{18+ COMPLETE} For the past three years, Bren Hadaway has been preparing to die.
When he was sixteen, he watched his dad murder his mom. And ever since, he's been counting down the days until it was his turn to be at the end of a gun. And Bren has...
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When my fifth call to Bren went to voicemail, I began to panic.
When I realized I didn't have Caroline's number saved, I barely withheld a scream.
When the Fresno PD put me on hold, my knees buckled.
"How?" I cried. "How does Luke even know about the cops?"
I screamed the words at Brodie because he seemed to have all the answers. But he only shook his head, and I gritted my teeth so hard that pain shot through my jaw.
"I honestly don't know." Brodie sighed. "My mom complains that he spends a lot of time out of town on business trips. Maybe he's—"
"Business trips? There's no way he's actually doing any legal kind of business."
"Yeah, I realize that now. I doubt he has a job at all. My mom pays for everything, I swear. This guy's basically been freeloading by living at our place." Brodie paused, considering his words. "Well, her place. I don't live there anymore."
For some people, home was always the place they grew up. Even after moving out. And then there were the others—others like me. When I moved out, I moved out. I didn't really consider South Lake Tahoe to be home anymore.
But Brodie had a look on his face that told me he might still consider his mom's place to be home if it weren't for Luke Hadaway.
"Where are you from?" I asked, wondering where Bren's dad had been crashing.
"Gray and I are from Modesto." I checked over at Grayson, who gave a brief nod at Brodie's response. "That's where my mom still lives," he added.
Barely over an hour from Fresno. From Bren.
Fuck, Bren. I called him again and swore when he didn't pick up. Each time the phone rang into my ear, it sent my brain spiraling further down a hole where all I could picture was Bren on the other end of a gun. Again.
The only thing that kept me together was knowing Bren wouldn't give up like he had that night in the bar. He would fight—for him and us.
But I had to fight, too.
Unable to stand in the dorm hallway any longer while Grayson and Brodie watched me inch toward a breakdown, I ducked back into my room and reemerged seconds later with my purse.
"I need to get to Fresno."
"Do you need a ride?" Grayson offered. He looked ready to escape the awkward silence that stretched between him and Brodie. "I can drive."
I nearly accepted. But after a second thought, I shook my head. "Can you actually wait here and fill Nessa in when she gets back from her lecture? If Luke hates me as much as you say..." I glanced at Brodie. "I'm just nervous leaving her here alone. Stay with Nessa, maybe? Even if she, you know, throws a fit."
