Young Love Dies Hard: The Young Brothers, Book 1 Nikki Lane (books for students to read .TXT) 📖

I walked to the car and heard the crunch of gravel behind me. I took a deep breath and Jacob ran his hands on either side of my arms.

“I’m sorry,” I said.

“Sorry for what?” He turned me around so I was facing him. “You have nothing to be sorry about.”

He pulled me into a hug, pressing me close to his body. It felt so good there in his arms. To be safe.

“Stay in the car. I’m going to grab the rest of my stuff. And then I’m taking you home.”

I sat in the car, gnashing my teeth, and waited for Jacob to come back. Mom didn’t show her face outside. Didn’t come after me. Not that I expected her to. When I asked to live with Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim, the word “Yes” dropped out of her mouth like one of her teeth after an argument with Dad. Of course, she had to ask his permission first. I overheard the whole thing. By the end of the conversation, she’d managed to convince him that it was his idea. I’d gone to live at the farm full-time less than a week later. I would never have to go back home again. And I never did. The anvil I’d been carrying on my back had disappeared, only to be replaced when Kasey had been born.

Jacob didn’t take long, and I let out a deep breath when he came out of the house again.

“Let’s get out of here.” He started the car.

I rolled down the window, needing to feel the cool air hit my hot cheeks.

“You okay?” he asked.

“I’ll be fine.”

“When’s the last time you saw her?”

“High school graduation. She just showed up. We had an argument because she didn’t think it was a good idea for me to take a couple years off before I started college.”

I hadn’t even planned on going to college. I had been focused on getting a job and working as much as I could. But after some gentle coaxing by Aunt Meg, I had decided to give college a try. I had been a good student in high school, after all. After the initial terror of going back to school had faded, the regret started to kick in. I’d been playing catch-up with other students my age.

“If Meg and Jim are letting her stay there, maybe she really means to leave this time.”

I glanced over at him before looking back out the window. “Doubt it.”

Jacob pulled out of the driveway and onto the main road. He drummed his fingers over the steering wheel. “If you ever thought about seeing her again, I would take you.”

“That’s not going to happen,” I said. “Do you know what my earliest memory of my parents is?” A few silent beats passed. “My dad smacking my mom clear across the face. I was four.” My heart was beating at a frantic pace. “What kind of mother does that? Allows her child to witness the things that I’ve seen? Do you know how many times I ran away to the farm?” My heartbeat started to pick up again. “Seventeen.” The sweat pooled in the creases of my palms. I knew the exact number because each time I’d hoped it would be the last. “And how many times do you think she came looking for me?”

Jacob didn’t answer, but he knew the answer.

“Zero,” I said.

A few silent seconds passed. I thought about the first few times I’d run away. Doug had managed to stay on my tail for longer than I’d expected. That’s when I had found the shortcut through the woods. He’d always given up once I disappeared into the trees. After a while, my pounding footsteps had carved a new trail into the ground that led to the lake next to the farm.

Jacob opened his mouth, but it took a few seconds for the words to come out. “I’m not going to say that I understand how you feel because I don’t. I have no fucking clue how you went through all of it. But the look on your mother’s face when I went back inside…I think she really means it this time, Maeve. And it might not be such a bad idea to give her a chance.”

I grabbed my phone to call Kasey and make sure she was okay. “If she really cared, then she wouldn’t have just let number eighteen happen.”

She didn’t answer the phone on the first call. I didn’t bother to leave a voicemail, just hung up and recalled. It was a time like this when I was relieved I’d insisted she had her own cellphone. I didn’t care that it cost me more money on my bill. I wanted to know that I could reach her when I needed to.

She finally answered with that sullen voice she used whenever she wasn’t happy.

“I don’t want to go back there. Ever.” Her voice cracked.

“Don’t worry,” I said. “You won’t have to. I promise.” I fought the urge to say I told you so. But that never helped anyone.

“What will happen to her?” she said.

I let out a silent breath. “I don’t know.” Maybe I should have lied. Was I supposed to have all the answers?

“They’re thinking of putting the farm up for sale.” There was no inflection in her voice to indicate her feelings about this news. She just blurted it out matter-of-factly.

“I heard.”

“Maybe Riley’s parents will let me live here.”

I shook my head and rested my fingertips on the part of my forehead where I felt a budding headache.

“Don’t worry about that right now. The farm isn’t going anywhere. Aunt Meg and Uncle Jim might change their minds.” Especially if I helped out more. Worked more hours at the club. Sent them more money each month. “Besides, I’m your big sister, remember? You know the first place you’d go is with me.”

I had always known that it would eventually happen. With no stable parents, and Aunt