Page 3 of In Too Deep

My eyes widen, disbelief mixing with hope.

Behind me, my parents gasp.

Life at home has always been a battle. Dad’s rules, his temper—it’s exhausting.

But the Hughes? The Hughes’ house is different.

It’s fun.

It’s safe.

The decision is almost too easy.

“Seriously?” I choke out, tears streaming, a spark of relief breaking through.

“Lacy, if you leavemyhouse, you can never step foot back inside it again.”

“John!” Mum snaps, her voice trembling with disbelief.

Dad sneers, his face cold and merciless.

My eyes dart to my sister, Stacy, who’s crying silently in the corner. My heart twists—I don’t want to leave her withhim, but I can’t stay. I need to escape.

“F-fine.” My voice cracks, but I straighten my shoulders, trying to sound stronger than I feel. “Trinny, if you’ll have me, I’d love to stay with you.”

Dad’s face hardens even more. “You’re no daughter of mine, Lacy,” he spits, his words like a dagger. He storms off without looking back.

Mum crumbles, shaking her head as tears streak her face. “I’m sorry, honey,” she whispers, but instead of coming to me, she walks away.

Stacy steps forward, her small arms wrapping around me. She hugs me so tightly like she’s trying to glue the pieces of me back together. She kisses my cheek, sniffs, and runs after our parents.

And just like that, I’m standing on the edge of everything I’ve ever known, wondering if it is safe for me to take a leap of faith.

Trinny pulls me into her arms, holding me close—so close it feels like the first real comfort I’ve ever had. “We’ll take care of you, Lacy,” she whispers, her voice soft but firm. “You don’t have to worry anymore.”

But as I bury my face in her shoulder, my sobs muffled, one thought hammers in my mind.

What happens now?

For the first time in my life, I have no idea where I belong—or what comes next.

CHAPTER TWO

Lacy

Twenty Years Old

My lungs burn. My chest tightens like a vice. Water smothers me, its icy grip pulling me down, daring me to stop. But I don’t. I can’t. I push harder, slicing through the liquid cold, my muscles screaming in protest.

No matter how hard I propel, I can’t seem to break through. My brain swims in a fog, my body falters. Still, Ithrust, harder and harder—reaching, straining, desperate—

Just a bit further.

My hand slams into the wall.

I burst upward, my head breaking through the surface, then I gasp a deep, desperate breath. The crisp blue water trickles down my face as my legs turn to jelly at the bottom of the pool. I heave. I pant. My heart pounds like a drum in my chest.

I’ve pushed myself to the edge.

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