Page 85 of Breaking Rules
“Yes,” I said. “And this is Ferris, my old tutor.”
Mr. Everly unbuttoned his suit jacket as he leaned against a reception desk. “Someone start talking, or I’m calling the cops.”
The squeak of the front door announced a visitor. Train sauntered in along with a gust of warm air. He honed in on me. His gaze was probing, deep, soft, and apologetic, until he took inventory of the room. Then confusion washed over him. “What’s going on?”
“How did you know we were here?” I pushed down the butterflies in my stomach. The guy got me all mushy even when I was mad at him.
He flanked my right side. “I came down to see if I could catch you at work. But then as I was driving by, I saw you come in here.” His eyebrows squished together. “Blue is a good color on you, Nina.”
I stifled a laugh.
“Son,” his dad warned before he stuck a glare at Nina, Ferris, then me. “The charges for vandalizing in this historic city can be quite steep. So I would suggest someone start talking.”
Ferris cleared his throat, the sound echoing in the swanky office. “Montana is innocent.” Defeat and regret swam in his dark eyes.
Again, he was absolving me of any wrongdoing, which was great, and I wasn’t complaining. But if he’d conspired with Nina to hurt me, then I was curious why he didn’t start by saying that Nina had paid him off.
“Then why do you have a paint can in your hand?” Mom asked. “And why were you in that alley?” Her voice held steady.
“I was walking to my car when I heard them arguing. And the paint is Ferris’s. I picked it up to make sure my name wasn’t on it.” She didn’t need to know that I’d wanted to spray over what Ferris had done.
Train chuckled. Nina gave him the middle finger.
“Watch yourself, young lady,” Mr. Everly said.
“So you didn’t tag private property?” Mom asked.
“I’ve been telling you I haven’t,” I said.
“She attacked me,” Nina whined. “See? I’m bleeding.” She touched her knees. “And for that, I’m going to press charges.”
Ferris rose, hiking his bag over his shoulder. “I tagged your building. Nina tagged the school’s locker room door and the wall. We used Montana’s artwork, wanting people to believe it was her who was vandalizing property. Nina paid me a thousand dollars to get information on Montana while I was tutoring her. Then she doubled the money if I helped her tag your building. The money helped, but frankly, your son pisses me off. So I was glad to do it.”
Train lunged, but his father pushed off the counter and caught him. “No you don’t.”
Train struggled for a second until I snagged his hand. I might have still been angry with him, but I didn’t want him to ruin his college career, and Ferris could have done just that by pressing charges for assault.
Train spun around, his sea-green eyes riveted on me. “We need to talk.” His voice was strangled.
“Later,” I said.
“If all that is true,” Mom said, “then I suggest both of you get your butts into Mr. Flynn’s office first thing in the morning and confess.”
“Yes, ma’am,” Ferris said.
“Can I go?” Nina asked.
Mr. Everly wagged his finger at Nina. “Answer, Ms. Smith.”
Her face reddened. “Fine.”
“Both of you will do as Ms. Smith asked,” Mr. Everly said. “You will also meet me here on Saturday morning and paint that entire side of the building. In the meantime, I will decide if I’m going to press charges. Is that understood?”
“Yes, sir,” Ferris blurted out.
Nina didn’t answer. Instead, she grimaced at me.
A muscle jumped along Train’s strong jaw. “Nina, answer my father.”
