“Really?” I sat up, more interested in the conversation. I’d never heard of this program before.

  “Not many of my clients qualify for it and funding gets slashed every year,” she sighed, “but it’s an option I planned to explore for you.”

  She glanced at Mike again. “As long as his grades don’t suffer, I’ll sign off on a job. It needs to be appropriate, though.”

  “Of course. Thank you, Linda.”

  Huh. I’d never heard anyone call her by her first name before.

  It was still a long night after that. But at least I had a shred of hope to cling to. And for once in my life someone who wielded some power believed in me.

  By the end of the night, Evie was the one who was sent away. Her banishment didn’t give me much comfort.

  What if next time I wasn’t so lucky?

  Chapter Twenty-One

  Juliet

  Roman didn’t show up to school the next morning. I lingered in the cafeteria. Then waited by our locker before the first bell, but he never showed.

  There was no sign of Evie either. We weren’t exactly friends, so it wasn’t abnormal not to run into her. Still, after Roman’s strange phone call an uneasy sensation settled in my stomach and wouldn’t leave.

  Finally, around noon he strolled into the lunchroom and headed straight for me. I jumped out of my chair, knocking it over and drawing everyone’s attention as it clattered to the floor.

  I didn’t care about making a spectacle of myself. Roman caught me as I threw my arms around him. “Are you okay?”

  “Better now, butterfly,” he murmured against my hair.

  Kids whistled and commented on our display. To avoid attracting any more attention, he released me and we sat at the table.

  “Hey, Romeo.” Vienna wiggled her fingers our way. “So nice of you to roll into school today.”

  I hadn’t told her about Roman’s phone call last night. It wasn’t my place to discuss his troubles with anyone.

  He shrugged off her teasing. “Long night. Did I miss anything good?”

  Vienna rattled off a bunch of gossip about the morning. While he listened, he inched his fingers across the table and took my hand.

  “Did you eat?” I asked after Vienna finished her monologue.

  “Nah, I’m fine.”

  I pushed my apple slices with sunflower butter across the table and he accepted the offering without comment.

  “Okay, lovebirds,” Vienna announced. “I have to run to the office.” She leaned over the back of my chair and planted a loud smooch on my cheek. “See you in a few.”

  Roman switched chairs, claiming her empty seat.

  “Are you okay?” I asked.

  His expression remained somber. Stoic. Unreadable. “Nothing I can talk about. I did get some good news out of the situation.”

  I raised an eyebrow, encouraging him to continue.

  “My caseworker’s going to let me get a part-time job and she said I might qualify for a program to go to college where they’ll pay me a small stipend to cover living expenses.”

  “Roman, that’s great!” I threw my arms around his neck. Then it hit me—we couldn’t run away and live together any time soon. “Are you allowed to have a roommate?”

  “I didn’t ask, but probably. I doubt the stipend is enough to live on my own.” He cast a sly look my way. “You know of someone?”

  I gave him my own heat-filled stare. “I do. She’s tidy and knows how to cook.”

  “Works for me.” He leaned back and patted his stomach. “I’m neat and like to eat.”

  “Sounds like a perfect match.”

  He returned my happy smile and kissed my cheek.

  Despite the good news, for the rest of the day his movements remained robotic and his gaze distant. He didn’t speak up in class at all. Not that he was a know-it-all who always raised his hand, but he usually participated at least a little bit.

  I wished he could tell me what happened.

  On the way home after school, I tried to think of a tactful way to ask.

  “You’re quiet today,” Roman said.

  “So are you.”

  “I’m tired.”

  I hesitated, my steps slowing until he stopped. “What’s wrong?”

  “Nothing. You had me worried last night.”

  He sighed and shifted his gaze to the side. “I’m sorry. I was near a phone and just wanted to hear your voice.”

  I waited.

  Finally, he relented. “I’m not allowed to talk about it.”

  “Oh.” Well, that was better than not wanting to tell me.

  He jammed his hands in his pockets and stared at the ground. “I got accused of doing something I didn’t do. Thank fuck we got back late from the field trip yesterday.”

  “Was it that bad?”

  “Could’ve been.”

  Frustrated, I felt so helpless to do anything for him.

  We kept walking toward my house in silence. On the corner my neighbor, Mrs. Shields, waved at me.

  “Juliet!” she called. “Sweetheart, can you come here a second?”

  “Do you mind?” I asked Roman. In a lower voice I explained, “Her husband died last year and she’s all alone. I try to stop by and help her out when I can.”

  “Sure.” He gestured for me to go ahead.

  We strolled up the short driveway together. Mrs. Shields smiled as soon as she saw Roman.

  “Who’s your friend, Juliet?”

  I hesitated. Would she tell my uncle if I introduced Roman as my boyfriend? When was the last time they even spoke to each other? Who cared if he found out? I liked Mrs. Shields too much to lie.

  “Mrs. Shields, this is my boyfriend Roman.”

  “Boyfriend,” she repeated. Her raised eyebrow and slightly curved lips hinted at her approval. “Aren’t you a good-looking young man. So tall!” she gushed.

