Hayden withdrew her own hand and stood quietly in the foyer, "I'm actually a couple months older than you, you're two months away from turning eighteen and I'm already eighteen."

"No wonder you don't want to call me sister."

Leona's mind was simple, not to mention the fact that this person was Hayden, and she trusted him, absolutely.

Hayden sometimes felt bad about this, that his kindness to her, his obedience to her, had an agenda.

He harbored this vile purpose, afraid to tell anyone, and it pained him.

This love was like thorns growing in his heart, and with every bit of growth, those barbs tickled the flesh and...