Page 90 of A Ballad of Betrayal and Beauty

Her fingers fly to her mouth, and it hits us both that I’ve just cursed for the first time in my life. It’s freeing, like an anvil has been lifted off my chest.

“To hell with my parents and everyone else in this god-forsaken town. You’re the only one I care about—the only reason I have dreams in the first place is because of you. You’re the only one I love.”

“Really?”

I nod. “Really. We can start our own family. We can make it work.”

A shy smile pulls at her lips. “I’m going to get huge.”

I shrug. “Just more of you to love.”

“The baby is going to cry all the time,” she counters.

“Maybe it will like my music and your movies.”

“We’re going to have to grow up.”

I kiss the tip of her nose. “If that means spending the rest of my life with you and our child, then I’m ready.”

She laughs breathlessly, but more tears leak from the corners of her eyes anyway. “But what about our plans?”

I cup her face. “We’ll just have to make new plans. One day, we’ll get what we want. We’ll just have to take a little detour first.” I’m sure of this, sure ofher. “It’s going to be okay. I’m going to take care of us.”

She wipes her nose and I’m relieved to see the tiniest hint of a smile. “You’ll save me, Key?”

I smile back. “We’ll save each other.”

* * *

“Did you get a bus schedule?”Dusty whispers through the phone.

I nod, even though she can’t see me. “Yeah, I got it today. The earlier bus to California is on Thursday,” I whisper back. My neck is sore from constantly looking over my shoulder for my parents. It’s after midnight now—the only safe time I could call Dusty to finalize our plan. But if my parents overhear me . . .

“Are you sure you want to do this?” she asks.

“Dusty, I’ve already told you?—”

“I know you have.” She sighs. “I also don’t think you understand what you’re agreeing to.”

I frown and lean against the wall. “What do you mean? Of course I understand.”

“Your whole life is going to change because of this.”

“Maybe that’s what I want,” I insist, pressing my lips into the receiver. “Plus, I’ll finally be able to wear the necklace you gave me.”

“Key,” she says into the phone. “It’s okay to admit you’re scared. I’m scared too. Actually, I’m terrified. You can tell me.”

She’s always known me better than I know myself. It’s true.Terrifiedis the word. And panicked and anxious and guilty and so many others. But I’m also excited. This baby is a chance to escape the cycle of what I’ve grown up in. What she’s grown up in. “We’re going to be amazing parents, Dusty. You’ll see. We can do it.”

“Right.”

Her voice sounds far away. Unsure. Is she having doubts?

“So, Thursday at seven,” I say, double-checking the schedule again. “My father has a church elder meeting that night and my mom is supposed to go to her bible study group a few blocks away. My brother will be home, but he won’t even notice I’m gone.”

There’s silence on the other end. I push aside the stack of bills on the counter, making sure the phone didn’t get disconnected. “Dusty?”

“Yes. Sorry. I’m here.”

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