Page 21 of Burn It Down

And Tori, of course, picks up on it. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.” I sigh. “You just missed Elijah though. He’s asleep.”

“Damn it,” she curses but then grins. “Well, I’ll call him after school sometime. I’m still getting used to these time zones.”

“How’s work?”

“Good. I love it.” She brightens, and I’m happy for her. She deserves the world, for damn sure. Especially after practically raising Bowen and me. “What about you? Save any more cows?”

I raise my middle finger to the screen, flipping her off, and she laughs wholeheartedly. “Fuck off.”

“No dangerous calls though?”

I shake my head. “Couple of small fires. Two car wrecks, but nothing too awful.”

“Good.” She really does look relieved. “So did you figure out why Elijah’s teacher hates your guts yet?”

“I’m going to kill Bowen.” I smirk, though I’m not really mad at my brother for telling her. Their relationship is a little more complicated. Bowen wasn’t much younger than her and rebelled when she tried to raise his dumb ass. But they’re getting there.

“You and me both. But did you figure it out?”

“Nope,” I say honestly and hate how unsettled it makes me.

“It’s really bothering you, isn’t it?”

I really hate how well my sister knows me. I should avoid video chatting with her—but she’d probably still pick it up, just from listening to my voice. “I just don’t understand what I could have done to him. I was barely present in high school.”

She snorts. “You and Bowen were such pains in my ass, trying to get you to go to school.” She shakes her head. “But you were there, Kade. If you did something, maybe you can apologize.”

“I didn’t though. I wasn’t a bully, Tori. I wouldn’t have done that.”

She looks like she’s thinking carefully. “I know you weren’t. I’d have beaten the shit out of you if you were.” I grin, thinking about my tiny little sister kicking my ass. She could do it, no doubt. The woman is fierce. But she wouldn’t ever have actually laid a hand on me. “But he must think you did. Maybe think harder.”

“Great advice, sis.”

That makes her toss her head back and laugh, but then we move on to other topics before I can barely keep my eyes open and say goodnight.

When I lie on the couch later, trying to go to sleep though, I do take her advice.

I think really damn hard about what I could have done to Spencer.

And still—I come up with nothing.

CHAPTER TEN

I’ve managed to avoid Janelle’s questions about my date with Levi for most of what was left of the school week. But by Friday, she’s had enough and drags me out to the bar.

I tell her the same thing I’ve told her all week—Levi was sweet, but there was no real chemistry there. She’s not happy with my answer, sulking with her gin and tonic. But I know she’ll forgive me.

If only that was all that happened that night, I could brush it to the side and just focus on my new friendship with Levi. But she can sense something else happened. She’s like a truth-sniffing dog, this one, I swear. “Did something else happen? Levi was also pretty vague when I grilled him.”

“You have to stop grilling people,” I say, sipping my beer.

“Spill,” she says, becoming no-nonsense about it.

I sigh. “Kade was there.”

“On your date?” She looks pleasantly surprised and far too tickled by that concept.

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