Chapter 18
‘Safe from what?‘ Joanna wondered. ‘From leaving this place?‘
Talking to Simon was like yelling across a canyon–worlds apart.
But Simon’s heart was a mess, churning with feelings he couldn’t shake.
The more he learned about Joanna, the more he wanted to shield her.
Simon was the guy everyone loved–charming, always in on the gossip. It didn’t take long for him to dig up Joanna’s story. Left by her birth mom in the middle of nowhere for eighteen years. Abandoned.
Now she was stuck with the Newburns, living in their fancy mansion but treated like an outsider. Her own sister and mom were always on her case.
When Simon heard Ariel got slapped, his first thought was Joanna. ‘That soft, quiet girl–would she pass out at the sight of blood?‘
To him, she must’ve been pushed to the edge to throw a punch like that.
Joanna was already hanging by a thread in this family. Ariel probably deserved it, but now Joanna faced getting kicked out or even sued.
“Talk about a raw deal,‘ he thought.
While Ryan and Gavin dealt with Samara, Simon slipped away to find Joanna.
There she was, hiding a hurt she didn’t want anyone to see.
Joanna was gorgeous, like she belonged on a magazine cover, standing alone in an empty upstairs room.
Workers hustled by, hauling off pricey furniture, leaving her with nothing.
This house’s glitz? It wasn’t for her. She was getting pushed around, her stuff taken, yet she wore this bittersweet smile.
Simon knew that smile was hiding a ton of pain.
When she spotted him, her eyes flickered with surprise before she shut it down.
He believed she was locking away her real feelings.
Simon couldn’t take it. He pulled his fragile little sister into a hug.
Then, in a tiny, shaky voice, Joanna asked if Howell knew what she’d done. Was he pissed? Was he gonna kick her out?
Simon’s heart broke. This poor girl just got here, probably desperate for a dad’s love, and now she thought she’d blown it.
Simon’s head was spinning. ‘So what if she threw a punch? Broke a finger? Ariel had it coming. Served her right!
‘And Jo–sweet little Jo–did her hand hurt after smacking that jerk? She is just a tiny, innocent thing.No way she is the bad guy here.
Simon was torn up. He blurted out, “I got you, Joanna. Chill, I’ll keep you safe.”
1/2
Chapter 18
I’ve got your back, no matter what,‘ he thought to himself. ‘Blood or no blood, doesn’t mean a thing. The second through that door, you were my little sis. Ain’t nobody kicking you out while I’m around.
If Joanna could hear Simon’s thoughts, she’d probably whack him to snap him out of it.
you walked
At night, Joanna crashed in the second–biggest room upstairs.
She sank into a fluffy, cloud–soft princess bed, staring at a chandelier dripping with diamonds. A vanity sparkled with pearls and glowing gems, and a closet overflowed with dresses.
“Simon, you absolute nut,” she muttered. “You really went overboard with this fancy crap.”
Ariel’s vanity had one measly glowy pearl. Joanna’s? A whole wall of them, so bright she’d need sunglasses to sleep.
Joanna didn’t care about money–she had her own. But she could tell they were trying to be nice.
Even though it was totally random.
‘Maybe they are just rich and bored, tossing cash around for kicks,‘ she thought.
Joanna didn’t wanna dwell on it. She skipped dinner, not feeling like dealing with anyone, and pulled her laptop from her backpack. After hopping on Wi–Fi, she typed up notes on a quantum mechanics experiment.
She’d only finished freshman year, no diploma, so journals wouldn’t touch her papers. No biggie. She sent them to an online friend to nerd out together.
Fame? Not her thing.
By the time she hit send, it was dark.
A soft knock came at her door. Howell’s voice floated through. “Hey, Jo, your mom says your grades are rough, and to work on the basics.
“She’s thinking a private school, starting back at freshman year.
“It’s a bit rowdy–lots of fights, kinda wild–but it’s easygoing. No stress. You good with that?”
you
need
Joanna didn’t care. She was gonna bail on the Newburns eventually. Didn’t matter where she went–she could skip grades anywhere.
Just not Harvenridge Institute. She wanted to stay far away from this family.
Next morning, she headed downstairs to register at her new school. But when she stepped outside, a slick silver–gray
supe~~~~
จะ
C
hadnes
~~e parke
sight hurtha doon
