n Brid

t the interior wall and bounced back with a lo

ed animals. Dalvin fumbled to pull down his rucked-up custom jersey,

gym towel off the bench to cover her chest bef

led clothes. No tears came to my eyes, and no screams t

explain. This isn't

a hesitant step toward

without backing down an inch,

is it, Dalvin? Are you tutoring her on h

went pale. He gritted his teeth,

erything, there's no po

ed, washed-out cotton T-shirt, his voic

every single day. If I stay with you, I'll be stuck rot

my youth into supporting, and my stomach churn

ns, capital, and a ticket into high society. A broke nob

r, acting as if selling himse

inside the locker room, locking my

to buy your designer clothes was just me being a s

s and instinctively took a step back,

y, wrapped the towel tighter aroun

. Bottom-feeders like her are too stupid

na, the corner of my mouth c

to pick up a piece of leftover garbage who goes

She shrieked and swung her

eggar, how dare you

up and clamped around her thin wrist like an iro

You're hu

, her carefully made-up

lost your mind? Let

and grabbed my shoul

e of strength, he shoved me

the floor, my right elbow slamming against the sharp iron edge of the locke

ulled Delina into his arms, cradling her reddened wris

baby? Did she

ed the room while I sat b

ht. Cold sweat beaded on my forehead and trickled down my temple, but

you make

word ringing clear in

houlder and glared down

c, clingy poverty is what's si

u got tha

pulled myself to my feet, and brushed the dirt

etely dead and empty of the aff

etter pray that whatever you bought by sellin

a backward glance and walked towa

t ached like it had been hollowed out, but I would rat