Corrigan punched Bryce in the shoulder when she disappeared, “What was that, idiot?”

“What?”

“Nothing like telling her that we figured out how to get out of the handcuffs,” I remarked.

Bryce cast a shrewd eye over me and shrugged, “Whatever.”

Logan surprised everyone and asked me, “How are things with your mom?”

Bryce and Corrigan didn’t say a word.

Neither did I.

No one asked about The Mother.

“That’s a loaded question,” Corrigan commented and eyed his girlfriend in pity.

But—new leaf and all—I said, calmly and even a little bit nicely, “She’s…hopefully gone pretty soon.”

Corrigan suddenly laughed and suggested, “We should have a sleepover at your place tonight, Bryce.”

I grinned and commented, “AnnaBelle Scout would pray the whole night with a Bible on her lap.”

Bryce rolled his eyes, but I caught the slight quirk at his lips.

“Why?” Logan treaded onto uncharted waters once again. She asked, “What’s your mom like?”

The pause wasn’t so obvious this time and Corrigan answered easily, “AnnaBelle hates Sheldon.”

“And she loves Corrigan. Corrigan’s a saint in AnnaBelle’s world,” I added.

Logan kept quiet, which was wise.

Bryce muttered as the four of us moved towards my locker, “She’d go after Miss Connors and the school would lose a good counselor.”

“She said she got everyone’s permission for this thing.”

“She called my dad, not my mom. The school knows to call my dad for anything real about me. They call mom if they want her to volunteer for a food drive or something.” Bryce rarely talked about his dad and he couldn’t hide the bitterness from his tone as he did now.

Logan glanced at me. Corrigan quieted, skimmed an eye over Bryce and turned to me.

I watched Bryce and he looked up to find my eyes on him.

“Don’t even,” he bit out.

I grinned, “What? You think you’re the only one who can have a screwed up family?”

The second bell rang then and Corrigan asked, “What class are we going to?”

Mandy Justice approached us at that time. She gave us each a handout and said what the title read, “We’re doing a candlelight vigil for Leisha tonight. It’s nine in the tabernacle at Holy Mount.”

Holy Mount was the local Christian college.

“Who’s we?” I asked.

“Me. A few others. Becky, Jill, just…the regular girls.”

“You guys didn’t even know Leisha.”

“No, but Carlos did and Becky wanted to do this for him.” Mandy shrugged.

“Your fight’s not with me, but it’s a good cause.”

“You should get some of her friends to do it.” And why would Becky want to do this for Carlos?

Mandy flinched. “Look, no one else is doing it so…just show up, okay?”

Mandy left before I could say anything.

Bryce nodded and stated, “We’re going.” It went without saying, but Bryce had already said it.

The final bell rang and I stuffed the handouts in my books.

CHAPTER TWENTY ONE

Compared to the normal hustle and bustle, all three of us spent a boring afternoon at Corrigan’s. Bryce and Corrigan played video games, laughed, and punched each other.

I curled on the couch for awhile and then moved to the bedroom.

Katrice came down a few times. The first time she brought a tray of crackers and cheese. Her second trip consisted of cookies that she’d baked that afternoon. The entire house was filled with the aroma of chocolate chip cookie dough. And her third trip was with hot chocolate and tiny marshmallows.

Corrigan and Bryce ate it up—literally.

I accepted the hot chocolate and curled up on the couch afterwards.

Logan hit the doorbell around seven and Bryce gave me his phone to call my house. I didn’t ask for it. He didn’t offer it. He simply dropped it in my lap with my number already on the screen.

I called, but there was no answer and I didn’t leave a message.

Logan sat on the opposite couch and we watched the boys play their games. I sat up once for a round of Guitar Hero, but my blanket called my name after I was done.

For a group that was generally known for their action and immorality, we were saintly and boring that afternoon.

Katrice brought another round of sandwiches and then announced dinner.

Corrigan asked if we could eat downstairs and so dinner came to us. We were served lasagna and garlic bread.

Logan smiled politely and Katrice adored her instantly.

For a moment, I watched with a faint grin. I wondered if Katrice was relieved that I wasn’t Corrigan’s girlfriend.

Maybe Katrice would’ve turned into another AnnaBelle if Corrigan had become a Bryce.

Bryce’s phone rang and jumped in my hand. I had held onto it after my empty phone call and now saw that it was AnnaBelle.

Bryce looked over, saw my expression, and said flatly, “Ignore it.”

I glanced up and Bryce saw the devil-may-care glint in my eyes because he straightened and said further, “Leave it, Sheldon. I mean it.”

I stood up and answered it in a sweet purring voice, “Hello, Bitch.” I grinned in satisfaction as I walked from the room.

Annabelle caught her breath, but I heard a moment later, “I knew it. I just knew it.

Bryce hasn’t been returning my calls and he hasn’t stayed at home since I found you in his bed.”

I cocked my head to the side and returned, “Well, he hasn’t been in my bed.” He had, but only for an afternoon so it wasn’t technically a full lie.

Annabelle laughed. It was full of contempt and my back straightened in indignation.

“I give up,” she chuckled to herself. “I give up. You can have him, but I promise you, Sheldon, you won’t hold him. No one’s going to hold my boy because he’s going to the professionals next year.”

I frowned and stopped moving down the hallway.

His mother continued, self-assured, “He’s going pro and he’s going to leave you behind. You might want to start looking for a replacement pretty soon, another big guy that’ll protect you and stay up at night worrying about you. My boy won’t be that guy anymore. He’s going pro and the world is going to notice him.”