Page 66 of The Incredible Ordinary

Milán takes a deep breath.

“Should I go?” I ask in a low voice.

He snaps his head toward me.

“Don’t you dare.”

I bite back a smile and follow him to the living room, where I lean against the wall and try to blend in with my surroundings, so I don’t make it seem like it’s two against one.

“Explain,” Milán says once he’s taken a seat opposite Rory.

Rory glares at the table. The silence is heavy between the two of them.

Milán’s eyes dart toward me for a moment before he looks back at Rory.

“Kid,” he says in a voice verging on gentle. It makes Rory look up. “You want to tell me what all of this was about?”

Rory chews on his words. I hold my breath.

“It was just an empty building.” The words seem to burst out while it also looks like they’re being dragged out. “I wasn’t doing anything.”

“Sure. Then again, you could’ve not done that anything in the park.” His voice is calm, not sharp or sardonic, but the question carries weight.

Rory’s jaw clenches, but he doesn’t say anything.

“It could’ve been dangerous,” Milán says in a low voice, leaning forward an inch. “You could’ve gotten seriously hurt. What if, I don’t know, the floor had collapsed? Nobody would’ve known where you were.”

Rory finally looks up. “Who cares?”

I think he means to come off as tough. Indifferent at the very least. He achieves neither. The tone is scared. Not of consequences. It’s scared about what the answer might be.

“I do!” The vehemence of these two words startles both Rory and, seemingly, Milán himself.

Milán blinks. They stare at each other.

“I do,” he says again. And nods.

I really shouldn’t be here, but I also can’t move.

Rory lifts his chin. “Why?”

He throws it at Milán like a challenge. He meets Rory’s gaze calmly.

“You’re one of us now,” he says.

Rory scoffs.

“You don’t believe me,” Milán says. “You will. One day.”

Rory stays very still. Very quiet. As if he’s afraid even the slightest movement will give him away. Like he’s trying to hide in plain sight. Like he’s hoping if he doesn’t move no one will notice what he’s feeling. He’s bracing for disappointment.

But then his fingers twitch, and he quickly crosses his arms and stuffs his hands into his armpits.

“Whatever,” he mutters. “Can we just wrap this up? Yell at me and let’s get this over with.”

“I’m not going to yell at you.”

Rory glares.