AllFreeNovel
Share Us
PROLOGUE
LEV
Fourteen Years Old
Slidingmy left arm into my dad’s old black blazer—same one he wore to his junior prom—I beam with excitement. “My dudes, this dance is gonna be fucking lit.”
Ridge drops down on Maddox’s bed, already dressed for the dance. He’s clad in a pair of holey jeans and a garbage band tee shirt, but at least he’s wearing dress shoes—sleek black ones that don’t match his getup at all. “Shelly Macomb’s gonna be there.” Ridge waggles his brows at Maddox. “You finally gonna make your move on the goody-two-shoes?”
Shelly’s the preacher's daughter, and Maddox has had his eye on her since the end of summer, when his parents started dragging him and Ridge to her father’s church.
Maddox buttons the top of his polo shirt. “Nah. She’s not interested in me.”
“Did you see the fucking rack on her, though?” I jiggle my hands against my chest. “Girl had a major glow-up since eighth grade. If you’re not gonna shoot your shot, I might try her on for size.”
I watch as Maddox’s face flushes bright red, and it’s the exact reaction I was looking for. I wouldn’t really go for Shelly, knowing Maddox is interested. But sometimes, all it takes for a person to fight for what they want is knowing someone else might fight for it first.
“The hell you will. I’m gonna talk to her…tonight.”
“You better,” I tell him. “You have just as good of a chance as any other guy.”
“Are we done here?” Ridge jumps to his feet. “You assholes are taking forever.”
I scoff. “Maybe that’s because we’re actually getting ready for a semi-formal dance, versus whatever the hell you got dressed for.”
Ridge lifts one foot. “I’m wearing the damn shoes Maddox’s mom bought me.”
“Yeah,” Maddox says, “but you’re missing the rest of the outfit.”
Three years ago, Maddox’s parents took over guardianship of Ridge when his mom passed away. Their families were neighbors and their moms were always really close. It was a tragic time for Ridge, and I truly didn’t think he’d ever be okay. But he’s resilient, and instead of getting weaker each day, he only got stronger. Ridge loves hard and never holds back on expressing himself—except when talking about his mother. The subject of her is too raw, and we don’t dare touch it.
“Hey,” Ridge says to Maddox, “think your ma’s got any booze in the cabinet?”
“None worth taking. Remember, we filled the bottle of red stuff with Kool-Aid.”
“Shit. That’s right.” Ridge snaps his fingers in disappointment, right before his eyes light up. “I got an epic idea, boys. You in?”
The excitement in his tone is terrifying. Anyepicidea Ridge has always ends up either an epic failure, or a whole lot of trouble. Being the thrill seeker I am, I naturally say, “I’m in.”
“I’m out,” Maddox quips, and it’s no surprise to either of us.
“Yeah. Okay.” Ridge chuckles as he pulls open Maddox’s bedroom door.
Maddox says he’s out, but that means he’d need to leave our side, and he never does. The three of us do everything together. Always have. Always will.
Ten minutes later, we’re all inside Larry’s Liquor Market. Maddox is at the front of the store distracting Larry, the owner, and I’m covering Ridge. We’re only fourteen years old and we don’t know what to grab, so Ridge just goes for a random bottle of clear liquor. He stuffs it down the front of his pants and pulls his shirt down. Glancing back to see that Maddox still has the owner talking, Ridge and I leave as fast as possible.
Anxiously, we wait for Maddox down the alley. It’s been a good ten minutes since we walked out, and he’s still not showing. I pull my phone out of the breast pocket of my blazer and look at the time. “It shouldn’t be taking him this long.”
“Quit stressing,” Ridge says. “We’re solid.” He pulls the bottle out of his pants and holds it up and reads it. “Everclear. One hundred ninety proof.” His eyebrows lift. “Sounds good to me.”
I’m unsure what any of that means, but when he twists the top off, the smell alone makes my stomach turn.
"That shit stinks. What is it? Pure rubbing alcohol?”
Ridge shrugs before taking a small drink. His forehead wrinkles and he gags. “That’s nasty!”
I snatch the bottle from him. I’m my own worst enemy, but I need to see for myself. I take a sip and immediately mimic his same reaction. I cough and gag, then spit out whatever bit I didn’t swallow. “Screw that. I’m not drinking that shit.”
