Page 72 of The Penalty

She lays a hand on my arm. “You know what’s best for you. But you know. You wouldn’t be alone. You’ve got us now.”

Maybe she’s right. Maybe I should tell Beau?

And for the rest of our marathon work session, my phone eyes me from the corner of the desk, and not in the usual everyday addicted to my screen sort of way. More in an I’m-silently-judging-you sort of way.

It’s almost eight by the time I’m walking into my room with a lion-worthy yawn stretching my jaw. Feels more like midnight to me. My eyes hurt from staring at textbooks and screens. Loki, on the other hand, has reached crazy hour. He’s darting around his cage, climbing the walls and begging me to let him run free.

“What do you think, Loki? Should I talk to Beau?”

“You can probably get an answer from my magic eight ball that would be as accurate as asking that furry little thief.”

I spin around to see Georgia leaning against my door frame. That’s what happens when you leave your door hanging openin a houseful of nosy busybodies.“Well, what do you think, G? Should I tell my brother?”

Her perfectly plucked brows arch up to her hairline. “The only one that can answer that is you.”

Of course she has to go all mysterious psych major on me now. She’s got an opinion about everything. Except this one teeny tiny life changing thing.

“So helpful.”

The smooth weight of my phone is weighing me down. I slipped it out of my pocket without even realizing it while we were talking.

“I think you have your answer.”

Right. I guess I do.

I tap out a quick message.

Sibs coffee date tomorrow?

His response pops up seconds later.

Sure. All Capps? 10?

Done

And that’s the way it is between us. The way it’s always been. When one of us needs the other, we’re there. No questions asked. No hesitation. All in.

It doesn’t alleviate the butterflies rioting in my belly, but it does ease my mind a little. We love each other. We’re there for each other. End of story.

My stomach was all tied up in knots while I got ready for school, so I put on a dress and did my makeup. To see my brother. What is wrong with me?

There’s some regret now for sure. November is no time to be exposing your knees around here. The short black dress is dancing in the breeze, and I have to keep slapping my hands on my thighs to avoid flashing the entire campus. Been there. Done that. Did not like the results.

The butterflies have been attacking in waves. This morning, I was so nervous I thought I was going to throw up my breakfast, but then I was fine for my first class of the day. They’re back in full force now, twisting my guts around.

8:30 classes are the worst, and management is my least favorite, so there was nothing to distract me from the thoughts chasing each other around in my brain. Beau’s going to kill me. Worse, he’s going to kill Dev. He’ll tell our dad, and I’ll get pulled out of Lakeview. I know logically these are all crazy ideas. He loves me, and he loves Dev. We’ve always been a team against our parents. It’s not his fault he can do no wrong and I’m the perpetual fuck up.

Doesn’t change anything. No matter how many times I try to convince myself. There’s this deep sense of unease chilling my skin. I pick up my phone for the twenty-seventh time to cancel, only to slide it away with a sigh. Chimes ring out, ending the class, and I realize I didn’t take in a single word of the lecture. Luckily, Professor Douglas records all his lectures, so I can rewatch this one later. He likes the sound of his own voice way more than any of his students.

A hand lands on my head, but the fear quickly turns to annoyance when he rubs his knuckles in my hair. “Hey, Sissy. What are doing out here?”

I shove my brother away. “Enjoying the lovely weather, obviously.” A drop of rain calls out my lie as the sky finally lives up the gloomy promise it’s been threatening all morning. It’s the worst kind of fall day. Damp and windy.

He loops an arm over my shoulder in a bro hug. “Let’s get inside before you melt?”

“Are you calling me a witch?”

“If I did. You’d be a good witch. You know, one of the ones that collects every flavor of animal and then goes home to curse her enemies in secret.”

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