  One glance at Roman showed he was blushing.

  Did he really not realize how attractive he was or was it just because someone old enough to be his grandmother was pointing it out?

  “Nice to meet you, Mrs. Shields.” He extended his hand and she shook it briefly, beaming the whole time.

  I gestured to the open trunk of her car. “Do you need help carrying your groceries inside?”

  “Would you mind? They packed them too heavy at the store again.”

  “Sure,” I answered, reaching for the closest brown paper bag.

  Roman waved me off. “I got ’em. Help her inside.”

  Mrs. Shields did indeed need help navigating her way to the front door. She dropped her keys several times and seemed extremely frustrated.

  “This is why I stay home most of the time,” she muttered, squinting at the lock.

  “I can do it, Mrs. Shields.” I eased the keys from her hands and opened the door.

  “Thank you.”

  “Maybe you shouldn’t go to the store alone,” I suggested gently. “Where’s your daughter?”

  She rolled her eyes and shuffled into the kitchen. “Who knows? Following some band around the country last I knew.”

  “Where do you want ’em?” Roman asked, as he followed us into the kitchen.

  “On the counter, please.”

  He set everything down and the two of us unpacked the bags, following Mrs. Shields’ instructions for where to put all the supplies.

  “Oh! This is really why I called you over, Juliet.” She took a brick-sized package neatly wrapped in foil out of the fridge. “I made banana bread.”

  My mouth watered as soon as she placed the bread in my hands. She was a phenomenal baker.

  I eyed Roman. “It’s a good thing I like you so much. Normally I wouldn’t share.”

  Both of them laughed.

  “That's for you to take home, dear. The two of you can help me finish mine.”

  “No, I can’t do that,” Roman said.

  “Are you allergic, dear?” she asked, setting the plates on the counter and slipping a knife out of the drawer.

  “Uh, no. I just…”

  When she looked away, I shook my head at him. Mrs. Shields shared her affection for people by feeding them. It would hurt her feelings if he turned down her offer.

  While she brewed a pot of coffee, I set the table. Roman kept eying the front door like he planned to make a run for it any second.

  “This is amazing,” he said a few minutes later after we were all seated with coffee and cake.

  “Told ya,” I mumbled around a forkful of moist banana goodness.

  She had lots of questions for me about school and I answered in detail, even though none of it seemed very exciting.

  Finally she turned her bright-eyed expression on Roman. But not to pry into his school day.

  “Do you know anything about cars, dear?”

  “A little.”

  “Would you mind checking my windshield wiper fluid?”

  Roman seemed so relieved to have something to do, he practically jumped up from the table. “Sure.”

  We followed him outside. Mrs. Shields stood back and watched as he popped the hood.

  “I hate doing that,” she explained. “Ray always did all the car maintenance.” She let out a short, sad laugh. “I was always afraid I’d lose a finger if the hood snapped shut. Silly, but Ray didn’t want me to worry, so he took care of everything…”

  I slipped an arm around her shoulders. “I’m so sorry, Mrs. Shields.”

  “We had so many good years together.” She forced a smile that didn’t quite reach her eyes. “Not everyone is so lucky. I just…miss him.”

  I hugged her a little tighter, unsure of what else I could say to ease her pain.

  Roman pulled out a gallon jug of green wiper fluid from the trunk. “Good choice, Mrs. Shields. This stuff helps keep the bug guts off the windshield.”

  She wrinkled her nose. “It’s what Ray always used in the spring and summer.”

  He finished with the car and even got in and turned the key to check the wipers before declaring her good to go.

  “Thank you so much.” She turned to me. “Let me grab your bread. I’m sure you two need to get home.”

  Roman smiled at me when she went inside.

  “Thank you for doing that.”

  He shoved his hands in his pockets and glanced away. “I don’t mind. She's a nice woman. Seems to like you a lot.”

  “I’ve known her since I moved in with my aunt and uncle. She and her husband were always nice to me.”

  Mrs. Shields returned with my bread in one hand and a couple of folded-over dollar bills in her other.

  “If I’d known you were coming, I’d be sending you home with bread too, Roman.”

  The corners of his mouth twitched.

  She held out the money to him and he put his hands in the air. “No, ma’am. I can’t take your money.”

  “Nonsense. You saved me a lot of trouble.”

  He shook his head again. She gave up and handed the money to me. “Seriously, make sure he takes this. It would’ve cost me twice that if I’d taken it into the shop.”

  “Yes, Mrs. Shields. Thank you.”

  She gave me a kiss on the cheek and waved to Roman before going inside.

  At the bottom of her driveway, he shook his head again. “I can’t take her money, Juliet. It’s not right.”

  “She’s a proud woman, Roman. I think it would hurt her feelings if she felt like she took advantage of you.”

  He groaned and relented, allowing me to slip the money in his pocket. “I didn’t do much.”

  His wary gaze darted down the street and I realized he was probably antsy to get back to the house.

  “Do you need to be home earlier than usual?”

  “No one said so. But after last night, I don’t want to do anything to call attention to myself.”

