Hard to Hold on To by Laura Kaye Page A

pack up and run that morning was because Sara had talked her into finishing out school for the semester so she didn’t lose the credits.
    Funny how, just a few days ago, college had been the most important thing in her life. All she’d wanted to do was get her degree and get out of their shithole apartment and start a life of her own. She’d been so dedicated to the idea that she’d taken summer classes every single summer so she could graduate early, leaving her with just a few classes remaining before she could get her degree. All of that felt like it belonged to a different person right now.
    And all of it also felt incredibly selfish. Here she’d been focused on getting out and getting away, which would’ve left Sara in the middle of a horrible situation. All by herself.
    Sara ducked her chin and hugged herself. “All the money I’d saved is still at the apartment. As are my truck and your car. We don’t really have a way to go anywhere right now. And I think Shane and the guys can help us here. I think . . . maybe we don’t have to run away to be safe.”
    The mention of Shane’s name resurrected Jenna’s memory of the way Sara had looked at him. “So, you guys are serious?”
    A quick nod. “Um, yeah. Crazy, huh?”
    “I think it’s awesome, Sara. You deserve it, and Shane seems like a great guy.”
    Sara’s gaze flashed to hers, and the surprise on her face made Jenna feel like shit. Had Sara thought she’d disapprove? “You don’t mind? I know we’d agreed to go—”
    “Oh, my God, Sara. No. Of course I don’t mind. And it’s not like you need my blessing anyway. I only ever cared that you got free of Bruno and Confessions and that whole situation.”
    A silence stretched out between them until Jenna didn’t know what else to say.
    “Well, let me slip this stuff on, and I’ll be right out.” When Sara nodded, Jenna gently pushed the door shut. She forced a deep breath, then dropped the clothes to the toilet seat so she could hang up the towel. In between the tee and sweats in the pile was a pair of panties.
    Jenna laughed. It totally took her by surprise, but once she started, she couldn’t stop laughing. Because here she was in the middle of a situation where she had so little she had to borrow underwear, of all things. She laughed so hard, she had to brace herself on the sink. So hard, her lips and cheeks hurt, and she couldn’t draw a full breath. So hard, her knees gave out, and she finally sank to the floor in a ball. Tears streamed down her face. She didn’t even have her own underwear. Thank God she had small boobs and could get away without wearing a bra. That made her laugh even harder.
    Clearly, she was cracked in the head.
    When she could finally breathe and sit upright again, she took another look at those clothes. And didn’t find them funny at all.
    She forced herself to her feet again and mechanically pulled on each piece until she was fully dressed in a light blue T-shirt and dark gray sweats. The shirt was short-sleeved, baring quite a few fingerprint bruises. But what choice did she have?
    Next to the bottle of mouthwash sat a man’s toiletry bag. Given the brush that sat inside, she guessed that it didn’t belong to Easy, so she hoped whoever it did belong to didn’t mind her borrowing his stuff.
    She pulled the brush through the dark red hair until she’d straightened all the tangles and it hung in long, damp threads almost to her breasts.
    And then she was out of reasons to remain in the bathroom for even another minute.
    But Sara wasn’t in the hallway. Nor was she in Easy’s room. And Jenna was kinda glad for the reprieve, especially when her gaze landed on Easy’s duffel bag. Maybe he had a long-sleeved shirt that would cover up the bruises before Sara saw them. Or, oh, God, before Easy saw them. Before anyone saw them. Her face was bad enough, but unless she was willing to wear a bag on her head for the next two weeks, that much couldn’t be