Olivia pushes the cash back my way. “I got it this time.” “No. Absolutely not.” I stand, throwing my purse over my shoulder. She stands, too, thrusting the money at me. “Yes. You need every dollar to get out of this place.” It’s a kind gesture, but I can’t accept it. When people do nice things, you start to believe they care and would never wrong you. Olivia’s a great friend, the best I could hope for, but I’d never be stupid enough to rely on her. That lesson was taught to me by my stepbrother, Colin. He was kind, protected me from Ray, and promised to always be there for me. Then one day, I
...more
