Page 70 of Dead Love

“You applied for college,” she interrupted, her jaw dropped. “When?”

Her eyes were weary, her jaw loose, like I had betrayed her. My stomach dropped to my toes. Sheriff Mike’s posture stiffened.

“Last month,” I said.

Her chin darted away as if she couldn’t stand to look at me. Then she dashed to the storeroom, busying herself with organizing the ribbons.

“Mom,” I said. “It would only take one plane ride. It’s not that far.”

She ignored my words. Sheriff Mike sighed deeply, his shadow hovering.

“I would only need a little bit of financial aid. Maybe a thousand or two. That scholarship is—” the excitement welled up inside of me, my words coming out faster, “—reallybig.”

She went past me, practically knocking me out of the doorway.

“Mom?”

“It’s not about the money,” she said. She opened one of the display coolers, then slammed it shut.

“They have a great program for floriculture and agriculture, and I really,reallythink it would be good for me.”

She pinched her lips together. “I’m sure you can take online classes.”

“There’s an idea,” Sheriff Mike said.

I shook my head at my father. “I told you, it’s not the same.” I turned back to my mother. “With floriculture, you need in-person learning. Labs and stuff. Greenhouses, the climate, the soil—”

“How did you even get into a college like that with a GED?” she asked. “Surely, they would have highly competitive applicants more suited than you, a homeschooled child from Punica.” My cheeks flushed with heat. Yeah, I hadn’t graduated from a high school like my peers. But it helped that my father did his best to get my application into the right hands. But if I said any of that, I would risk revealing him. His brows furrowed; he didn’t want me to say anything. “So why did they pick you?” Shea continued. “What did youdo,exactly?”

I flicked my eyes back and forth across hers, my skin hot. “I don’t know,” I said. “But they chose me. And I want to go.” I clenched my jaw. “Ineedto go.”

“Don’t be ridiculous, Kora.” My breath caught in my throat; she rarely used my name like that. “Without you, I’d have to hire another worker. And right now, that’s all I can afford; one assistant manager, plus the two of us. But how’s this? I’ll fire the current assistant manager and I’ll get someone around your age. A friend for you. How’s that?”

“Miss Shea?” the assistant manager asked.

“Not now,” my mother said, waving her hand.

But I didn’t want a friend. I wanted my own life.

“It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity,” I said.

“I don’t even understandhowyou applied,” she said. “Can you explain how you went behind my back?”

If I told her the truth, she would be devastated, and Sheriff Mike would never forgive me.

“I want to go to college,” I said.

She turned around slowly. Silence filled the space between us. Then she whispered, “I can’t deal with this right now.” She went to the back patio. I followed her, but before I reached the door, the assistant manager grabbed my arm.

“Give her a minute,” she said. “She needs time to cool off.”

Cool off?I shook my head. “She’s my mother.”

Shea sat against the wall, staring out at the trees stretching up behind the shop. The shadows made her eyes look like water-filled caves. Exhaustion riddled her face.

“You’re the most precious flower we have,” she murmured. I hated when she said that, but right then, at those words, pain prickled the back of my throat. “I don’t know what I’d do without you.”

“You have Dad,” I said.