Page 160 of Chaos Kills

“Well, if you’re not gonna answer her, then do you want to tell me what you’re doing to my poor tree?”

Bay’s voice licks up my spine, causing me to jolt and tense all at the same time.

My focus snaps toward the grass, finding Bay standing next to the jabbering little girl and peering up at me with a hand on her hip and a drill in the other.

Her black hair is pulled up into a messy bun. She’s wearing a big white tee that hides her curves and everything she has underneath it, too.

I don’t know what De Leon did the other night or what Reeve did, but she’s been off.

She hasn’t left the house in two days.

She’s not talkative.

Not that she was before, but when I do come in the house for a few minutes to check in, she doesn’t say much.

“Come get something to drink, Oz,” she orders softly. “You’ve been out here for hours.”

I hesitate, not wanting to when she’s standing there, but I’m out of boards, and they’re both in my way.

Bay looks at me expectantly, patiently waiting for me to finally move, but I can’t pull myself down from the tree.

I also don’t like how my brain immediately triggered me to follow her instructions without pause. It’s gotten me in trouble before, and I don’t understand women.

“Are you scared of heights?” My eyebrows knit, causing a small smile to illuminate her face. She’s taunting me. “I’ll catch you if you jump.”

She couldn’t because the force would knock her down, and I don’t require any help from anyone.

Mae lifts a clear glass with yellow liquid in it with her short arms. “I have lemonade.”

I don’t want any lemonade.

But the way they’re both looking up at me is making me uneasy and annoyed. I want Bay to trust me, but I don’t have any confidence that she won’t use me to her advantage.

It’s a weak point.

I can’t navigate through a woman’s mind to see if they’re being honest or manipulative.

“Did you want us to close our eyes?” Bay asks, and I’m not sure why. I don’t have any issues getting down—just them being here. “Because I’m not leaving.”

Of course, she’s not.

And I mildly know I need to get used to it and quickly.

However, I’m not built for conversation and staring contests.

Not anyone staring back at me, at least.

I latch onto those beguiling blue eyes again, and that’s when Bay quirks a brow before wrapping an arm around her little sister’s shoulders and pivoting them both around.

I didn’t need that as I begrudgingly climb down from the old tree and jump the five additional feet to the ground. The ladder was there, but I wanted to get down and fast, wanting her to turn back around but desiring for her to leave more.

She must hear my feet hit the hard ground before Bay twists around again with her sister and gives her a little nudge.

“Go give him the lemonade, then let him work, okay?”

Mae closes the distance between us with no problem, naive to the world and clearly unafraid of me.

She’s obnoxious, but I can’t say I’d want her to be anything else, I guess. But in the world we live in, it would be beneficial for her to be on her guard.

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