Page 29 of Forged in Rain

“Who’s that girl? With the buns?”

“Who?” He says, looking over my shoulder with a shrug. “Junior, I think. Why?”

“No reason. I just, well, I think I owe her.”

He glances at me and then at her as I lay my head on my hands. Before I know it, I’m dozing off while the others murmur around me.

When I wake, it’s to Cyn shaking my shoulder. Raising my eyes to his, I blink to clear my vision when he says, “Let’s go.”

He grabs my bag from my hand, and I follow him to the door, but instead of going to class, he heads in the opposite direction.

“Where are we going?” I ask, slowing when we reach the exit to the parking lot, but he grabs my hand and pulls me along.

“Home,” he says simply.

“Which one?” I grumble, reminded of the last time I asked him, except I can’t take the heartache, so I push the memory away.

He doesn’t answer, pulling me to the SUV and helping me inside. The ride is quiet, and I doze again because I still can’t sleep for the worry circling like a dark cloud even with John gone.

I traded one evil for another, and although I’m not being whipped, I can’t decide if this isn’t worse anyway.

“We’re here,” Cyn says quietly, and I open my drowsy eyes.

This time we’re at Cyn’s real home, and I wonder as he walks before me up the steps to the small home if his grandma or sister is here.

But it’s quiet when we enter, and he leads me back to his room. Once inside, he says, “Stay here.”

Bewildered, I watch him go before sitting down wearily on the bed. What now?

My phone buzzes, and I stare at the unknown number before answering cautiously, “Hello?”

“Rainbow?” Dad says and immediately tears fill my eyes.

“Dad?” I whisper.

“Hey girl, your aunt Pam gave me this number. Finally gave in to the man and got a cell phone, huh?”

Laughing, I cover my sob and say as calmly as I can, “Where are you?”

“Some no-name town in Florida. It’s beautiful here, Rainy. We’ll have to bring you back when you graduate.”

“I’d like that.”

“Good, good. Hold on, your brother wants to talk to you.”

Sliding from the bed to the floor, I stare blindly at the wall as Joey comes on the line.

“Hey, Rainy.”

“Hey, little bro. How are you?”

“I’m good. We’re at the beach, and there are sea lions,” he says.

I can hear his grin through the phone and picture his eyes shining with excitement. Joey loves to learn, much like me, and I know for him this trip is an adventure he’ll never forget. I wish I had gone with them now.

“That’s so great!” I say through a throat thick with tears.

Hearing my little brother’s voice for the first time in months is both wonderful and crushing because I miss him so damn much.

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