house when she confronted her father.
And it had worked—without any guilt for him to hang over Audrey’s head, he’d backed down. Promised that things would change. Could she believe him? Audrey had no idea. But Georgie had less than twelve months before college, and with her grades, there would be plenty of offers. Then Audrey could take Deanna and get a place—something small and cozy. Somewhere with a bedroom that was all her own.
Audrey would not be living under her father’s thumb anymore. He had to contribute to the family as well. Otherwise he’d have to support himself…and she really hoped he would step up.
She felt good. Well, as good as a woman could with a Ronan-shaped hole in her heart. As wonderful as the image of her own place was, it wasn’t the complete fantasy. Ever since she’d done the visualization exercise with him, that image had been stuck in her head. Him in her bedroom, with lust in his eyes and love in his smile and butterflies swirling in her stomach. She thought about him every day.
Thought about the truth in his words.
She could aim for more. She could dream as big for herself as she did for her siblings. That was why she’d started looking into alternatives to the GED herself. She might not be able to have Ronan—because she would not stunt or slow down his life—but she had to admit that fear had been holding her back. Fear had been blocking her from seeing more than one way forward.
But she was doing it now. Getting Oliver out, planning for a place for her and Deanna, starting the search for a way to get her high school diploma. Every bit counted.
It would be slow, but it would be hers. And that’s what mattered.
Big Red had mercifully lived to fight another day after the mechanic had towed her in from the cemetery, and Audrey parked the car at the back of Kisspresso Café. Inside, the café was bustling. A line snaked out of the front entrance and onto the street outside.
“What the hell?” Audrey hurried behind the counter and tied her apron at her back. She wasn’t due to start for another fifteen minutes, but there was no sense letting the staff drown if she could lend a helping hand. “Did I miss a memo or something?”
“Apparently the college is doing some big event.” Audrey’s boss, Jamie, poked her head out from the kitchen. “And you know their coffee tastes like dishwater.”
“That’s putting it mildly,” Audrey quipped. “I would have said it tastes like Satan’s backwash.”
Lana, who was working the espresso machine, snorted. “Satan’s backwash. I am totally stealing that.”
Audrey got behind the second register and started taking orders to help speed things along. As soon as they’d cleared the line somewhat, she’d help Lana with the coffee orders. Something told her it was going to be a manic day.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” Jamie said as she ducked past, carrying a tray of freshly baked muffins. The chocolate-blackberry scent hit Audrey’s nose, and she immediately thought of Ronan and his love of the berry-flavored snacks. “It’s going to kill me when you leave one day.”
Audrey paused between orders and looked at her boss. “I’m not going anywhere.”
“Yes, you are. And as much as it will pain me to do it, I’ll show you the door if you don’t do it yourself.” Jamie laid a hand on Audrey’s shoulder before she ducked into the back room.
The comment struck her in the chest, and while Audrey tried to put on a brave face for her customers, inside her stomach was turning and churning. With trepidation, with excitement. With things she hadn’t felt in such a long time…not counting her fling with Ronan, of course.
It wasn’t a fling, and you know it.
No, it was everything. It was life-changing and world-tilting and soul-soothing. It was the very thing she didn’t even know she needed. Ronan had opened her eyes to how she was treating herself, to how she was stunting herself.
You have to stop thinking about him.
Sure, it hurt. But she was stronger than she ever realized was possible. Visiting her mother’s grave had shown her that. She was already planning to go again next month. Maybe sooner.
Whatever life threw at Audrey, she could handle it.
But as that confident thought flittered across her mind like a daring butterfly, Audrey looked up to find her next customer approaching the counter. Ronan. Seeing him was like a punch to