and holding on to it as his breaths grew shallow around the noose.
THE HOLE
If he could just find a good hiding spot this time, maybe Jem wouldn’t give him such a hard time. He wanted to be like the guys. He wanted to fit in and be cool and be a little bigger too. It was why he’d stopped complaining when Dominic urged to play the game. Max’s voice was never heard. Jem liked to call him the Great Whiner, and he didn’t want to annoy them. They might not want to play with him anymore.
Who would play with him if not them?
The thought panicked Max. He was tired of being alone. In his short life, all he’d known was neglect. He’d gotten so used to being invisible, and just when he learned to live with that aching loneliness, Conor noticed him and everything changed.
He couldn’t ruin it now.
The moment Conor turned and closed his eyes and began to count, Max didn’t waste a second. He fled, this time in the direction of the bush. He saw Dom not far from him already dropping to the ground to gather at the leaves.
Jem was circling the park, eyeing the slide. Max slowed down and, for a brief moment, their eyes connected, and Jem looked a little smug. He’d laughed at Max before when he’d refused to tread into the bush out of fear of getting lost.
Max felt the sudden urge to prove him wrong.
He would find a good spot.
He would.
His legs carried him into the dense bush. Straightaway he felt the sharp sting of the tall weeds and thorny bushes, but that didn’t stop him. Shaded and cool, heart thudding in his chest, he spun around, deciding what bush to hide under.
It didn’t have to be big. He didn’t have to venture deep into it, either. He could circle it as Conor ran in, looking for him.
He was certain Conor would be proud of him for finding him here. Max couldn’t wait to see that proud smile on his face when he did. His body shook from excitement.
As he spun, dizzied, he tripped over the uneven ground and fell hard. Knocked breathless, he jumped back to his feet, shaking his head to clear his vision.
As the world spun, he saw the trees, the vibrant green colours meshing together, the sun poking through a spot between the branches.
He also saw a dark figure moving in the distance.
Chapter Eleven
Charlotte
I was aware Conor had slipped out of bed at some point in the morning. I was just too damn tired to chase after him. I was vaguely aware he was banging around in the bathroom. I wrapped the sheets around my body and cocooned myself, burying my face in the pillow because the sunlight was savage.
I was beginning to drift back into sleep when I heard it.
The knocks were so loud, they may as well have been outside the freaking bedroom door. My eyes whipped open in alarm. I slid out of bed and quickly threw on my robe, hoping Penny wouldn’t wake up. Tying it around my waist, I hurried out of the bedroom, down the stairs and to the front door.
The door rattled from the pounds. I had to wait for a pause in between to peek through the peephole. The face staring back at me sent a jolt through my body.
The furious face belonged to Paul, my stepdad.
I took a moment to gather myself. This was unexpected. I had to swallow down my irritation. Then, just as he began to pound another series of times, I whipped the door open and stepped out. At first, he didn’t step back straight away. Perhaps he was stunned to see me out. He took a few steps back, almost tripping down the steps behind him before the shock wore off. Then his expression darkened.
“I want to see that son of a bitch,” he seethed. “You bring that cunt to me now, Charlotte –”
“Get the fuck off my property,” I interrupted, moving to him now. My heart sped in my chest, adrenaline surged as I came face to face with the drunk bastard.
He wavered, looking at me in awe now. “After everything I did for you –”
“What did you ever do for me?” I cut in again, growing louder. “What, Paul?”
He didn’t like being put on the spot because he hadn’t done shit for me. He allowed what he thought was his son to bully me around in that shithole house. He’d never done a