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The absolute worst thing of all though, is the fact that Todd goes to Coluo to the same university so we could be close to each other

Unfortunately, Colue school so I tend to run into Todd more times than I would like I merely walk the other hen I see him He's tried to corner me a few times but luckily, there has always been someone around The best is when I'm with Fil She scares the crap out of Todd, I can tell If he even starts approaching when she's around, she rowls at him, "Walk the other way, Shithead, or I'll sneak into your dorht and cut your balls off"

Oh, I love Fil!

Luckily, I haven't seen Todd all summer and he's been noticeably quiet No creepy texts about how heto see o on a date with hiain and I can barely sto in the same room with him, much less on an actual date

I try one o out with Todd Things were terrible between us Frankly, he's a little scary How about I find someone else instead?"

I knohat Ryan means when he constantly complains that our mother never listens to us She just scoffs and says, "Nonsense He's a perfectly nice man Don't disappoint me on this, Emily"

"I' to do it, Mother," I say in a spurt of wild bravery

Celia Burnham turns her icy blue eyes on me She's silent for just a minute as she appraises me and a thin sheen of sweat breaks out on my forehead Then she lowers the bomb "You will do this, Emily, and you will do it with a smile on your face If you do not show up Saturday with Todd Fulgra Monday I will meet with our attorney and have your trust revoked"

I stare at her in stunned silence I try hard not to be ner clothes and expensive jewelry I already have, but that trust fund is my means of independence from my family I inherit control over it when I turn twenty-one, just a et my hands on that rad school for Journalism

Ten more months

I can do this

Just one ram, and then I'm out of here

CHAPTER 2

Nix

I du the junk around, searching for ht hand is wrapped in a paper towel to staunch the flow of blood while I paw through the stuff looking for Band-Aids

I know I don't have a chance of finding the in my house It's been a disaster for the past threethat essentially caved in

Since then, I salvaged what I could, which basicallyall of my shit that wasn't wet into cardboard boxes I had packed up my clothes and et the repairs done He has a sweet place on the Hudson with a that sucks is Harley doesn't have room to run as he does here

Right now, that lazy dog is snoozing underneath an oak tree in the backyard I' in his condo Otherwise, I'd be living in ed to install on the second floor

It's no use I' to find a Band-Aid so what's a for to MacGyver the hell out of it, that's what

I walk out of o back to my workshopback to the scene ofa piece of sheet as tank for a custoe It was, oh, only about thelike that has happened to me

Grabbing some duct tape, I walk over to the sink I throw the bloody paper towel in the garbage can, give a quick rinse of er under the tap, then wrap soht I rip off a piece of duct tape off with er I don't have to worry about a tetanus shot In my line of work, I'm always up to date on that

There Good as new

Turning back to the h my hair in frustration It immediately falls back into et a haircut I had not cut o, so it's probably time for a trim I scrub my hand over my face and the soft beard reminds me I haven't shaved in about a week That tends to happen when I work on a new piece I get so involved that I lose track of time This means that I don't shave, I hardly sleep and I'm lucky if I remember to eat

The tank is giving er rab some lunch but I'm too lazy to walk the fifty feet to my house My kitchen is about the only rooe, so I can at least eat while I'