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River
Yep. I’ll take him to breakfast, and we’ll go check on Uncle Ro at the gym afterward.
Nash
Romeo, did you hear anything about a broken window last night? Someone shattered the front door at Magnolia Beans. We had to do a rush order and get someone out there to repair the glass for her this morning.
I’d never lied to these guys, and I wouldn’t start now. But I also wouldn’t offer more than I had to in a text.
Yeah. I’ll fill you in when I see you tomorrow. But I don’t think it’s anything to worry about.
Kingston
Such a shady answer, Golden Boy. There’s a story there, isn’t there?
River
I’ll see you tomorrow, and you can fill me in.
He wouldn’t drop it. None of them would. But I’d just helped out a girl who was in a bad situation.
They’d do the same thing.
It didn’t mean anything.
When I left the gym and locked up, I noticed the glass on her coffee shop’s front door had been replaced. I paused for a minute and thought about checking on her, but instead, I turned down the alley and made my way home.
I had no business getting involved with Demi Crawford.
eight
. . .
Demi
It had beena week since I’d last seen my brother. I’d spoken to the program director and was relieved that Slade had been readmitted for a temporary stay. Apparently, they’d reached out to my grandfather, and he’d covered the bill. He hadn’t said anything to me, and I was starting to realize that my entire family functioned around endless secrets. It was hard to keep track of who knew what anymore.
My parents hadn’t said a word about Slade, so I figured they didn’t know about what had happened. Although, I hadn’t said a word either, and I knew exactly what had happened.
Of course, my parents freaked out about the front door. My mom was worried about me living downtown and about my safety. She’d always been a worrier. My father, on the other hand, had all sorts of theories regarding the break-in, and most of them included pointing the finger at the gym next door to me.
I’d seen Romeo run past Magnolia Beans through the large window every morning for the last week, and he hadn’t stopped in to say hello since the night I’d slept at his house. He’d been cold the following morning when we both woke up, and he’d barely said two words to me before I’d made my way back home.
I hadn’t told a soul what happened, and no one had asked where I’d slept.
“That was quite the rush today,” Peyton said, fanning her face even though it was cold as hell outside. “I swear, we just keep getting busier.”
“I know, and then we’ve got all the nosy people that can’t stop talking about the break in. How does everyone find out everything in this town?”
“I know! Our town slogan should beMagnolia Falls, where everyone knows your name and your business.”
We laughed as the door swung open, and my mom and dad stepped inside with Benjamin Lowden and his crew right behind them. They wanted to up the security system at the coffee shop, along with adding extra security to my apartment upstairs. I’d agreed because otherwise, my mother had threatened to start sleeping here with me.
“Hey there. I’m going to start in the kitchen. Feel free to spoil us with those famous lattes everyone’s talking about,” Benjamin said, as he and his guys moved to the kitchen.
I chuckled, and Peyton got to work making their drinks.
“I just saw some guy covered in tattoos going into the gym next door. Are we sure it was teenagers who broke the glass on the door? What if it was a strung-out gym rat who was looking for cash and got scared when the alarm went off?” my father said, and I rolled my eyes.
