It was the first time anyone had told me that I won, and I have to admit, it felt great. I was able to finish restocking my aisles on the high from that alone. Because, goodness knows, I was about to give out. 

By the time I was done, I was exhausted. That night, when I left, I found Brayden waiting for me, leaning against his car that he'd parked near the front of the building. When he saw me, he stood up straight. "Hey," he said, almost sounding timid. "Want a ride? It's kind of late."

I looked at him for a moment. "What's the catch?"

His mouth opened and closed a couple of times. "There's no catch," he said with a laugh. "I just want to give you a ride home."

I crossed my arms. "So you're telling me that you want to give me a ride - out of pity? I don't need your charity."

He lifted his arms and dropped them to his side with a slap. "Look, I genuinely want to give you a ride home." He opened the passenger door he'd been leaning against and gestured inside. "Get in? Please?"

I sighed and looked away. Charity or not, I appreciated the thought. "Fine." I lowered my arms and got in. He closed the door behind me and then got in on the driver's side. "Why are you giving me a ride, anyway? You know I don't buy that you just suddenly want to take me home."

He stopped at the road. "Left or right?" I pointed left. "Well, I really do want to call a truce. I know that who you've been since I've been here isn't who you really are. Dad's told me enough about the girl he's so proud of for me to know that much."

"If he's told you a lot about me, I don't know what else to tell you. I mean, there's not a lot about me to know."

He shrugged. "I think there is." 

I glanced over at him. He was smiling to himself. I couldn't detect anything in his face or voice that wasn't genuine right then. What was I supposed to do with this information? "Take the next right."

We rode a little bit in silence before he spoke again. "I'm sorry."

I looked at him. "For what?"

"I've done a lot of things, but I think that lowering your pay is somehow connected with your injuries. Am I wrong?"

I took a moment to weigh in my mind how much he deserved to know about me. After a long moment, I made up my mind. "It's just me and my dad, and he doesn't make enough to live on with what he does." As if you could make anything by drinking all day with your friends. Aside from that, it occurred to me that Ii had no idea what he did all day. "He kind of relies on me to make the money."

He waited for a moment before responding. "That doesn't explain why you're hurt. It just tells me why you needed the money."

I sighed. "When I don't bring enough home for us to live on for a week, then this happens. It's the first time this has happened, though. He hasn't been violent towards me." Not since I was small. He didn't need to know that, though. 

Brayden nodded as he watched the road. We rode in silence until we got to my building. He parked on the road and lightly touched my elbow as I started to get out. "Just a moment. Do you forgive me? For what I've done?"

I gave him a long look before looking down instead. "Do you need my forgiveness? You've already apologized."

"I would still like to know if I have it."

I looked up at the window to my apartment. The light was on, but I knew my father wasn't up. It was past his waking hours. But did I forgive the guy that just drove me here? I wanted to say yes. I wanted to be the person that doesn't hold grudges. And I was. I knew I was. I wouldn't hold it against him, but did I truly forgive him for everything? All the arguments, the pay cuts, and the consequences for me that his bad decisions brought with it?

"You can earn it," I finally said. 

"How? I'll do anything."

I gave him a small smile. "I'll take you up on that, but not tonight. Thank you." I got out of the car and this time he didn't stop me, but I could feel his eyes on me all the way to the stairs.

---

After the night he took me home, things between me and Brayden became quieter, calmer. He did what he said he would. He changed everyone's hours back to what they'd always been. I was at a loss for what had happened. It was like everything took a 180. People were working when I was used to them working They looked happier. 

The biggest change of all is that Brayden was actually talking to everyone. He actually went to people and chatted with them, listening and laughing with them. It reminded me of how his father talked to his employees. 

I actually broke a smile when I saw him looking at the pictures of Thelma's grandkids that she took care of. She kept her youngest daughter's children. I wasn't sure exactly why, but I knew that Mr. Milton probably knew. In any case, Brayden was getting to know her. 

It was a complete contrast to my place. Home didn't feel very homey. I lived in fear of another beating, and my father drank harder stuff to the point he was blacked out every night when I got home. We barely saw or spoke to each other. Not that there was ever much conversation, but by that point, it was basically nonexistent. 

The worst part of him drinking the harder stuff was that my check was spent on nothing but that. We didn't have any food in the house, so I was spared cooking at least. Which meant I only ate at lunch when I was at school. If that was his way of punishing me, I didn't get it. He ate as much as I did, so he was also punishing himself. Unless his friends were feeding him. 

Which, admittedly, was a strong possibility.

I worked away at my job as much as I could. My birthday was looming, and it was honestly a relief. Just one more week. I couldn't wait to be out of there. When I was getting ready to go that evening, I pulled out my bus ticket. It was a ticket somewhere I hadn't been, and I knew that I'd like wherever I ended up because I would be somewhere that wasn't Rapid Falls.

It was time to tell Brayden about my plan and see if he would stay true to his word. He'd kept his word about the paychecks and everyone's hours, but this was something more important to me, and bigger than just that. 

This was my freedom.

It felt too big to chance it on a possible no. That's why I carried my bus ticket with me when I went to the office to get what would possibly be my last check. I wanted to lead with my backup just in case. 

I knocked on the door before entering. To my surprise, Mr. Milton was sitting behind the desk and Brayden was standing to the side. I grinned at them. "How are you? Are you feeling better?"

Mr. Milton returned my smile. "Hey. Come on in, have a seat. What's that you got?"

I put the ticket behind my back. "Just something I need to talk to Brayden about. I'm glad to see you're up and moving around."

He nodded and rolled his wheelchair around the desk. One leg was in a cast and the other was in a boot. "As long as it's only a short distance, I can walk on the boot, but that's it."

"You're getting around pretty well in that chair, though," I said, feeling lame for it. I just couldn't think of anything else at the moment. I was prepared to talk to Brayden, not his dad. Besides, I didn't want Mr. Milton knowing I wanted to leave. Though, I suppose everyone would know soon.

Brayden motioned to the door. "Why don't we step out and you can tell me whatever it is you need to say?" I nodded and walked out, him right on my heels. 

Once I figured we were out of earshot of pretty much everyone, I held up the ticket and showed it to him. "I want to go somewhere else."

He took the ticket and looked at it. "This is a one-way to Lincoln. Why are you going there?"

I shrugged. "It's the farthest location I could afford."

He studied me for a long moment. "You're serious."

"As I can be."

"Why?"

I shrugged. "I like working here, but at home things aren't ever going to be okay. I'm 18 now. I can't say here. I've never been outside of Rapid Falls, and I need to go somewhere. I have no idea what I'm walking into in Lincoln, but it feels like my best bet."

He shook his head. "Do you have anywhere to stay? Money for food? Anything besides the ticket?" 

"Nope. I was hoping you could do something about that though."

His eyebrows rose. "What do you want me to do?"

"Is there any way you could drive me instead? I need all the money I have and it would be a huge help for me."

He looked at me for a long moment. "Are you being serious? You're not being sarcastic or anything, right?"

"I swear."

"I thought you hated me."

"Obviously not as much as I used to. Look, you've done things to redeem yourself, and you did try to explain to me what you were trying to do. You had good intentions, but a poor execution. I can respect that."

"Does that mean you actually like me?" He gave me a smirk.

I rolled my eyes. "Don't put words in my mouth. You're tolerable, you have a car you can drive, and you have money. That's it. Plus, you owe me."

He sighed before giving me a small smile. "Okay, then. When are you wanting to leave?"

I grinned at him. It was so much easier than I thought it would be. "One week after the ceremony is the best bet. I can leave from work without going home."

"Are you sure about this?"

I nodded. "Positive."