Chapter 1
Sandra showed me to the guest room and I let my only bag fall to the floor with a thump. “Nice digs,” I said, looking at the hideous floral wallpaper and the double bed that had a busy homemade quilt stretched out on it.
“Thank you,” Sandra said stiffly before telling me that there was a spare towel in the closet and to feel free to shower. I just stood there mutely, my back to her. “Please ask if you need anything,” she said. It should’ve been polite but there was a stern note in her voice that gave the words a double meaning. She didn’t want me taking anything from her house.
“Great, thanks,” I mumbled and she closed the door. I half expected to hear a key turn in the lock but there was nothing.
I sighed and plopped down on the bed, stretching my long legs out and moaning as all the aches and pains of the past few days, or months, eased out of me. “Beds are good,” I mumbled, already feeling sleep tug at me.
“Corinna?” a voice said from the hallway before there was a soft knock on the door.
I sat up instantly, recognizing the voice. “Come in,” I said, pissed when my voice came out hoarse.
My anger faded as I saw my older brother’s open expression and wide smile. “It’s been too long, sis,” he said approaching me with his arms open.
I sat still, shocked that he was approaching me with anything besides distaste. “Jesse,” was the only thing I said as he wrapped his strong arms around me. I noticed that he’d grown quite a lot in the past four years.
For a second, everything faded and I closed my eyes, leaning my head against his strong shoulder and breathing in his familiar scent as memories flooded my mind, Jesse and I at the park, the two of us at the lake with our parents, just the two of us, playing catch. My throat clogged and I stopped breathing until he moved back. I put a blank look in my eyes and a smirk on my mouth. “You never call, you never write…” I shook my head giving him a mock stern look.
His blue eyes, so much like my mother’s clouded over and his lips turned down. “Cor, I wanted to─”
I waved a dismissive hand, shrugging. “Don’t worry about it, Jess. I understand,” I said softly, looking into his blue eyes and for a second, all pretence was gone. A soft smile pulled my lips and I just looked at my older brother.
There was a curious moisture in his eyes as he looked down at me and I let out a small laugh. “Don’t cry now, big bro, you’ll ruin your image.”
He chuckled and let out a little sniff as he puffed out his chest. “I’m not crying. Real men don’t cry.”
“No they don’t,” I whispered, smirking at him again.
He shifted on his feet for a second, unsure before saying, “I was just going to meet up with some friends if you wanted to come?”
I shook my head, stretching my legs out on the bed again. “No thanks, Jess. I’m beat.”
He nodded, turning away and putting his hand on the door knob. “What happened to Mom?” he asked.
My heart stopped for a second as I thought of her with her long blonde hair that had recently been chopped short and her heart shaped face that looked so much like mine. Her blue eyes were always so vibrant and full of life. People used to say that we looked like twins but my face was a little bit wider, my eyes slightly further apart and my lips a touch fuller.
Mentally shaking myself, I came back to the present. “Nothing. Everything,” I said vaguely.
He looked back at me over his shoulder, questions in his familiar blue eyes. “Okay,” he said softly before facing forward and leaving the room.
I sighed, leaning back into the pillows, trying to shut off my brain. I ground my teeth together as thoughts of the past crowded my mind.
I groaned and pulled out my iPod from my bag, putting on my over the ear headphones that blocked all outside noise and turning on a well used play list. Sounds of nature flitted in my ears and I listened to distant waterfalls and birds chirping, letting my brain calm down. I was asleep in seconds.
Something slimy touched my lips.
My eyes shot open and I was face to face with a little boy, about six years old who was holding something out to me, pressing it against my mouth. “Kiss it,” he said, thrusting whatever it was close once more.
My sleep filled brain slowly registered that there was a toad against my mouth, its slick body emitting an unpleasant smell. I shook my head at the kid, trying to tell him without opening my mouth that I didn’t want to kiss the toad.
He frowned but pulled the animal back, allowing me to take a deep breath of air. I sat up on my pillows, looking at the kid who was staring morosely at his toad which was now hopping on the quilt. “Freddy just wanted a kiss,” he said and a lone tear leaked down his cheek.
My heart clenched and without thinking, I scooped up the toad and gave it a swift kiss on the mouth. “Is he happy now?” I asked.
The kid looked at me with huge, happy eyes that were the exact same colour as mine. A wide grin broke across his face and there was a large gap where his two front teeth should’ve been.
I felt a smile tug my lips involuntarily as I looked back at him. “He’s happy! Freddy’s a prince now!”
I eyed the toad doubtfully. “Um, he sure is,” I said, giving the kid a thumb’s up.
