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PROLOGUE
CENTRAL FLORIDA
M idnight had coone by the time fifteen-year-old Jackson Davenport hiked his way back to his old neighborhood on foot Keeping an eye out for the cops and the neighborhood watch, he snuck between the upscale houses, winding his way over to Brook Tree Lane When he spotted the house he’d grown up in, a wave of impotent fury shook him, the same reaction he experienced every ti Another family lived there now, maybe with a son who occupied his old roo the tree shrouded creek in the back A bitter smile curled his lip as he wondered if that family hid secrets as well Then he re in his hand, dashed across the street and slipped between his old home and Julie’s house next door
After searching the ground for a handful of s the stone off his nine-year-old, ex-neighbor’s“Co another stone Little Julie Martin and animals were the only ones he usually bore unliht he didn’t have et b
ack before someone discovered he’d left Last fall, Jackson had prorandmother he would stay in school and behave, and he hadn’t intended to break that pro suht back in destructive ways against their crappy hoest, but that hadn’t spared hi counseling The parole officers and ex-cons who ran the camp seemed to have a sixth sense for what each kid needed and didn’t hesitate to dish it out At least they included co them over the coals
But last week, between his birthday and the last day of school, Grand to live with his aunt in Orlando this suood, he’d sneered at her, and not even her tears could da cities, but ould look after Julie if he left? She tried reasoning with hi him he’d only be a thirty-rown up in For a kid ouldn’t be able to drive alone for another two years, that thirty ht as well be thirty hours
The third toss finally caught someone’s attention, and Jackson prayed it was Julie and not one of her controlling parents A dian inching up From his position around the corner of his old home, he watched her shi, ink-black hair swirling around her waist, her bare feet getting caught up in the ankle-length pink robe wrapped around her too skinny fraht in the month since he’d seen her, and he cursed her parents for that too
Jackson stepped out fro place and, like always, she whirled and threw herself at hi her s her down “Corabbed Julie’s hand and they sprinted across the yard, knowing their way by heart through the dark The so still sat nestled in the trees and, with a flick of his sht, they crawled inside
“What’d you bring me, Jackson? French fries?” Julie asked in a hushed, breathless voice
“Of course And a double cheeseburger” Handing her the bag, he leaned back and watched her dig into the fast food with relish “TellWasn’t it bad enough he’d had his whole world uprooted last year? Why did he have to go through another change, another rown up?
Julie shrugged then spoke with her eant in June, which means practice, practice, practice”
“So tell the the way her parents, especially her mother, exploited their only child
“I’, I will This is really good, Jackson Thank you”
He sht ive away our secret” Jackson hesitated, hating to burst her bubble, but it couldn’t be helped “I got bad news Grand me to live with Aunt Joyce in teeks”
“But… but why? You’ve been so good!” she wailed, forcing hiht
“Quiet, or I won’t be able to sneak ae come visit Orlando’s not far and Aunt Joyce is always at Grandet away once in a while, just like I have been this past year”
Jackson heard Julie sniffle and it broke his heart He never could stand seeing those big, violet eyes sad “Coeant I’le eased the tightness in his chest
“I took third last February and Mo classes, to irumbled with an eyeball roll
“Yourto say She was only nine “A tough taskh, they’ll give in, won’t they?”
“I don’t know Maybe I better get back to my room”
“Then let’s go I’ll be back, Julie I promise”
THREE YEARS LATER
Jackson spotted Julie sitting with a group of pre-teen girls at a table in the mall’s food court He had been drawn to the cute kid next door theoff a swing to land in a tangle of arh, her iripped his chest, the sarin split his face when Julie squealed upon seeing him She leapt up, and he braced himself for the impact of her skinny, twelve-year-old body