Page 4 of The Scars We Heal

“That’s okay. I have one if you want to share it. Do you play video games at all?”

I shrugged. “Kind of, but not really.” I’d played a couple of games on one of my friend’s Xbox when I was in high school, but I didn’t have a fancy gaming console of my own.

“That’s all right. I have an Xbox, but I’m not a hardcore gamer or anything like that.” Colter laughed. “You’re on the rodeo team, too, aren’t you?”

“Yeah. Sure am.”

“Cool.”

A soft knock on the wall outside the room diverted my attention, and my jaw went slack when I took in the girl standing in the doorway. Her brunette hair fell just below her elbows, and she was fairly tall, maybe five-foot-ten.

“Dad sent me up here to help Colter get settled in.” She spoke softly, and her amber-brown eyes locked on me for a split second before averting back to Maggie.

She’s so pretty, I thought. Pretty like the sun shining through the pines.

“Jake?”

I snapped back to reality to find Maggie, Colter, and his sister all staring at me.

“Hmm?” Heat flooded into my face.

“I said, ‘This is my older sister, Caitlin,’” Colter repeated himself. “She’s a senior here at SGU.”

“S-sorry.” My chair scraped against the floor with a painful screech as I stumbled over my feet to get closer to the door. “I’m Jake.”

Her lips quirked up into a soft smile. “I’m Caitlin, but you already knew that. Hopefully my brother doesn’t annoy you too much as your roommate.”

“Hey!” Colter protested.

“N-no, he’s cool. Er… so far.” My tongue twisted with every word, mouth drying like a cotton ball had been stuffed into it. “I kind of just met him.”

She laughed, and the corners of her eyes crinkled. “I’m sure you’ll get along just fine.”

“Caitlin, would you help me get some of these things hung up in the closet?” Maggie pulled her away from the conversation, and I took it as my cue to go back to my own business.

Even so, I couldn’t help but steal a few glances at Caitlin as they continued to unpack Colter’s belongings, or at least get them in a position where they weren’t in the way.

School had been in session for almost a month, and I finally felt like I had a grasp on a daily routine. Enough that I could relax and actually have some fun.

Colter mentioned a house party as he was on his way out the door for class this morning. From the moment he brought it up, I was planning to say yes, but then he mentioned that Caitlin would be there, which solidified my decision to go.

Warm bodies were packed into the small house off campus like sardines. The scent of booze and sweat mingled in the air, and I had to strain my ears to hear Colter as we pushed through the crowds.

“Cait told me she’s around here somewhere,” he said when we finally got to the kitchen.

An assortment of liquor bottles covered the kitchen island, and stacks of Solo cups were scattered around them.

Colter gave me a healthy pour of vodka, and my face wrinkled when I lifted it to my nose, getting a good whiff.

I wasn’t a stranger to alcohol. In a small town where my family’s reputation—particularly my father’s—preceded me, I didn’t have much to lose as it was, so I partook in pretty much everything except hard drugs. Drugs were one thing I wouldn’t touch with a ten-foot pole. Not after witnessing the consequences they had on a person’s life.

Getting the rodeo scholarship at SGU made me realize I could actually make something of myself, though, so I did my best to stay out of trouble. Still, it didn’t stop rumors from floating around about Denny Flynn’s delinquent son.

I’d heard it all over the last four years.

The family is all peddling drugs together.

Denny’s making drugs in his basement.