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“Give it back.” I lunge for it, but he holds it way over his head, making my body rub against his as I try to jump to get it. I know it’s pointless because I’ll never reach it. I am barely a few inches over five feet.
“Van was right about you.”
“Van can fuck off.”
Every emotion I felt toward my old school bubbles to the surface. The memories of the girls there picking on me, and then sometimes their boyfriends coming to their aid course through me. Add in my mom being kidnapped and Dunc’s cruel words when I tried to say hello, and I do the unthinkable. For me at least. I smack him.
Dunc’s eyes widen in surprise. His hand drops. I manage to grab my phone.
“You stay away from me,” I hiss at him.
“Sadie—” I cut him off, holding my hand out.
“Don’t.”
“Yo,” Van calls out, running toward me. I rush over to him.
“Should we call the police?”
“I already called Dad. He’s on it. I’m going to see if I can catch them.”
“How?” I shout at him, but he’s now sprinting into the parking lot. There are a million ways they could have gone. We haven’t lived here long. He can’t possibly know his way around.
“The app,” he reminds me before he’s gone. Right, I forgot about that. We can all track each other.
“It’s his dad.” Dunc is still standing there with his backpack in his hand.
“What?” I thought he was Dunc’s dad. I suppose he could be both.
“The man Van is chasing with your mom is his father.” I shake my head. “You and Van are close in age. He can’t be your brother.”
“He is my brother,” I defend.
“Not sure he sees it that way. He’s real protective.”
“I really want to smack you again.”
“Smack me again then.”
I swallow, already having guilt over the first time I did it. “You’re not worth it. I’m sorry I hit you. I’ve dealt with my share of bullies and never hit anyone. Guess that makes you an extra special jerk.” I turn to head into school. He calls after me.
“Sadie.”
I stop to glance back at him. “Please leave me alone.” I hate that his words cut me so deep and that my eyes are watering. I play it off that it’s not only him being a jerk but everything else that’s happening.
“Fuck,” he shouts before muttering something about not knowing it was me.
I head into the bathroom, finding an empty stall to call my dad. He reassures me that everything is fine. I also learned Dunc wasn’t lying about the man, Cooper, who I now know is indeed Van’s father.
Does that make Dunc his brother? The more I piece it together, I can see it. My brother and this Cooper were super similar in appearance. I’d said as much yesterday. Now I can see how Dunc too has similarities as well. Not as strong but the build of his body and the hard jawline.
Just great. Now I’m going to be stuck with Dunc regardless. A tear slips free. My life is about to change. What if Van and Mom leave Dad and me? Cooper was hell-bent on taking my mom.
I swipe away the tears, forcing a smile onto my face. I’ll do what I have to do to make sure that my family stays together.
Fake it until you make it. I did it before; surely, I can do it again.
CHAPTER5
