“You walk away, you lose everything.”

“It’s a risk I’m willing to take.”

He stares at me, and it seems to hit him hard because his face drops. “You’re not only taking your life, you’re taking mine.”

“No,” I say, as softly as I can over the sound of this rain. “I’m giving you a chance to have your life how you truly want to live it.”

“You walk, I’ll fight you. I’ll take your apartment; I’ll take . . .”

“Take it then,” I cry, throwing my hands up. “Take it all.”

He stiffens and straightens. “You’re making a mistake.”

I turn and walk away, not answering him further. I don’t need to; my choice is made.

~*~*~*~

“You’re not taking any of this,” he screams as I pack my suitcase.

“You can’t stop me from taking what’s mine,” I yell, throwing as much as I can in before he decides it’s all his.

“I can and I will,” he barks, lunging forward as I take my laptop off the desk.

He snatches it from my hand and I notice then that his are shaking. I got back to the apartment with a heart full of determination only to have that ripped from me when he came in after me. He’s angry. He’s desperate not to lose the company and he’ll do anything he can to make me stay.

Caffy comes trotting in and I lean down, lifting her into my arms as I glare at Jacob. “Fine, I won’t take anything. I don’t need any of this anyway.”

I close my suitcase and I walk to the front door, staring around the vast space one last time. Tears prick my eyes as the reality of the situation sinks in. I’m truly leaving, truly throwing myself out into the world with no way back. I’ll have to work; I’ll have to do everything on my own. Jacob is going to make my life hell, but it can’t be any worse than the idea of spending the rest of my life as nothing more than a stepping stone to success.

I deserve this.

“Goodbye, Jacob,” I say, staring at him.

I don’t love Jacob. I don’t even really like Jacob anymore, but there was once a time when I respected him.

I care enough about his feelings to feel some remorse as I stare at his angry face. He’s furious at me, he’ll hate me and he’ll make my life a living hell, but I’ve no doubt that some day in the future he’ll thank me for this.

Some day.

CHAPTER 18

AVERY

It’s freezing and I’m soaking wet by the time I arrive at Kelly’s place. I didn’t realize until I stepped out the door that I really have nowhere to go. My father is going to take Jacob’s side, and my brother is in a bad place – he’s also going to be left with nothing because of my decision so I’ll be working extra hard to make sure he’s okay. So, until I get myself somewhere to live, then I guess I’ll have to find someone who is willing to help me.

I don’t expect to stay at Kelly’s for long, but I need somewhere to go tonight. I’ve been crying for the last hour, not because I regret my decision, but because it still hurts. My dancing, Jacob, my father, my apartment—it’s all been my comfort now for  a long time and it’s never easy to step out of your comfort zone, even if it’s for the best.

I knock on Kelly’s door. It takes him about five minutes to come to it, and by the time he swings it open, I’m shivering and must look like a drowned rat. I know my eyes are puffy and my face is red. The moment Kelly looks at me, his face becomes worried. I hear music in the background and look around him to see Max, Liam, Keanu and Nate sitting on his couch drinking and watching a game on television.

God, I’ve made a mistake; a huge mistake.

I turn and rush down the front steps, tripping and falling as I do. I land on the sand at the bottom with a thump and cry out loudly.

“Shit, Avery,” Kelly yells.

He’s by my side in a second and everyone from inside is now outside. Caffy barks and hops out of her bag, running up the stairs to Liam who she absolutely adores. I burst into a fit of uncontrollable tears, unable to stop them.

“What’s goin’ on?” Kelly asks, wrapping his arms around me. “Shit, you’re soaked, Av.”

“Avery?”

That’s Nate.

Nate.

Oh god—Nate.

“I had nowhere else to go,” I croak. “I left Jacob.”

“Aw, shit,” Kelly says, lifting me to my feet and helping me up the stairs. “Let’s get you warmed up and we can talk about it.”

As we walk past Nate, I catch a glimpse of him. He’s watching me with a deep, emotional expression. He looks like something is tormenting him, as if he’s waging a massive battle in his mind that he can no longer fight. I turn my eyes away and step into the house, shivering so hard my teeth are clattering together.

“He hurt you, Avie?” Liam asks, bringing out a towel.

“No,” I whisper. “But he’s taken everything. My apartment, all my money, everything. And he can, because Dad will let him.”

Max walks over, kneeling in front of me just after I sit on Kelly’s couch. “You okay, petal?”

“I’m okay, Maxy,” I whisper. “I just . . . I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t keep living this life where I was nothing more than a way for him to get to the top. He doesn’t even love me. I can’t be expected to want that.”

“You never should have been there,” Liam says gruffly. “He was never good enough for you.”