Page 105 of No Place Like Home

I put my car in drive and got the hell out of Sunny Pines. I didn’t notice anything, just the road ahead of me, as I listened to the direction on my phone.

I didn’t go far. Just two towns over. Still, it was far enough.

What kind of future could someone like me give anyone? I couldn’t even take care of myself. I couldn't even take care of my little sister. I’d let someone else take her, telling myself that it was for her own good. Was that just more bullshit words I spoke to myself?

As soon as I parked the car, I got out, gasping for air. I needed to do this. There was so much shit already in my life. Bringing a child into this world would only make it worse. What would her classmates tell her? No father, and a murderer for a grandfather…it was hell.

This is the best decision, I told myself as I took a step in the direction of the clinic.

I took a few steps forward when suddenly I was pulled back, a hand on my waist holding me tightly. Slowly, I turned around, ready to tear a new one to whoever touched me. My eyes met dark ones that were glaring at me.

“What are you doing here?” I hissed, trying to get away.

He looked at me and then at the clinic, then again at me and my midsection. It dawned on him what I was here to do.

“Don’t do it,” Prescott said in a pleading voice I had never heard him say before.

“Let me go!” I thrashed in his arms, desperate to get away.

“Jess, stop.” Prescott sounded as desperate as I was, but he was also very angry.

“You do this without thinking it through, you’ll regret it.”

Back then, I didn’t think I was making a mistake, and now I was thankful that he had seen me and followed me. The only reason I was able to get away from everyone was because he gave me the means to do so.

The only catch? I had to get help, but this time for real.

CHAPTERTHIRTY-TWO

All the windowswere down on my fucking sports car, yet I couldn’t take a proper breath. I drove like hell was on my ass. And maybe it was, because I had never felt this way before. My car flew down Main Street, and I knew I would get shit about it later, but I didn’t care right now. No one got to tell me shit when they’d kept this secret from me.

The betrayal hurt—not just from Jess, but from everyone else too.

I marched inside Emma’s diner without looking at anyone. One look, and you could tell I was about to blow. Lucky for me, not only was Emma there, but so were Juliet and Jake.

“Q, what’s wrong?” Emma said as soon as she noticed me.

“Don’t fucking pretend with me right now,” I hissed at her.

She flinched.

Other than the time I had tried to rob her, I was nothing but nice to her. I was grateful she had given me a job.

“Your office. Right now.”

She looked alarmed, but ultimately nodded. Then I turned to look at Jake and Juliet as well.

“You two too.”

Juliet looked as alarmed as Emma, and Jake was glaring at me. He put one protective hand behind his wife’s back and ushered her toward the back door.

I was trying to calm myself down enough not to yell, because that wouldn’t get us anywhere.

“What the hell is going on, Hardwell?” Jake snapped.

I lost it and gave a humorless chuckle.

“Are you fucking kidding me right now?!” I yelled, knowing that people outside could probably hear. Something else for another day.

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