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Chapter 1
Fallyn
“I’m sorry?” My knees buckle as I slump to the queen-sized mattress with a soft bounce. “What do you mean the tuition bill hasn’t been paid this semester? There has to be a mistake.”
Other than the sharp clicking of a computer keyboard, silence fills the line. Each second that ticks by only ratchets up my nerves and the unsteady thumping of my heart until it sounds more like the dull roar of the ocean in my ears.
“I’m afraid there’s not.” Her voice softens but remains firm. “I’ve checked your account several times. The entire balance for the second semester is outstanding. It was supposed to be paid by the first of the month, which means it’s ten days overdue.”
A thick lump settles in my throat as I stare sightlessly at the silver-framed photo of my brother and me propped on my desk. Our arms are wrapped around each other, and we’re both grinning at the camera without a care in the world.
A decade later, life couldn’t feel more different.
I’d give just about anything to go back to that idyllic moment. If I squeeze my eyes tight, I can still hear the sound of the lake in the distance and feel the bright sunlight shining down, warming my face.
“Ms. DiMarco?” There’s a pause. “Are you still there?”
The memories dissolve like wisps of smoke as I blink back to the present. “Yeah, I’m here.”
Unfortunately.
“I’m going to make an appointment for you. Tomorrow at one o’clock, all right? Hopefully you and your advisor will be able to figure out a solution.”
My shoulders collapse as if there’s a thousand-pound weight resting on them. “As soon as I get off the phone, I’ll call my parents. I’m sure it was just an oversight on their part.” My palm settles on my lower abdomen as if that will settle the nausea that has taken up residence.
“Perhaps.” Skepticism creeps into her tone.
As soon as I disconnect the call, I hit Mom’s icon on the screen.
She picks up on the third ring. Already her voice is tinged with concern. “Hi, sweetie. We haven’t heard from you in a few days. Is everything good?”
I’m way too distraught to bother with pleasantries. “I don’t know. The school just called, and my tuition still hasn’t been paid.”
The statement is met with a deafening silence that only reconfirms this was in no way an oversight before she murmurs, “I should get your father.”
The faint prickling at the bottom of my belly turns into full-fledged pterodactyls attempting to wing their way to life. I don’t realize that the hand not holding my cell in a death grip has drifted to the middle of my chest to rub my scar.
There’s a brief shuffling of the phone before Dad clears his throat. I can already tell that whatever he has to say won’t be good. “Hey, Fallyn.”
Exhaustion fills his voice. And maybe something else.
Resignation.
Defeat.
Things I never expected to hear from him.
“Hi, Dad. Why wasn’t my tuition bill paid this semester?”
A heavy silence follows.
“We’ve been dealing with some financial issues. I was hoping they could be resolved, but in light of current events, that now seems unlikely.”
My face scrunches as I pop to my feet and pace the length of my room. “What kind of issues?”
“That dirty bastard Westerville staged a coup and forced me out of the company,” he bites out. Once his anger has been unleashed, there’s no putting it neatly back inside a box.
I stutter to a stop as my eyes widen. My heart stalls before slamming into overdrive beneath my breast. “A coup? When?”
