Page 217 of Break Away
“What?” I asked.
“That’s the kind of thing I need to sit with for several business days.”
“She’s good.”
“She sounds like a menace.”
“She is.”
“When I meet her, I need warning.”
“When you’re ready, I want you to meet them.”
Her face changed, open for half a breath before fear tried to cover it.
I touched her cheek. “Not tomorrow. Not as a test. Not like I’m dragging you into my family so you can prove something. When you’re ready.”
“I know how to be around families that love loudly.”
“My family loves weirdly.”
“That helps.”
“Vivi might ignore you for three hours, then ask if your hair is heavy.”
Aura’s mouth twitched. “It is.”
“Skylar will act like she doesn’t care, then text Mom from across the room and ask if you’re as cool as you seem.”
“I am.”
“I know.”
“She has good instincts.”
“My mom will feed you.”
“That part scares me least.”
“She’ll ask about your parents.”
“My dad will run a background check on you.”
“Fair.”
“My mom will pretend she didn’t already search your statistics, family history, arrest record, and probably your star chart.”
“I don’t know my star chart.”
“She’ll find it.”
“Should I be scared?”
“Yes.”
“Good to know.”
We smiled at each other, and it was quiet in the strangest way. Not empty. Not tense. Just us breathing in the same room after too many months of turning every breath into proof of something worse.
