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Neutral walls with blue painted stripes running across the wall that had a king-size bed pushed up against it covered with a dark blue comforter and dark furniture complete with a flat-screen television and gaming system, a laptop, and a docking station. We didn’t even have a flat screen in the den at the Freemans’; we had one of those consoles that took up a whole corner of the room.
None of it mattered.
I wanted Penny and No Man’s Land and stolen moments of freedom; I didn’t want the Westons’ money and gadgets. Or to be fifty miles away from Lancaster.
I wanted to know Penny was okay.
I needed to know.
Voices traveled down the vast hallway. “He’ll adjust. Give him time.” My aunt’s voice was soft, a stark contrast to the commanding tone of my uncle’s voice.
“Time? He should be thankful we saved him from that place. He will never want for anything again, and he can’t even join us for dinner on time? It’s unacceptable, Miranda,” my uncle said with little emotion.
“Ant, please, give him time. You’ll see.”
I strolled into the kitchen as if I hadn’t just heard them discussing me and said, “Did you contact the Freemans yet to see if Penny wrote me back? She should have gotten the letter by now, right?”
My aunt and uncle shared a look, and my heart constricted.
“Blake.” My uncle was using his ‘official business’ tone as if I was one of his fucking cases. “I have already explained that it isn’t that simple. We can’t just call them up and—”
“Why? Why can’t you just call them up and ask?” I snapped. “You just turned up and took me away.”
Uncle Anthony pushed away from the table, his chair scraping across the floor tiles, and stood abruptly. “Son, you need to listen and listen well. Forget the girl. Forget that place. I pulled a lot of strings to get you out of there. I’m sorry you had to leave your friend, but you need to let her go. It’s for the best.”
Friend?
Didn’t he know Penny was more than just my friend?
That she was my every-fucking-thing.
Anger and frustration swirled together in my stomach, and I exploded.
Grabbing the back of one of the chairs, I picked it up and threw it at the wall. It didn’t smash, but it did splinter. A shred of guilt shot through me when Aunt Miranda clasped her hand over her mouth and cried out.
Uncle Anthony’s eyes burned into me, but I didn’t hang around long enough to feel his wrath.
I was out of there.
* * *
I didn’t get very far.
Until two weeks ago, I had never even set foot in Upper Arlington. I had no idea where the fuck to go, so I took a bag of chips from the overstocked cupboards and went to the perimeter of the grounds.
The kitchen door opened out to a beautiful decked area that featured a huge pool. Past the pool was a sprawling garden which backed to Canterbury Woods. If I wasn’t here under duress, I would have appreciated just how awesome it was. The yard seemed never-ending, but I finally arrived at the fence, and dropped down to my knees, scooting onto my butt.
It was still early, not even six. Darkness wouldn’t fall for another hour or so but I didn’t care. I just needed to feel close to her.
I lay there on the springy grass, staring up at the clouds with my fingers outstretched at my side, imagining Penny next to me. We’d talk about our day, and our dreams for the future. She’d lean over to kiss me, and I would yank her down on top of me and take more.
Always more.
Never enough.
Pain sliced through my chest. We were going to give ourselves to one another. Once she turned seventeen, I was going to make Penny mine in every way possible. She was going to be my first.
My only.
