Chapter 2

The Greyhound bus lurched over a pothole, jostling Kasie awake. She hadn't meant to fall asleep. The vibration of the engine had numbed her legs, and the faint smell of diesel and old upholstery clung to her coat. Outside the window, the sleek skyscrapers of Manhattan had long since vanished, replaced by the skeletal remains of steel mills and the faded brick fronts of row houses.

This was home. Or the geographical location that held that title.

She caught her reflection in the glass. Her face was pale, the hollows beneath her cheekbones more pronounced than she remembered. Three years of marriage to Clemence had drained the color from her, leaving behind a ghost.

Her phone buzzed in her lap. A text from an unknown number. This is to confirm that your personal effects have been delivered to the specified address in Scranton, PA. Regards, Foreman Legal. It was cold, clinical, and utterly final.

The bus hissed to a stop at the depot. Kasie grabbed her single suitcase-the same one she had arrived with-and stepped off into the brisk air. The smell hit her immediately: rust, coal dust, and damp earth. It was the scent of her childhood, the aroma of a town that had been dying slowly for decades.

She dragged the wheels over the cracked sidewalk, heading toward the two-story house at the end of the block. The white paint was peeling, and the porch sagged in the middle, but it was the only address she had left.

The front door swung open before she could reach for the bell.

Brandan Chavez filled the doorway. He was built like a linebacker, thick arms crossed over a stained t-shirt. His face, always set in a permanent scowl, darkened when he saw her.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in," he said, his voice a low rumble. "You actually came back."

"Hi, Brandan," Kasie said. Her throat was dry, the words scratching their way out.

His eyes dropped to the suitcase behind her. A sneer twisted his lips. "Let me guess. Foreman finally kicked you to the curb?"

Before she could answer, a flash of pink appeared behind Brandan's bulk. Calista slipped out onto the porch, her hands clasped in front of her. She was wearing a sundress, a brand-new designer label that Kasie recognized from a boutique window on Fifth Avenue. A dress Kasie had lingered over but never bought.

"Kasie!" Calista gasped, her face a portrait of concern. "You're back! Clemence was so worried when you left, he insisted I come check on you, make sure you were alright with everyone. He told me you... you weren't feeling well."

Brandan's demeanor shifted instantly. He turned, his hard face softening as he reached out to steady Calista. "Hey, careful. You know the doctor said you need to rest."

He shot a glare back at Kasie. "You better have a good explanation for what happened in that lab."

Kasie blinked, the exhaustion making her slow. "The lab? The accident was months ago. The report said it was faulty wiring."

"Report?" Brandan scoffed. "Those Ivy League schools only cover their own asses. They'll say anything to protect the affirmative action cases they let in. Calista told me the truth. You messed up the calibration, and she paid the price."

Calista reached out, her fingers lightly touching Brandan's sleeve. Her eyes glistened. "Brandan, please. Don't be mad at her. I'm sure she didn't mean to."

The soft words were gasoline on Brandan's fire. "Didn't mean to? You could have been killed! You ruined her research, and now you're back here with your tail between your legs. You're nothing but a jinx."

The front door opened again. Jerold, their father, stood in the hallway, a beer in his hand. Jefferson, the middle brother, leaned against the stair railing. Neither spoke. Neither defended her. They just watched with flat, indifferent eyes.

Brandan's gaze drifted past Kasie, landing on the driveway. Parked there, covered in a layer of dust, was an old Ford Mustang. It was a classic, a '69 fastback. Kasie had bought it with her scholarship money, the only thing she had ever owned that felt purely hers.

"You don't get to drive that anymore," Brandan declared.

He stepped off the porch, closing the distance between them. Before Kasie could react, his hand shot into her coat pocket. He pulled out the keys, the metal jingling sharply in the quiet street.

He tossed them to Calista, who caught them with a surprised look. "Here. Your car got scratched taking Dad to the hospital last week. Take this one."

Calista held the keys up, a small smile playing on her lips. "Oh, I couldn't. It's Kasie's..."

"She owes you!" Brandan barked, cutting her off. "Take it."

Kasie watched the keys change hands. She watched her brothers circle around Calista, their protectiveness a wall she could never breach. The last ember of warmth in her chest flickered, then died. She wasn't just the black sheep; she was the enemy.

She didn't argue. She didn't have the energy. She grabbed the handle of her suitcase and walked past them, stepping into the house that had never been a home.