A life with Lars would be a dream. He’s standing here telling me he loves me and my baby and he wants to be with us. Why am I fighting it? I don’t have to leave my heart in Redwood; he can come with me.
Kissing his lips gently, I smile. “Ok.”
“Ok?”
“Yeah. Let’s run away.”
“You’re serious?”
“You didn’t give me much of a choice. You said you’d follow me and I’ve had enough stalkers the past couple days to know I don’t want more. So, yeah. Come with me. There’s just one thing.”
“You name it.”
“I’m still helping Zed.”
He grows weary and I can tell he’s not pleased. “What’s he want you to do?”
“I can’t tell you, but it’s not as bad as what you’re probably thinking. It’s tomorrow morning and should only take me an hour tops. It’s not just for me; it’s also for your friends. And for Zed, too. I’m not sure why, but this is important to him. I can’t leave Redwood with a guilty conscience, knowing that I could have helped them and I didn’t.”
“Alright. I made a promise that I’d be around tomorrow with the guys, so we’ll plan on leaving Monday.”
I stand up and jump into his arms. “I can’t believe we’re doing this.” My arms hook around his neck while my legs latch around his waist.
“I never planned on letting you leave without me.”
22
Willa and I laid in bed for hours talking. I told her all about the pact and what happened with Josh. I offered her a stamp as one of us, but she immediately declined. Willa doesn’t want her revenge because she thinks that revenge hurts the victim more than the assailant, but one day, Rick will pay for his sins.
When I look at her sleeping peacefully, I see the Willa that wears her heart on her sleeve. The girl who’d give you the skin off her bones, the blood from her veins, and a chunk of her heart, just to be accepted. I would have taken it all and dressed myself in her broken pieces just because I could. My entire life I’ve been nothing but a boy crying out for attention. Whether it was making another person the butt of my jokes, feeding my ego with a win from a bet, or using my brother's death to be noticed by my parents. Willa didn’t deserve it and I never should have used her just for kicks with the guys.
“What time is it?” Willa stretches with a yawn.
“It’s early. Go back to sleep.” I kiss her on the cheek. “I have to go to my house and see my dad and I’ll be back before you need to leave.”
“Hurry back,” she mumbles, as she tugs the blankets around her.
As much as my old man pisses me off, I’ve gotta see him before I go. I also need to make sure that Madison followed through and left Redwood.
Once the alarms and cameras are set, I go to my car. Christmas is only four days away and there’s a nip in the air that has me cranking the heat up. There’s a real possibility that I’ll get to see my first white Christmas. Willa chose New York. She said that she’s always had big dreams of a city life. It’ll do for now, but as the baby grows up, we’ll need a big house and a yard.
I know that Willa wants to leave Redwood and never come back, but I can’t make that same promise to myself. There will be times that I’ll come back and visit. I’ve got my boys here. We’re all a little dysfunctional, but that’s what keeps us together. I don’t have a clue what Zed’s plan is, but the closer he gets to his revenge, the less evil I see in his eyes. I’m not sure that any of us will ever forget what he did. Taking advantage of Marni, blackmailing me so that he could get to her. But, for his own sake, I hope he gets what he wants out of this day.
I pull up to the house and it looks like Cruella had someone turn it into a Christmas Candy Land game in the yard. There are blow up decorations covering the entire lawn and lights strung on every inch of the house. There must be some sort of contest going on because she’s not exactly the warm and joyous type.
As soon as I get out and notice movement going on inside the house, rage consumes me. Through the picture window, I can see Madison sobbing into her mom’s shoulder. Dad stands by idly with his hands in the pockets of his black Kiton suit.
Just when I think I need to get the fuck out of here, Madison looks at me. Raising her hand, she points her finger and begins crying harder. Her mom peels Madison off of her and disappears from my view.
When the front door flies open and Lynn comes running at me in a pair of heels and a coat, made from at least forty white rabbits, wrapped around her, I take a few steps back and hold my hands up. She tears one shoe off and raises it in the air as she charges me, though it actually slows her down because she’s wobbling all over the place trying to balance herself with the missing six inches on one leg. “Woah,” I hold my hands up. “What are you doing?”
Before she gets to me, her red pump flies through the air and lands about six feet to my right. Terrible throw. “Have you lost your damn mind?” I holler.
She grabs her other shoe as my dad comes rushing out the door. “Lynn, stop.” He makes it just in time to grab it from behind, before she drills the heel into the top of my head.
“Lars. Inside,” Dad says as he holds Cruella in place.
“Nah, I’m good.” I shoot a thumb over