  My throat tightened and maybe it looked like I was about to cry because he squeezed my shoulder. “It’s okay, Juliet. Everything’s going to be okay,” he promised.

  “I don’t want anything bad to happen to you.”

  He sighed and took my hands. “The only thing I was upset about last night was that I might not be able to see you again. I didn’t want to disappear on you. Especially after we had such a nice day together.”

  Disappear. That’s what would happen, wasn’t it? One day, he’d just be gone. Maybe I’d gather bits and pieces of gossip from the other kids.

  As if he heard my thoughts, he brushed his knuckles over my cheek. “I’ll always find my way to you, Juliet. I promise. The rest doesn’t matter.”

  “You matter to me.”

  His jaw flexed and he swallowed hard before nodding once. “I haven’t mattered to anyone in a long time.”

  “Well, you matter to me,” I repeated.

  I’d say it a hundred more times until he believed me.

  Chapter Twenty-Two

  Roman

  I hated like hell taking money from anyone. But the money from Mrs. Shields provided me with a way to buy Juliet a birthday present.

  Sometimes on the weekends, the home took us to the mall and turned us loose. Dangerous probably. Only level twos were allowed on these special trips. The counselors were supposed to stick with us, but more often, they’d hand us a couple dollars and tell us to meet them in the food court in an hour or two.

  Pip always stuck with me. This trip was no different. His curious eyes were full of questions when I ventured into the small world crafts store.

  “What do you want in here?” he sputtered.

  “I’m not sure yet.”

  As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw it. A wide green leather bracelet with daisies embossed into the leather.

  I had just enough money to cover the cost.

  Until they added the tax.

  “Dammit,” I muttered, desperately scraping the lint out of my pockets, praying for a hidden, mangled dollar bill.

  “Here.” Pip thrust his lunch money into my hands. “Last time I ate at the food court I had the shits for a week.”

  The salesclerk groaned.

  “You sure?”

  “Yeah, take it,” Pip insisted. “Is it for the girl?”

  “Her birthday’s coming up.”

  “Take it,” he said again.

  I accepted the money and finished paying for the bracelet.

  “Thanks, Pip.” We walked into the mall, and I glanced left and right. “Anywhere you want to go?”

  “Nope.”

  We had just enough money left over to buy two sodas. There wasn’t much time before we had to meet up with the rest of the group, so we sat and waited.

  “Thanks for doing that,” I said.

  “You really like this girl?”

  I couldn’t hide my excitement when I thought of Juliet. Liked wasn’t nearly strong enough to describe what I felt for her. “Oh yeah.”

  “Is she hot?”

  “She’s beautiful.”

  “When can I meet her?”

  “I don’t know.”

  He wiggled in his seat, as if he couldn’t contain his enthusiasm. “I’ll be in high school next year. If you’re still together, I can eat lunch with you guys.”

  I snorted and leaned over to ruffle his hair. “You got it, Pip.”

  Chapter Twenty-Three

  Juliet

  I woke up the morning of my seventeenth birthday with a crushing weight on my chest. More than anything I wanted to yank the covers over my head and go back to sleep until the next day.

  I never liked birthdays. It just seemed like celebrating that you’re one day closer to death.

  My own birth had caused my father to disappear. When I started school, I was always that girl. The one who got excluded from the other kids’ birthday celebrations. My mother and aunt had died when they’d gone out to celebrate a birthday. My cousin died after giving birth. Birthdays were bad news in my family. Every year, it seemed like yet another reminder that no one loved me. My aunt and uncle barely acknowledged my existence, let alone my birthday.

  Buzz!

  I flung my hand out and grabbed my cell phone off the nightstand.

  Uncle Dex: Happy Birthday, Julez!

  That forced a hint of a smile onto my face.

  Even though he was in and out of my life, Dex usually remembered my birthday.

  My phone vibrated again.

  Roman: Happy birthday, butterfly! Can’t wait to see you today.

  How did he know it was my birthday?

  Intrigued and smiling, I flung the covers away and raced to get dressed. Even though the weather was warm, I pulled on the green leather jacket Dex had given me as my early birthday present weeks ago and trotted down the stairs.

  No one was waiting for me in the kitchen. I grabbed the brown bag lunch I’d packed the night before and shoved it in my backpack before hurrying out the door.

  I tried to get to school as early as possible to give me as many extra possible seconds with Roman as I could squeeze into a day.

  That morning he was waiting for me on the front steps.

  “Hey, birthday girl,” he said in that low, gravelly voice I felt down to my toes. He swept me into an embrace and pressed his lips to mine.

  The school, the noises around us, even the fact that it was my birthday all faded away. Nothing else mattered.

  My mind flashed back to the cave at Fletcher Park. When would we have another chance to be alone like that again?

  Breathless, we parted. We stared at each other for a few simmering seconds. Was he thinking about the cave too? Did he want to do more next time?

  He smiled and lifted a small, square box between us. “Happy birthday.”

  “Roman! You didn’t! How’d you know?”

  One corner of his mouth curled in a sly smile. “I have my methods.”