I hunkered down, burrowing into the scattering of pillows I kept in the old tree house at the back of our property, and turned up the music pumping into my headphones. If the songs were loud enough, I could drown everything out: the frustration, the disappointment, the hurt. But some days, there wasn’t a decibel high enough or a playlist long enough. And nothing could erase my mother’s wrath that I’d be dealing with for weeks to come.

I gazed up at the ceiling of the tree house, to the wild mural I’d been slowly adding to over time. My own secret garden. I’d painstakingly doodled and painted hundreds of flowers, interwoven with gnarled vines, as if I could build my own little world here.

I turned the music up another couple of clicks, softly singing along. Music and art. I could lose myself there. I could feel free for a handful of moments before the world came crashing in again.

I felt a tug on one of my earbuds, and it popped free. I stifled a scream as I took in the dark blond head of hair that appeared in the opening of the floor. My hand flew to my chest as my heart rattled. “Geez, give me a heart attack, why don’t you?”

Ford hoisted himself into the tree house, tanned muscles bunching and flexing with his graceful movements. I swallowed against the dryness in my throat. “My ears are bleeding, Trouble. I thought a cat was being killed up here, but nope”—he shot me a grin—“it’s just you butchering Bob Dylan’s greatest hits.”

I threw one of the pillows beside me at Ford’s head. “Bite your tongue. I have the voice of an angel.”

He scoffed but scooted closer to me, leaning against the wall. “So…”

“Yes, Cupcake?”

Ford gave a strand of my hair a quick tug. “You know, the football team started calling me that because of you.”

My eyes went wide. “Oh, man. That makes me ridiculously happy.”

“One of the guys from another team asked me out after a game, assuming they called me that because I was gay.”

Laughter rolled through me, taking over and causing tears to pool in my eyes. “What did you say?”

“I told him I was flattered, but I had a girlfriend.” I arched a brow at him. Ford grinned. “I was flattered, he’s a hell of a cornerback.”

I shook my head. “You’re my favorite.”

Ford tilted his head so that he could meet my gaze. “But you abandoned me to face the firing squad without you?”

I winced. “How bad?”