’t safe.

Holding onto my coffee, I stood. The girl rapidly turned her head toward me. I looked down at her, and my heart squeezed seeing her big blue eyes regarding me with questions, with uncertainty.

Moving forward, I pointed to the place beside her against the wall. The girl looked down, and then glanced back up, a shocked expression on her face. But she didn’t tell me no. In fact, she seemed to breathe out a crackled sigh of relief.

Slowly and carefully, I lowered down beside her and wrapped my arms around myself to keep warm. It was freezing.

The girl’s arm brushed against mine. Shivers ran down my spine and I knew it had nothing to do with the chill. I had never been this close to a girl, ever. I laughed inside—the first time I sat beside a girl, she was homeless, and I was trying to keep her safe. Jake and Ashton would have laughed their asses off at this picture. I’m sure this wasn’t what Axel had planned for me to do tonight either.

Feeling eyes on me, I turned to see the girl watching me with her eyebrows pulled down in confusion. Her eyes fell to my lips and I said, “I’m staying here a while. It’s not safe.”

Her pretty face molded to one of misunderstanding. I didn’t elaborate, instead I simply said, “Sleep. I’ll keep you safe.”

The girl’s blue eyes filled with tears. I watched, my heart squeezing tight as a tear fell down her cheek, only to splash onto the now-dampening blanket I’d just bought for her.

Unable to see her cry, I leaned forward and questioned, “You’re tired?” The girl hesitated to answer, until she reluctantly nodded her head. Licking my drying lips, I slowly edged forward and stated, “Sleep. No one will hurt you.”

As if gravitating toward the warmth of my body, the girl slumped against my arm, her head falling on my shoulder. She still clutched her coffee in her hand. Her body curled into me, and I glanced down at her blond dirty hair against my arm. She seemed so lost.

I didn’t know how much time passed with her sleeping against my arm, but when her breathing leveled out, I knew it was my chance to get to a phone.

As slow as possible, I lifted the girl from my arm and positioned her against the wall. Getting to my feet, I looked to her huddled down body. Her skin was pale, her thin body shivered, and my stomach dropped. I didn’t want to leave her. But I had to speak to Lexi. I wasn’t sure how much longer she could last out here in the state she was in.

Making sure the blankets hid where she lay, I ran out of the alley and began searching the street for a payphone. It took me four streets and too much time to make the call to Lexi, who answered on the third ring.

“Lex?” I said the minute she answered the phone. “I need your help.”

Lexi agreed to meet me at the Starbucks. As I ran back toward the alley, a rush of guilt swept through me. I’d told Lexi I’d been at the party all night. That I’d found the girl when the party moved on to the bars.

As I ran, I thought of my mamma. She would have done this for this girl. She would never have allowed anyone in trouble to go without her help.

And I needed this. I needed to see another underdog make it through.

I arrived at the alley and, in seconds, sprinted to the back. But when I got there, all that greeted me was an empty coffee cup, discarded food, and the old blanket that had been cast on the ground.

I whipped my head around the alley, searching every inch for the girl, but the truth was as clear as day: she’d left.

My body filled with disappointment. Bending down, I fisted my hand and slammed it against the empty coffee cup on the ground. I ran my hand down my face, when I saw a ripped piece of paper lying on the blanket, under the dry protection of the sloped roof. Frowning at what it could be, I picked it up. Two simple words were scrawled in blotted blue pen across the middle of the page. “Thank you.”

I stared at those two simple words, and they held me frozen to the spot. These were the only words the girl had communicated to me all night, thank you.

I felt a pit cave in my stomach at the thought of her being out on the streets, on her own. I thought of those huge blue eyes brimming with tears, when I told her I would stay and keep her safe. That she could sleep without fear.

Feeling nothing but defeat, I set off down the alley. I searched for her as much as I could. I looked down every alley, doorway and nearby street. But she’d gone, and I had no idea where. Running back to the payphone, I called Lexi and told her that the girl didn’t need our help after all.

Hailing a cab, I went home. To Austin and Lexi’s mansion. To the comforts that surrounded me, while the girl with the big blue eyes walked the streets, sick and alone.

When I slipped into the cab’s backseat, my head fell to rest on the window, the girl’s handwritten note firmly clutched in my hand.

Chapter Four

Levi

“Happy birthday!” Lexi sang to Ally as we entered the restaurant. Axel and Ally were already at the table of the private back room, along with Molly and Rome. Ally sat beside Axel, her face all smiles as her head rested on his arm. Axel had his arm slung around her shoulder, and he drew her close to his side. My big brother was happier than I could have ever thought possible. The hard gangbanger that I’d always known had found a profound peace with Ally. I glanced to Austin, holding Lexi’s hand, and saw that he had it too.

I knew they both still missed Mamma. I knew they both mourned her every day. The difference between them and me? They had found peace through love. While I was completely lost.

Generally, I was a positive guy, or at least I tried to be, but I always felt that something was missing in my life. My mind drifted back to the homeless girl I’d sat with three days ago, and my stomach sank. She’d been lost too, but worse, she’d been alone. I’d searched that same alley every day since the night she fell asleep against my arm, but the pretty girl had disappeared. The fact I hadn’t helped her when she was obviously sick weighed heavily on my mind.

I should have done more.

Axel, seeing that we had entered, got to his feet. Ally did too. Molly and Rome were smiling wide. I had just wondered why they were so happy, when Ally suddenly thrust her left hand out for us to see. At first I wondered what she was doing, then I heard Lexi squeal and run forward.

It was then that I saw the diamond perched on Ally’s finger, and my eyes shot to my big brother. Axel was already watching me and Austin, waiting for our reaction. Instead of saying anything, he shrugged and ran his hand through his long hair. It was then I knew he was nervous.