Page 6 of Bounty

Colin kisses my forehead before whispering, “But you’ll miss me more, right?”

“Just because you baby her doesn’t mean she’ll miss you the most, asshole. She’ll miss me more,” Cain fires back, pushing him out of our hug and scooping me up for himself. “She knows I’m her favorite because I make her laugh. Always have.”

“Put me down, please,” I ask him. When he gently lowers me back to the ground, I kiss them each on the cheek, then go back to packing my suitcases. “You’re equally my favorite, and I love you both the same.”

“You’ll keep in contact?” Colin asks.

“I promise to write as much as I can. It may take a while, because Aunt Norma and I have to settle down somewhere first.” Wherever that ends up being. “Where’s Jude?”

“He has night watch, but he’ll be around to say goodbye to you tomorrow,” Cain assures me. My face falls, and the look he gives Colin isn’t hopeful. “He’s your stepbrother, of course he’ll come to see you, don’t worry.”

Crossing through my tiny room to the window, I unlock it, hoping Jude will come through when he gets home. I can’t imagine not saying goodbye to him.

Except he never snuck in to say goodbye, and he didn’t come around in the morning.

After my aunt and I stopped at the first motel on our drive to upstate New York, I opened one of my bags and found a note from Jude Harvest, in his neat handwriting. I still have no clue how he managed to hide it in my suitcase. When I read it, my heart shattered into a million jagged pieces. Even six years later, I can’t read it without a tightness gripping my chest. I keep it in my wallet as a reminder that everything good comes to an end—everyone eventually leaves. I have to be strong for myself.

Thistle,

I never planned to visit you before you left. The guys may not agree, but I think it’s time to treat you like an adult and tell the truth.

I’m glad you’re leaving. You’re a weed in my garden, and weeds always get pulled out, no matter how persistent they are. Ever since we were kids, I couldn’t stand you. Your face, your voice, and everything about you is repulsive to me. You’re the most overrated, obnoxious woman I’ve ever met. I don’t understand why Cain and Colin are so hung up on you. I think it’s because you so easily let them up your skirt.

There’s no room in my heart for a backstabbing whore. The Farm is my family, and someone like you can never belong here. Please don’t contact me.If you do, I’ll tell Father Mannix you’re breaking the agreement.

-Jude

After I read that note, I spent the whole night silently sobbing into my pillow so I didn’t wake my aunt in the dingy motel room we shared. It was that moment that I realized my entire life would forever change.

I went from having a whole community of people who cared for me, my best friends, my mom, and my aunt, to having no one.

My new reality settled in…I’ll always be alone.

Chapter Three

WILLA JEAN

I need to stop thinking about Jude before I have a full-blown meltdown. He made it very clear that he didn’t care about me. All three of them forgot about me—no letters, no calls. I survived years without them and I’ll figure out how to get myself out of this mess.

It’s just me now, and I have to be strong.

The wind whips me, lashing my face with freezing snow. I hop into my car, and curse myself for not getting my heating fixed sooner. Carefully, I back out of my spot and onto the road. The last thing I need is to get in an accident and lose my hunk of junk car because I’m not paying attention. All of that caution is for nothing though. My car breaks down two minutes into the drive. A sinking feeling coils in my gut when I try to start the car again.Nothing. After the fourth try, I break down.

“Fuck!” I scream, letting all my pent up rage out as I hit the steering wheel over and over again.

I don’t have a job.“FUCK!”

I don’t have enough money to cover my rent.“FUCK!”

My car is dead for good because I don’t have money to fix it. “FUCK!”

I’m going to get evicted.“FUCK!”

My whole life is falling apart, and there’s nothing I can do about it.“FUCK!”

I’m also stranded during a snowstorm with no heat and I’m spending the holidays alone. My dignity is gone, so I straight up ugly cry. Snot oozes out of my nose as a cold draft comes in through my window that doesn’t quite close all the way. I left my only coat at the office. Before I can reach for a tissue to clean my face, a knock on my car window startles me.

I scream when I see a giant man standing out in the snow.Did he hear me screaming like a lunatic?

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