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I think you’re safer here with us. Your father will make sure nothing happens to you again.”
    I sighed and looked down at my Toasty O’s, which I was absentmindedly stirring in the bowl. I’d forgotten to add milk.
    I set down the spoon. “I can’t stay with you guys forever, and if this is my life from now on, I need to start getting used to it. I need to find a way to just… accept that I won’t ever have a normal anything.”
    I saw a look of worry in her eyes, and I wished there were something I could do.
    “I know it must be hard, Dakota. Getting your heart broken like…” Her voice trailed off as she shook her head.
    “I would have done anything to save him. Even hurt you.” I knew my father had told her about my inane plan to get Paolo back, because my mom later reassured me that my father would never do anything like take my fiancé “out” just because he didn’t like him. I still thought my mom was far too trusting of her husband.
    Just like you were far too trusting of Paolo? I couldn’t believe what that asshole had done to me. Seriously. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t trust anyone ever again. I wanted to believe in love and that I could have a happy life someday. I just needed to figure out how, given that I would never be able to share my real name with anyone and would forever be wearing hats and sunglasses.
    “I—I’m afraid of who I’ll become if I keep hanging around Dad. I need room to breathe. I need room to paste myself together again.” Otherwise, I’d never stop sulking over what could’ve been. And let’s face it; the current man in my life was not encouraging me to get back on that horse.
    “I understand.” She slid her hand across the table and placed it on my resting arm. “But let me talk to your father first. He’s not going to like this.”
    I shrugged. “He doesn’t have a choice.” I got up from the table.
    “When are you leaving?”
    “Tonight.”
    “Where will you go?” she asked.
    I gave her a look, and she held up her hand. “Okay. No need to tell me.” She wouldn’t be able to keep a secret from my father.
    “I’m not abandoning you forever, Mom. And can you tell Dad not to track me? Just let me be. For a while, anyway.”
    “But he won’t—”
    “Please, Mom. Make him promise. I can’t spend the next few months looking over my shoulder, paranoid that Dad’s there spying on me. Tell him I promise I’ll go somewhere low-key and quiet.”
    She nodded. “Consider it done.”
    I leaned down and hugged her. “Thanks. I’ll send you a flare in the St. Paul PennySaver in a few months so you know where I am.”
    “One-eyed cat?” she asked.
    “Let’s go with a three-legged, one-eyed pit bull.”
    She laughed.
    “Why’s that funny?” I asked.
    “It reminded me; some clown answered your one-eyed cat ad last month.”
    “Seriously?” But I’d posted the ad four months ago.
    “I was on the laptop and the message came up. He said he collected three-legged dogs, too. That’s what made me think of him.”
    My heart did a little flip inside my chest. “Three-legged dog” was one of Paolo’s flares, a code to tell me he was all right.
    But why had he sent it? I mean, by now he had to know I’d discovered the truth about him.
    “Dakota? Are you all right?”
    I nodded, feeling the rage building in my throat. “Yeah. I was…” I shook my head. “I’m fine. Gotta go finish packing.”
    “Okay, baby,” she said worriedly. “I’ll come find you after I’ve spoken to your father.” She looked at her watch. “He’ll be back from golfing any minute.”
    Golf. Yeah, right. My father was more likely combing through local police reports for suspicious activity or reviewing recent travel records of anyone coming to the island.
    “Thanks, Mom. For everything.”
    “Just be safe, honey. Promise me you’ll be safe.”
    “Sure. Of course.” Not like I was going to go and look for trouble. That would be stupid.
     

Part Two
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