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A waterfall of emotions washed over me—gratitude, excitement, guilt. I was secretly giddy to have a computer and phone. I’d only used the ones at the library, and I’d missed having communication with Addison and Mrs. Donaldson.
I didn’t waste any more time as I typed out an email to Addison and included my new cell number. I wouldn’t divulge details over the internet, but I let her know that I wasn’t in Montana anymore. I realized she would have questions, but if her parents had heard that Dan was dead, she’d be freaking out by now. Unfortunately, that was out of my control.
As I flipped through the contacts, I realized Holden had already programmed his, Jace’s, and Brynn’s contact information in as well.
I also needed to call Shirley and confront her about the tracker, but every time I thought about it, my stomach lurched, and my body shook uncontrollably. If she and Ed had helped Logan and his men track me, it seemed like the best way to handle the situation was to stay off the radar. My instincts agreed with me, so for now, I wasn’t going to reach out. However, I gave myself permission to change my mind if I needed to.
I spent the next few hours searching through the college catalog, overjoyed and overwhelmed with the choices. I hadn’t decided on a major yet because deep down inside, I never thought I would really make it to school.
“What’s up?” Brynn asked, strolling through the basement sliding glass door. Even though the house was over ten thousand square feet, we practically lived down here. What I appreciated most was the heat. I’d finally begun to warm up after years of freezing my ass off in the trailer.
“Hey,” I said, smiling at her. She looked gorgeous in a soft pink sweater that hugged her curves. Her dark wash jeans were tucked into mid-calf black boots. Her makeup was flawless, and her green eyes twinkled as she sat down next to me.
“Are you bored?” she asked.
“I’m going to college!” I squealed. “And before you say anything, I signed a contract that I would pay Holden back for the classes and computer.”
Brynn laughed. “He won’t miss the money, River. He would, however, miss you horribly if you left. I think it’s his way of keeping you close. He’s like that. He wants to take care of the people that are really important to him.” She winked at me. “Well, I brought over one of my favorite movies of all time. I say we pop open a bottle of wine ... Oh, wait. Are you finished with your pain pills? You can’t mix those.”
“I’m all done, but better yet, I don’t hurt much. Advil seems to do the trick.”
“Excellent. What do you like? Wine? Beer?” Brynn’s face scrunched up. “Beer is nasty, but if you like it ...” She lifted her hands in front of her, palms facing me in a sign that she wasn’t judging me if my tastes were different than hers. I suspected everything about us was different.
I wrinkled my nose. “I don’t like beer. I’ve only had a few wine coolers. Since Dan was an alcoholic, I stayed away from it.”
“Shit. That’s right. I’m sorry,” Brynn said.
“No, I’m fine. I would love to try something new.” I beamed at her. As much as I tried to fight it, I really liked Brynn.
Brynn stood and tapped her finger against her lower lip. “Let’s start off with ... What’s your preference? Sweet or salty?”
“Sweet. Just not overly sweet,” I explained.
“Two White Russians coming right up!” Jace yelled as he waltzed into Holden’s house, the freezing air rushing into the room with him.
I shivered, then waved at him. Jace was as gorgeous as Holden and Chance, but he was the clown out of the group, which I loved.
“Where’s Holden?” he asked, searching for him.
“Upstairs. He should be down soon,” I replied.
“Awesome. I’ll make the drinks. I think we’re going to play video games while you girls watch a chick flick.” He wiggled his brows at us, then headed to the kitchen.
“What movie?” I asked, excited to have a girl’s night.
“Two actually.” Brynn held the DVDs up and grinned. “Magic Mike and Magic Mike XXL. Have you seen them?” She gave them to me.
I flipped the case over and read the back, a furious flush traveling up my neck. “Strippers?” My voice cracked, and Jace howled with laughter.
“Oh man, are you a virg—” Jace froze, then swallowed visibly. “Um, sorry.” He turned away from us, busying himself.
I realized Jace didn’t mean anything by it, and he stopped as soon as his brain connected with his mouth, but I think I was just as mortified as he was. I’d shared about the rape, which meant I wasn’t a virgin, but I wasn’t used to casual conversation about sex either.
Brynn sat down on the edge of the coffee table. “River, have you been with anyone willingly?” Tears welled in her eyes. “Every girl deserves to be loved and worshipped. I hope—”
I held up my hand, halting her before she said anything else. “Twice willingly when I was sixteen. But no, I haven’t had the experience you’re referring to.”
“It’s amazing when you’re with someone you love, or if you’re having fun. There are times that the no-strings-attached romps are just as important.” Brynn twirled a strand of her red hair around her finger.
