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Blake was touching me, and I was freaking out.
But not because his touch repulsed me… or scared me… or hurt me.
I was terrified…
Because it didn’t.
CHAPTEREIGHT
Blake
Age 13
“I can’t believe he’s gone.” I dropped my head with defeat as I kicked my feet into the dirt.
“You knew it was going to happen, Blake,” Penny said. “Lucas finally turned eighteen.”
“I know, I know.” A disappointed sigh rolled through me. “It’s just he was the best.”
She nudged me with her shoulder, curling one of her small hands around mine. “I know. He looked out for all of us. But you’re right. It won’t be the same without him.”
I glanced down. Penny was always grabbing my hand and linking our fingers. I wondered if it made her feel all funny inside the way it did me. If it did, her face never gave away, and I was too chicken shit to ask her.
Not long after she moved into the Freeman group home, it had happened. We had risked sneaking out to No Man’s Land one night, just the two of us, and we almost were caught. Penny was so scared that she grabbed ahold of my hand and held on for dear life.
It kind of became Penny’s thing after that. Now, it was more likeourthing.
Amy liked to take a cheap shot whenever she spotted Penny’s hand in mine, but Penny just shrugged it off. According to her, there was nothing wrong with holding hands with your best friend.
Best friend.
When she first called me that last year, I had just stared at her blankly.
Penny thought ofmeas her best friend?
The messy-haired kid with the quick temper and hand-me-down Chucks. My last best friend had been a one-eyed stuffed bear called Frederick when I was seven. Sure, I had Lucas and one or two other friends during my time in foster care, but no one had ever called me that before.
No one.
But Penny was a girl, and boys and girls weren’t usually best friends, were they?
“Hey, where’d you go on me?” Penny stared at me wide-eyed, her long dark hair spilling in front of her face. When I blinked out of my trance, she grinned at me.
“Just zoned out,” I muttered. “Come on, let’s head inside.”
“Already? Can’t we stay out here a little longer?”
I shook my head even though I would have loved nothing more than to stay out here with her.
“You know the rules, Pen.” I climbed to my feet and held out my hand for her. “Chores before dinner, and we’re already late.”
“Fine, fine.” She took my hand and I pulled her up, ignoring that pesky little pang in my chest. “Lead the way.”
* * *
“Blake, Penny, where have you two been?” Marie fumed.
She’d been waiting for us as we entered the house. Her face was beet red, and her meaty arms were folded over her chest. When neither of us replied, it turned another shade darker, like the blood vessels might burst at any second. “Well?”
