Total pages in book: 135
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 130512 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 653(@200wpm)___ 522(@250wpm)___ 435(@300wpm)
He paled, the first fucking time showing some fear.
Good.
This kid had no idea the shitstorm coming for him.
I jerked my head toward where the other part of my heart stood outside of my body. “She deserves the truth. You either deliver it, or I will.”
He held my gaze for a moment before everything changed. The rigidness left. His shoulders slackened. The lines around his mouth softened. His eyes grew sad. “You’re right. Fuck. You’re right.” He sank down, taking a seat.
Beltraine leaned against one of the walls in the far corner.
Axel sat on the same couch as Steele, but at the farthest end. He was there, watching his buddy.
Beltraine only had eyes for Steele as well.
Sam and I didn’t move.
Steele waited a moment, maybe to gather himself, I didn’t know, but then he started talking.
“Some of it, I don’t know myself. Brinna—”
“Brinna?” Sam’s voice was hoarse.
“My sister. That’s what we call her. She, uh—”
“Your dad used to call her Seb.”
My heart tightened, hearing that. ‘Your dad.’ No longer her dad. I hated that this was happening, that this had happened. God, Sam. I kept my eyes on her, as if I could block the pain that was happening in front of me, and how more of it was going to land on her as he would continue to unravel everything.
“Yeah.” Steele shot her a slight grin before it faded, his face going flat again. “She informed everyone when she turned thirteen that she no longer wanted that name. She didn’t like it, said it was too guy-like for her.” He scoffed.
“Why are you here, Steele? Did you know who I was this whole time?”
He looked haunted, that slipped out before he locked it down, as quick as it showed. “Yeah. I—Brinna… God. This is all messed up.” He shot to his feet, one of his hands in his hair, fisting it and he held onto it. He began to pace. His shoulders and back tightening. “There’s things that I can’t tell you because I don’t fully know myself. I just—” He let loose a myriad of curses, swiftly and savagely.
Sam asked when he took a breath, “Where are your parents?”
He swung those heavy-lined eyes her way, stopping in his pacing. His hand lowered from his head. Some of the wall began to fall from his face, and soon, it completely collapsed. He stared at Sam, stricken. He couldn’t look away. “They’re in Europe. They were banned from being here since the last time he saw you.”
Those words held a punch. It slammed into Sam. She fell back a step before righting herself. “What?”
“It was one of the conditions. He had to cease communication with you. He was having a hard time with it, or that’s what I was told. I guess he kept reaching out and then finally they said he couldn’t live in the country anymore. He and my mom have been in Europe most of my life. Since I was four, I think?”
Sam looked my way, a question in her depths if I knew this information.
I shook my head. This was new to me.
I knew about Steele. I knew about the sister and about what she did. We’d not gotten to that part.
“Where’s your sister?” Sam was frowning to herself. “Maddy said…” Her head tilted up and to the side, her lips pursing together briefly. “She mentioned her. You’re the friends she talked about, aren’t you? The ones where the sister comes on the weekend, but she was told not to ask any question about where she goes to school. That’s you guys. That’s Sabrina, she’s talking about. Not the other friends I thought she was referencing.” She lifted her eyes to me again, and I got it. Noted it. Our daughter lied. That’d be added to the list for another discussion with her.
I gave her a brief nod back, letting her know I was with her.
Sam closed her eyes for a beat before focusing on her brother again. He hadn’t answered. “Steele,” she prompted.
“Yeah. I—I don’t know. Maddy hangs out with us.”
Axel spoke up, “There’s another girl that she talks to in class. Lucia. But they don’t hang out outside of school. That’s us. She’s been hanging out at Traine’s house with us on the weekends. Her and Monroe.”
“Dude,” Beltraine hissed.
Axel shot him a dark look. “Get over it, Traine. Real shit’s happening here.”
He glared back. “Where’s your fucking loyalty to Mads? She’s our friend.”
“And you think she’s going to find out Steele’s been lying, that you had an idea, and not go apeshit on both of you?” He gestured to the ceiling. “She’s an animal. If you think she’s going to protect you over her parents, you are delusional.”
Beltraine continued to glower at him.
Axel scoffed, shaking his head. He leaned back on the couch, shoving his hands in his pockets. “Whatever, dude. She’s not you. She has good parents. She’s not like us in that vein.”