“I’m Jake,” he said holding out his small hand for me to shake. The last time I’d seen my little half brother, he was a rambunctious two year old who Sandra had to keep on a leash everywhere we went.
I gave his hand a firm shake, making his arm wiggle causing him to laugh. “I’m Corinna, it’s nice to meet you.”
I let go of his hand and he jumped off the bed, grabbing a shoe box with holes in it and putting his toad inside, setting it on the bedside table before climbing back onto the bed and crawling right up, putting his face right in front of mine.
“I thought you would turn into a toad,” he said, frowning in disappointment.
I gave him a mock stern look and put my hands on my hips. “Did you want me to turn into a frog?” I asked and he nodded seriously. “Oh really? Well, what if I didn’t want to be a toad? What then?”
“It would’ve been fun!” he exclaimed.
“I disagree. In fact, I’m angry now so you’re going to have to pay,” I gave a low growl and lunged, tickling him on his rounded belly, making him squeal and laugh as he rolled around, trying to get away but not trying very hard.
“What do you think you’re doing?” Sandra’s angry voice said from the doorway as she looked at the scene in front of her in horror.
The smile that had been on my face vanished as I looked at her severe light brown eyes and her straight bob, noticing her hands on her hips as she glared at me. “We were just messing around,” I said giving her a smirk that I knew would piss her off.
She didn’t reply. Instead, she stepped into the room and smoothly lifted Jake off my bed, planting him on her hip even though he looked too old be to be carried around. “Reena!” he said, reaching for me as he squirmed in his mother’s hold.
“Jake, I told you not to come in here,” she hissed, leaving the room with her son.
I sighed and looked over at the box on my bedside table dubiously. I grabbed it and walked into the hallway, placing the box in front of the room that Sandra and Jake had disappeared into.
As I was turning back towards my room, Sandra stepped back into the hallway and gripped my arm tightly. My eyes narrowed on hers as she glared at me. “Stay away from my children,” she hissed.
I tilted my head to the side and smirked. “You mean my siblings?” I asked.
“This stopped being your family four years ago, Corinna. You wanted it that way so don’t pretend to care now.” She released me and some of the anger faded from her face as she looked at me. “We’re happy, Corinna. Please don’t mess it up for everyone.”
I snorted, rolling my eyes. “Don’t be so fucking dramatic, Sandra,” I growled, leaning close to her, pushing my face into hers for a quick second before spinning walking into the bathroom, slamming the door behind me.
“Donald!” I heard her yell before her frantic footsteps moved down the stairs. I sighed and banged my head against the wall in frustration. No matter how nice I was to them, they wouldn’t believe it anyway. I might as well live up to their expectations then and be the bad apple that everyone already thought I was.
I wore the same outfit I’d worn the day before because it happened to be the cleanest thing I owned. I walked into the school with purpose, hiking my purse further up onto my shoulder as my t-shirt slipped a bit, exposing the skin there. I opened the door to the main office and the harried secretary gave me an irritated look. “Can I help you?” she asked, her voice bitchy.
“Yeah, I’m here to pick up my schedule. My name is Corrina Evans.” She ruffled around a bit before picking out a piece of paper and handing it to me. “Thanks,” I mumbled, leaving the office quickly. I was walking down the hallway when I bumped into something hard.
I blinked and backed up and had to tilt my head back to figure out who I was looking at. “Corrina Evans,” the guy said, giving me a smirk that immediately sent tingles of irritation up my spine.
I gritted my teeth as I straightened my bag on my shoulder. “Tyler Flynn,” I said simply, scowling up at him. Just how tall was he?
His smirk broadened. “Does your brother know you’re here?”
“Why don’t you run along and ask him?”
I moved to the side, stepping around him and getting an impressive view as I did it. The guy had to be close to six and a half feet tall and every inch of him was well muscled. His tight black shirt hugged the planes of his body and his faded jeans clung in all the right places. His leather jacket hung onto his shoulders lovingly, the material worn in some spots.
He let out a deep chuckle and hurried to walk beside me. I picked up my pace but his longer strides handled the speed with ease. “I never thought you’d come back.”
“Me neither,” I mumbled, seeing people glance in our direction before turning to their neighbour and whispering about the new girl. “Piss off will you?”
He chuckled again. “I see you’re as charming as ever.”
“You bet,” I muttered.
“So what have you been up to these past four years?”
I stopped walking suddenly, closing my eyes briefly before turning to face him. I tilted my head back and met his odd, light green eyes. A lock of his slightly curly hair fell into his left eye and for some reason, it irritated me to see it there. “What do you want from me, Flynn?”
