eyes. Free? Before Bastin, that word didn’t exist in my vocabulary. But now, sitting next to him on the dock, a strange new sensation swirled inside of me, making me lightheaded. Hope.
“I don’t know. Sir controls everything in my life from the food I eat to the clothes I wear. Other than switching outfits at school, this is the first time I’ve broken orders.”
Bastin grinned, warming the pit of my stomach. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
I grinned back. “You say that like you’re familiar with the feeling.”
“Probably a little too familiar.” He chuckled, a sound that burned a path from my cheeks to my chest, then sobered. “But seriously, this stepdad of yours, why are you so afraid of him?”
I pul ed my legs back onto the dock and hugged my knees against my chest. “Because he’s scary. He’s mean. Nothing I ever do is good enough, and he wants to send me away.”
“He’s only a man,” Bastin said.
“And a pit-bul is only a dog.”
Bastin frowned. “Has he ever hurt you?” His eyes locked onto mine. “Physical y?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s not like that. He’s never laid a hand on me.” If fact, I couldn’t remember the last time he touched me for any reason. “But I’m stil scared of him.”
“Okay, then.” Bastin stood. “I’l be right back.” Without waiting for me to respond, he turned and dove off the dock.
“But—” I looked around. The closest house was several hundred feet away. Where could he have gone? I crept to the edge of the dock and peered into the water. It was too dark to see anything in the night-soaked water. I watched for a ripple, an air bubble, anything to show me where Bastin had swam off to, but besides the gentle lapping of waves, the water remained stil .
“Bastin?” I cal ed. There was no answer. I paced the dock. His abrupt departure didn’t make sense. We had been talking about Sir and he’d just .
. . left. I wrapped my arms around my body to ward off a chil as a cool bayou breeze tickled my skin.
A minute passed. And then another. I stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the dock. Had I said or done something wrong? What if Bastin wasn’t coming back? I took a tentative step back toward the shore. It wasn’t like I could sit here al night. I waited another minute before deciding enough was enough. I turned to leave, and that’s when I heard it—the splash of something breaking the surface of the water.
“Edith, where are you going?” Bastin cal ed. “I have a surprise for you!”
I stopped, looked over my shoulder, and immediately wished I hadn’t. Bastin stood knee-deep in the water, holding a three-foot-long thrashing al igator. He held the furious reptile, one hand clamping the al igator’s snout shut and his other arm supporting the base of the al igator’s tail.
“Bastin, what the hel ?” Instinct told me to get as far away from the reptile as I could.
He grinned broadly and held the al igator out to me like an offering. “Surprise!”
I shuddered and my skin pul ed at my bones as if it wanted to break free from my body. I jerked back and nearly stumbled in my retreat off of the dock. I’d watched enough Animal Planet to know that even a smal al igator, like the one Bastin held, would have no trouble ripping my face off. “I don’t want that thing! Put it back!”
“Why would I do that?” he asked and walked out of the water toward me. For every step he took forward, I took a step back. “He wasn’t easy to catch. Look! He’s extra feisty!”
The gator glared at me with unblinking eyes and a look that, if he could talk, would cal me every name in the book.
My leg muscles seized with the ache to sprint. “Bastin,” I said, “the stone was enough. I don’t want any more presents. Please put the al igator back in the water.”
Bastin stopped moving. “Okay.”
Relieved, I stopped, too. “Real y?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “I promise to put him back . . . after you hold him.” He thrust
“I don’t know. Sir controls everything in my life from the food I eat to the clothes I wear. Other than switching outfits at school, this is the first time I’ve broken orders.”
Bastin grinned, warming the pit of my stomach. “Feels good, doesn’t it?”
I grinned back. “You say that like you’re familiar with the feeling.”
“Probably a little too familiar.” He chuckled, a sound that burned a path from my cheeks to my chest, then sobered. “But seriously, this stepdad of yours, why are you so afraid of him?”
I pul ed my legs back onto the dock and hugged my knees against my chest. “Because he’s scary. He’s mean. Nothing I ever do is good enough, and he wants to send me away.”
“He’s only a man,” Bastin said.
“And a pit-bul is only a dog.”
Bastin frowned. “Has he ever hurt you?” His eyes locked onto mine. “Physical y?”
I shook my head. “No. It’s not like that. He’s never laid a hand on me.” If fact, I couldn’t remember the last time he touched me for any reason. “But I’m stil scared of him.”
“Okay, then.” Bastin stood. “I’l be right back.” Without waiting for me to respond, he turned and dove off the dock.
“But—” I looked around. The closest house was several hundred feet away. Where could he have gone? I crept to the edge of the dock and peered into the water. It was too dark to see anything in the night-soaked water. I watched for a ripple, an air bubble, anything to show me where Bastin had swam off to, but besides the gentle lapping of waves, the water remained stil .
“Bastin?” I cal ed. There was no answer. I paced the dock. His abrupt departure didn’t make sense. We had been talking about Sir and he’d just .
. . left. I wrapped my arms around my body to ward off a chil as a cool bayou breeze tickled my skin.
A minute passed. And then another. I stopped pacing and stood in the middle of the dock. Had I said or done something wrong? What if Bastin wasn’t coming back? I took a tentative step back toward the shore. It wasn’t like I could sit here al night. I waited another minute before deciding enough was enough. I turned to leave, and that’s when I heard it—the splash of something breaking the surface of the water.
“Edith, where are you going?” Bastin cal ed. “I have a surprise for you!”
I stopped, looked over my shoulder, and immediately wished I hadn’t. Bastin stood knee-deep in the water, holding a three-foot-long thrashing al igator. He held the furious reptile, one hand clamping the al igator’s snout shut and his other arm supporting the base of the al igator’s tail.
“Bastin, what the hel ?” Instinct told me to get as far away from the reptile as I could.
He grinned broadly and held the al igator out to me like an offering. “Surprise!”
I shuddered and my skin pul ed at my bones as if it wanted to break free from my body. I jerked back and nearly stumbled in my retreat off of the dock. I’d watched enough Animal Planet to know that even a smal al igator, like the one Bastin held, would have no trouble ripping my face off. “I don’t want that thing! Put it back!”
“Why would I do that?” he asked and walked out of the water toward me. For every step he took forward, I took a step back. “He wasn’t easy to catch. Look! He’s extra feisty!”
The gator glared at me with unblinking eyes and a look that, if he could talk, would cal me every name in the book.
My leg muscles seized with the ache to sprint. “Bastin,” I said, “the stone was enough. I don’t want any more presents. Please put the al igator back in the water.”
Bastin stopped moving. “Okay.”
Relieved, I stopped, too. “Real y?”
“Yes.” He grinned. “I promise to put him back . . . after you hold him.” He thrust
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