Page 1 of Safe Haven
Prologue
Jersey Shore
2010
“But the moment that I first laid, eyes on him, all alone, on the edge of seventeen!”
Ilay under the hot summer sun, tapping my fingers to the music blaring in my ear as I secretly watch my elderly neighbor’s grandson fixing something on her roof.
His brown hair is blowing in the sea breeze, and I bite my lip, remembering just how soft those curls felt as I ran my hands through them when we were making out last night in the back of his pickup truck.
“I thought it was against your religion to tan?” I groan at my cousin’s voice.
“And I thought you were in Juvie for another month.” I sit up and lift my sunglasses to stare at Danica.
Our parents are twins. Meaning, our mothers and fathers are genetic matches, making our DNA more like sisters. We’re only three months apart, so growing up was a nightmare of matching lace and bows. Until I hit age thirteen and decided I hated the color pink and took my entire wardrobe into my dad’s garage and tried to use motor oil to dye it black.
It didn’t work out so well, but my parents got the point.
I was not going to be their little princess anymore. They vetoed me trying to change my name to Raven, but they have since accepted my goth emo ways in stride.
Between the two of us, I look like the troublemaker. Danica kept her blonde, wavy hair and sun-kissed skin. She added the pushup bra and daisy dukes once her body filled out, and depends on her looks to get her out of trouble.
Didn’t work out so well this past Christmas when she was shoplifting the new Angel Collection at Victoria’s Secret.
“Let me out on good behavior.” She grins and winks at me before sitting across from me in the other lounge chair.
“So, you gave the guards a blow job.” I place my glasses back on my nose and lean back to try to ignore her.
But I can’t help but notice how my pale skin and black bikini are the complete opposite of her bronze skin and white bikini. However, our faces are identical to the naked eye. IF she ever dyed her hair black, I’d be in deep fucking trouble.
I love her, but Danica only cares about herself, and sure as shit, she’d try to pass me off as the family fuck up in a second.
If she weren’t such a fucking delinquent, she’d be an excellent actress.
“Still a fucking prude, I see. Tell me, are you still a virgin? Are you pining for that neighbor boy to pop your cherry?” I grit my teeth as Joel chooses that exact moment to glance our way.
Fuck, did he hear her?
“What the fuck do you want, Danica? You never visit unless you have a reason.” I glare at her through my sunglasses as she keeps watching Joel.
“Who I choose to fuck or not is none of your concern. WHY. ARE. YOU. HERE?” She sighs dramatically and sits up, making sure her boobs are spilling out of her top right in Joel’s line of sight.
BITCH.
“I need your help.” Of course she fucking does.
“No.” I stand up, grab my towel and iPod before turning my back on her to march my ass back inside where I can put my parents between me and whatever the fuck she has planned.
“PLEASE!” she calls after me, but I ignore her.
I slam the back door in her face, but she just opens it like I wasn’t telling her not to come in.
“Mom?” I call out when she’s not in the kitchen.
“They left for the store,” Danica announces, making me spin on her.
“Just because they aren’t here doesn’t mean I’ll agree to help.” She sighs and drops her shoulders, which immediately start to shake with fake tears.