His smirk disappeared and turned into a glare. “Well Cory, maybe I want you to leave just like you did four years ago?”
My heart lurched as he looked me straight in the eye, anger, blame and disapproval clear in his green eyes. “I’m not leaving until I graduate. Then you never have to see me again.”
I moved to take a step but he reached out to grab my arm, stopping me. “What about your brother? Do you have any idea what it did to him last time you left? You’re just going to pack up and do it all over again, not giving him your number or address just like last time?”
I wrenched my arm from his grip, pushing him hard on the chest and having very little effect. “You have no idea what you’re talking about so why don’t you just back off, Flynn?”
I walked away from him, ignoring the stares of the students milling around me.
I made it to my first class without any more incidents but news of my return had travelled fast and by the time lunch hour hit, people were outright pointing at me. I gave a wry twist of my lips, thinking that they’d start throwing eggs at me soon.
I’d almost made it to the cafeteria when I saw a girl who was only a couple inches shorter than me with long, wavy brown hair and a sunny smile on her face. Her dark blue eyes were focused on the girl beside her but the other girl elbowed her in the side, making her look towards me quizzically.
Everything around us froze as our gazes collided. “Corinna,” she whispered and even though she was pretty far away, it seemed like she’d said it through a loudspeaker.
“Rach,” I said, just as quietly. She jerked as if I’d slapped her and all the happiness disappeared from her gaze. I seemed to have that effect on people. Planting a smirk on my lips to hide the sadness that was quickly consuming me, I said, “Long time no see,” before winking at her and walking into the cafeteria without looking back.
If only I had enough money to go to any school but this one. This town was filled with people who knew way too much about me and I craved the anonymity of my old school. It had been the worst school in the state but at least there, no one knew a damn thing about me and more importantly, no one gave a shit.
As I ate my ham and cheese sandwich, I kept replaying the short meeting I’d had with my ex-best friend, Rachel Murray. We’d been like sisters since we were four when we met at day care. Her family had just moved to town and from that moment on, we were inseparable. We were those two girls who can finish each other’s sentences, who can tell what the other is thinking with just one look.
But not anymore.
Everything had changed four years ago when things started to get out of control.
I winced, thinking about the night that I’d been arrested for arson, watching as a building had burnt down in front of my eyes, wishing I could stop time and take everything back.
“Hey Corinna,” a guy with dark blond hair and blue eyes that I didn’t recognize said, sitting across from me. “How are you?”
I raised an eyebrow at him, not replying.
He gave a light chuckle, his broad shoulders shaking with amusement. His eyes traveled up and down my body, making my skin crawl. “Everyone says you’re dangerous Corinna but you don’t look so bad.” He licked his lips, his gaze landing on my breasts.
“Want to find out?” I asked, my voice pitched lower than usual, making his eyes widen at the implicit threat.
“I don’t know, if I say yes will you burn down this school too?” he asked and even though I’d expected the comment, I still gave a slight flinch.
I stood up from my seat without another word and walked away but stopped when he grabbed my arm. “Come on Corinna, don’t go. I want to be friends.”
“No,” I snarled, trying to pull my arm out of his grip.
“Why not?”
“Because she said no, asshole,” Flynn said from behind me, making my head whip towards him.
“Don’t act like you care,” I snarled.
His gaze locked on mine for a second and something flashed there before it was replaced with a smirk. “You’re right. I don’t really care but Jesse would and he’s my best friend so hands off, Greg.”
He gave Flynn a smirk and shrugged. “Whatever man, she’s not that hot anyway.”
“I shouldn’t have come here,” I muttered, watching Greg, the jackass walk away.
“No, you shouldn’t have,” Flynn said, frowning down at me.
I rolled my eyes at him and walked out of the cafeteria, hating the stares I was getting as I moved. Someone grabbed my arm and I turned to see Flynn holding onto me. “What?’ I asked, irritated.
“Why did you come back?” His tone wasn’t mocking for once and there was honest curiosity in his gaze as he looked down at me.
I suddenly felt bone tired. “I had nowhere else to go,” I whispered, my voice sounding broken to my own ears.
“What happened to your mom?”
I yanked my arm out of his grip and pushed on his shoulders. “Stop asking me about her!” I shouted, drawing looks from people around us. I made a frustrated noise and ran my hands through my long blonde hair.
“Jesse has a right to know,” he said quietly.
My gaze connected with his again. “Jesse doesn’t want to know,” I hissed and saw his eyes widen before I spun on my heel and left. This time no one followed me.