Dani had called Amber the night she left Davis Farm. She had picked Kris up on the side of the road, almost died but didn't thanks to Kris, then dropped Kris off at the bus station. Kris didn't know where she was going and neither did Dani. With her ties to her family cut the Davis money was gone all she had was the car she was driving, a suit case of clothes, the cash in her wallet, and her cell phone. Who would she possibly call? She didn't have any friends, since RJ's death she had buried herself in work and that was all gone. She opened her cell phone and went down her list of contacts, they were all business related with the exception of Junior, her father, Matt who she was sure wasn't an option with Kris leaving, and Amber. She hadn't seen or heard from Amber since her family moved to LA. At one point Amber was her closest friend that is if you call someone who is your side-kick trying too hard to be like you, a friend? She was all Dani had it was worth a shot so she pressed the send button.

"Hello," Amber answered waiting for a response.

"Amber hi, it's Dani Davis," she said. "I know we haven't really talked since you moved I'm sorry I just got really busy with the family business but things have changed and I was thinking of coming to LA for a while."

"Wow, that's cool," Amber said, "do you want to crash at my place?"

Dani knew Ambers type too well, conformist, and clueless but it was exactly what Dani was counting on and it would get her away from her family for a little while anyway.

"I would love to," she said.


Lucas was nervous. He unscrewed the top to his water bottle and took a sip while browsing the shelf of books farthest away from the table where the signing was to take place. The line for the signing was long and the isles where pretty near empty due to that fact. He wasn't really sure what he was looking at he was just trying to avoid the crowd the pressure was getting to him a little. This was the biggest city on the tour to date and the crowd here was by far the largest yet.

"Self-help books, but you seem like you've got it all together," a woman's voice said to him in a mocking tone.

He turned to the woman and smiled, "how could you tell? Is it that obvious that I'm freaking out here?"

"Standing in front of the self-help books seals the deal," she said to him.

"That is purely a coincidence," Lucas said. "What does a beautiful woman like you need with self-help books anyway?"

"In all honesty I probably could use a self-help book after the curve balls life has been throwing my way lately but like you it's purely coincidence that I ended up in this section," she answered.

"So then what would you be running from," Lucas asked in a tone that implied he too was running from something.

"I was dragged to this stupid book signing by a friend. I hate reading, I've never read this book and yet here I am. I'm trying to be polite and friendly with this person because she's letting me stay with her while I sort some things out but really this is not what I want to be doing with my day," Dani said.

"Yeah tell me about it I'd much rather be kicking back enjoying myself then here," Lucas said. "Unfortunately though I must stick around too duty to a friend," he laughed, "I should get going."

"Alright, well hopefully you have more fun than I do," Dani said, "see you around."

"Count on it," Lucas said flashing a million dollar smile.

Dani found Amber in line, "I can't wait until we meet Lucas," Amber said. "I've seen his picture he is so good looking. Have you read 'An Unkindness of Ravens'? It is such a good book. You know I read it's based on his high school years and his relationship with his girlfriend plays a pretty big part of it."

"That's great," Dani said sounding disconnected and looking at her watch.

They were pretty close to the front of the line and only waited about twenty minutes. Dani was looking back at the line as they got closer. "Come on Dani we're next," Amber said grabbing Dani's arm and turning her around.

Dani couldn't believe it the guy from the self-help section was sitting behind the table pen in hand ready to sign the books he authored. "Unbelievable," she smiled.

"I don't think we've been formally introduced, I'm Lucas Scott," he smiled and stuck his hand out.

"Cute real cute," Dani smirked. "You could have mentioned this was your book signing."

"Do you two know each other," Amber asked.

"We ran into each other before the signing started that's all," Dani answered.

"So who should I make this out to," Lucas asked the girls.

"Amber, that's me," Amber said beaming. Lucas signed her book and she was so caught up in the moment that she turned around and walked away a little too quickly.

Dani lagged behind, "I didn't want to ruin our moment," Lucas said answering what Dani hadn't really asked but was definitely wondering.

"We had a moment," Dani said sounding annoyed.

"Well sure," Lucas said, "we both felt out of place and confided as much to each other. And your total distaste for anything related to books such as reading them or signing them, deterred me from mentioning that I was the author of the book that was being signed here today."

"Fair enough," Dani said and began to walk away.

"Wait," Lucas said and Dani stopped, "I didn't catch your name."

"That's because I didn't offer it," Dani said. "Look, Lucas you're cute but I'm just not interested."

"In what," he asked. "I was just wondering the name of the girl who seemed as troubled as I am."

"Dani," she said.

"Well Dani," Lucas said, "I know you're not interested and I'm going to be honest with you, I'm not interested either but I did enjoy our little self-help chat and would like to talk again if that is informal enough for you?"

She wasn't sure why but she could tell he understood her and for some reason she was sure he wasn't trying to hit on her, "yeah ok," she said and took a pen from the table and wrote her cell phone number in the flap of one of his books which she handed to him and he placed in a bag next to his chair. He smiled and waved and she turned to leave.