I looked at myself in the mirror. My hair was wild from running. I shook my head—I was a mess.

“Boy, you can sure be a baby,” I said to myself. I splashed some water on my cheeks.

Crying never fixed anything.

“I’m sorry,” he said, as soon as I showed myself. I sat down on the edge of the bed, clutching my stomach. My nerves were all over the place.

“It’s not your fault, Mason. This is all I’ve ever known. I’m scared.”

He slipped a hand in the front pocket of his jeans, fumbling for a minute before he pulled out an envelope. He shook the contents into his palm and showed me.

“What the heck?” I studied the diamond rings and loose stones.

He grinned, raising an eyebrow. “All we have to do is make it out of here and find a crappy pawn shop. This could get us far…I know it could.” He pulled my face toward him and planted a kiss on my lips.

“What are you saying, Mason?” I asked, running a hand through my hair.

He put the jewelry back in the envelope. “I’m saying you don’t have to go with her. We can get out of here…just the two of us.”

I swallowed. The thought of it was enticing but scary. Mason and I taking off was no better than what was happening now. “What kind of life could we really have?”

“Whatever you want. I know it could be better than this,” he said, looking around the nasty room.

“Wanda and Payton will go ballistic.” My heart was beating a million beats just thinking about it.

“We know so much. What could they really do?” He grabbed my bag from the floor.

“I don’t know,” I said, my mouth going dry. He smoothed my hair. He knew how hard this was for me. Wanda was the only person I had—even if she was cruel.

“Stop thinking about her and think about yourself for a change. This shit does not get better, Kendall.”

“I know.” I sighed.

“Just imagine what it could be like. We could go wherever we wanted. We wouldn’t have to do anything like this ever again,” he said, squeezing my arm.

Just then, the door opened and Payton snatched the envelope from Mason’s grip. I watched Mason’s face change from hope to humiliation—his dreams of getting away shattered in just an instant. It was as if someone stuck a pin in him and his hopes deflated right before my eyes.

Payton headed for the bathroom not looking at either of us. Wanda walked in—her hands were dirty and her hair was a mess. The braid I’d made earlier nearly undone. I noticed the scratches on her arm as she pulled off ring after ring, setting them down on the dresser

“We’re going to clean up and then we are out of here,” she said, dropping her head down as she undid her hair.

I looked at Mason, biting my tongue. He shifted in his seat, taking a long breath and then he finally said something. “What’s the plan?” He leaned forward.

I followed his gaze to Wanda. She kicked her shoes off. “We leave Florida, go into Alabama. I know a couple there,” she said.

Mason jumped up, irritated. He looked ready to explode.

“Are they coming with us?” I blurted before Mason tried to strangle her. We both waited for an answer from her.

“You’ll survive. These people are not the kind to invite a bunch of strangers into their home,” she said, blowing us both off.

“Mason and Payton are only two more people. I think we’d be better off with them,” I argued.

“Mason’s a big boy—he can take care of himself,” Wanda said, collecting her things. My heart sank. I stared at the floor, heartbroken at the thought of leaving Mason.

“This is fucked up,” Mason said. “We can all go together and stay somewhere else.”

Payton came out of the bathroom. She grabbed him by the shirt, shoving him. “Shut your mouth! You’re worrying about the wrong things. And I’ll lay you out, Mason Vaughn!”

I gripped the comforter. I felt bad for him.

“No. I’m not shutting my mouth. We go to Alabama or I’m done with this bullshit,” he said.

“Who are you, my god damn husband? We go where I say we go,” she said, slapping him in the side of his head.

“We go to Alabama or, so help me, I’ll turn you all in.” He was serious and I believed every word coming from his mouth.

Payton’s eyes darkened. “You can’t see Kendall in prison,” she said, testing him.

Aunt Wanda stopped what she was doing, waiting for Payton to pull it together.

“I wouldn’t be the only one not seeing anything,” he said back.

“Get your shit!” she said. She shoved him out of her way, leaving the room and slamming the door behind her. I looked at Mason in disbelief.

He opened the door. Payton was outside…fuming. “Is it Alabama?”

“Yes, Mason, it’s Alabama. I should shoot you in the God damn head. I can’t believe my own son would treat me like this.” Aunt Wanda stared Mason down. I wasn’t sure what she was thinking, but I was sure it was something awful, though, and something I didn’t want to know about. She slammed the door and left us alone, giving us a chance to celebrate.

Mason lifted me off the ground, giving me the biggest hug he could muster. I squeezed him back.

“It’s working out. Just a little while longer,” he said, kissing me on the cheek.

 

JUNE 23

RD

ALABAMA, THEYELLOWHAMMERSTATE. I knew nothing about the place.

“I heard they have Hitler’s typewriter here,” Mason said, breaking the silence that hung in all corners of the car. We were crammed in like sardines, the truck left behind.

Payton ignored him. She was still upset with him over his act of defiance back at the motel.

I watched her sulk, staring out the passenger-side window in the front seat. She was a beautiful woman…barely forty. I imagined she could have done anything she wanted to at one time in her life. Why she’d chosen this path, I wasn’t sure.

She was oblivious to just how awful she really was and how ugly it made her.

As she rested her chin against her palm I was reminded that Mason had her eyes.

“What would Alabama want with his typewriter?” I said, raising an eyebrow.

Mason placed his hand on top of mine and smirked. “I don’t know, but that’s got to say something about them.” He leaned back.

“What does it say? That they welcome psychopaths and their writing utensils?” I said.

“Then we should be right at home,” Mason said, and he started to laugh. I smirked as I looked out my window.

Several hours later, we were pulling into a long driveway, toward a white house. The house was old but well maintained. The brick chimney on one side jutted straight to the sky.

The porch was enclosed giving way to a beautiful staircase that lead up to the front door.

I counted fifteen windows just on the front of the house.

Aunt Wanda twisted around in her seat. Mason was still asleep. “I’ll do the talking. Keep your mouth shut. If they ask, Payton and Mason are relatives. No specifics,” she explained, pointing a finger at me.

Payton slapped Mason in the leg, waking him up. “Listen…before you screw everything up! We’re all related, you got that?” She glared at him.

Mason yawned and checked out the house through his window. “Yeah, whatever.”

“I mean it, Mason. That means no touchy feely with Kendall,” she warned him.

“We’re in Alabama—doesn’t everyone date their sister here? Who the hell cares what they think about us,” he said, climbing out of the car.

Payton let out a sharp breath as she got out of the car. Mason was moving further and further from her clutch. I was proud of him, but part of me worried he was going to push it too far.

Mason and I followed behind the two of them. Aunt Wanda never said who these people were, so I had no idea what to expect. From the looks of their home, they were well off…and possibly normal.