‘I will not lose another person that I love. Especially like that, Olivia. Tell me, what the hell is going on?’

She sighed, a soul-crushing sound of exhaustion. ‘I’m being bullied, pretty badly. Marcie and her friends. I don’t have any friends, Dad and it’s all day, every day.’

Her dad sat there. ‘OK, I’m hearing you. I’m going to transfer immediately. There’s a community college that I have had an offer from. We’d be living in a small town and going to a bigger town for school. How does a fresh start sound?’

She began to cry silently, and he hugged her to him. ‘I’ll take that as a yes.’

A few weeks later, they were in their new home in the tiny town, although she was nervous about school, as usual. It never got any easier, but at least this time she was looking forward to it. The bandage had come off and she wore a bracelet to cover up the scar.

16

Walking up the steps of the new school, she almost bolted. Her dad had said that she was ready to start community college, that she couldn’t stay home any longer and it would be a great opportunity for a new start. She had disagreed but had eventually decided that he was right. There was only so much daytime TV she could watch. She would catch him staring at her in the morning before he left for work when he thought she wasn’t looking. She didn’t blame him; she’d put him through hell. She was sorry she’d done that to him, but not sorry that she did what she did. She had been pushed to the edge, over it actually. She had seen no other way out.

Olivia was leaning on the counter at the reception area of the new community college, studying her timetable, when the glass double doors opened and a boy burst through them. He stopped short when he saw her. He smiled and she smiled back. Their connection was instantaneous. He hurried up to her, halting just in front of her. If it had been anyone else, it would have been invading her personal space, but she wanted him to. She wanted him to wrap his tanned arms around her and kiss her. Shocked by her thoughts, she ran a hand down her long hair and blushed slightly.

‘Hi,’ he said, slightly out of breath. ‘I’m Wren. Wren Sawyer.’

‘Wren, what an unusual name, I’m Olivia Holmes.’ He had an infectious grin, and she found herself smiling like a fool. He was beautiful to look at and she couldn’t help but stare. They looked at each other for the longest time, neither one of them feeling uncomfortable.

‘You’re new here, right? Holmes. Any relation to the new principal?’

‘Actually, he’s my dad.’