𝐓𝐀𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄- 𝐒𝐏𝐄𝐍𝐂𝐄𝐑 𝐑𝐄𝐈𝐃

𝐓𝐖𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐘-𝐒𝐈𝐗

𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐀𝐍 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐀𝐋𝐄𝐒 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐄𝐕𝐄𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐄𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐈𝐑𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐈𝐌𝐄 𝐇𝐄 𝐖𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐏𝐄𝐃 𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐑𝐎𝐔𝐍𝐃 𝐇𝐄𝐑 𝐓𝐇𝐑𝐎𝐀𝐓. It had been like every other night, and Corey was home from college for spring break, glad to be almost finished his final year of college. Once upon a time, Vivian was happy when Corey would be back from school, because it meant that she got to spend more time with him. Now, she began dreading the times when he was home. It used to excite her when he'd sneak into her bedroom during the night, but now it just terrified her. 

Corey used to be nice to her. He used to buy her presents and tell her how special he was. He used to tell Vivian that he loved her. For a long time, she believed him. 

But lately he'd been... different. More violent with her. Rougher. He'd hurt her multiple times, but he dismissed her when she tried to talk to him about it. She'd always considered Corey her boyfriend, but she knew that he never returned the sentiment. There was always other women with him, and he'd convinced Vivian that she was lucky to be one of the ones he paid attention to. 

But she didn't want him to pay attention to her anymore. 

She had two more months until she turned eighteen, and then she wouldn't be tied to him any more. She wouldn't be legally obligated to live with him and his family. Her, Eva, and Rhiannon were going to get the hell out of this place. All she was waiting for was the day that her Caltech letter came in the mail, which would have been any day now. Evangeline already got her letter a few days ago, and she was accepted of course. Any school would be lucky to have her. 

Evangeline Scott was perfect on person and in real life. She had straight A's her entire life, and a whole list of extracurriculars. She fed the homeless, and volunteered at the soup kitchen whenever she could. She was practically a saint, and she deserved better than to live in this crappy town for the rest of her life. 

She needed to last two more months. Then, she'd break up with Corey and leave without looking back. She'd have done it already if she wasn't terrified of the Mitchell's, but she knew that Corey would never let her leave him. She knew that his family still had that power over her because she was a minor in their care. If she left, they'd drag her back here until she was legally allowed to leave. 

But she wanted to get out. 

She was walking back to the Mitchell's house after a shift at the book store, and Vivian stopped at the end of the driveway to peek in the mailbox, hoping that her Caltech letter would be in there today. She frowned. There was nothing there. 

When she walked inside, Corey's mother was there, offering her something to eat, but Vivian shook her head and went right upstairs to her bedroom. 

Two more months. She reminded herself again. Just two.

Vivian glanced at the framed photo on her nightstand—her, Eva, and Rhiannon crammed into a photo booth at the county fair last summer, all grinning like fools with cotton candy stuck to their teeth. It had been hot and sticky and perfect. She clung to that memory like a lifeline. 

"Why didn't you tell me you were coming back late?" Corey demanded, barging into her bedroom without so much as knocking. Vivian flinched, nearly dropping the frame on the floor as she spun around the look at him. 

"They asked me if I'd be okay working until close," Vivian said quietly, terrified that he wouldn't like her answer. She needed the money if she was going to leave for college soon, because she refused to take any kind of hand out from Daniel Mitchell. She didn't trust him. Just like she didn't trust his son.