Page 76 of The Other Side of Green

“How can I? I’m a fraud. I can’t play without Jack. I’m not even black, so this race row is all for nothing.”

Luca leaned over and grabbed my chin, staring me in the eye, his espresso eyes determined. “You’re Lyra Lennox. You don’t need a label. You silenced that whole church yesterday. Every single member of that congregation had their mouths hanging open.”

“But…”

“No buts.”

“I’m not leaving Jack in jail for something he hasn’t done.”

Luca’s face fell. “I’m going to go and get your bag. Ring your friends and tell them you are coming to the airport.”

“Luca!”

“Don’t argue with me. I’ll fix it all, I promise.”

I huffed a laugh. “Forgive me if I don’t trust you.”

He offered me a wry smile. “Okay, I deserve that, but I promise I will.”

“Can you make Jack not my brother by any chance?”

Luca shook his head, his lips curving. “Believe me if I could, I would have done it a hundred times already.”

“Why?”

“Because he will be a better brother than me, and then what will I do?”

I rolled my eyes. “Can I trust you?”

Leaning forward he kissed my cheek. “Trust me.”

I knew we couldn’t talk about what would need to be done, because I knew what Luca had to do. To save Jack, he’d have to give himself up.

A hard sob wracked from my chest. “I don’t think I can cope with this.”

“That’s why you have to go. It will make it easier for me, and Jack. That’s why he called you earlier and told you to go.”

“Luca.”

“Lyra. I deserve to pay the price for what I did.” He shot me a grin. “And hell, I’ve had four years enjoying a freedom I might not deserve.”

“Jack’s dad deserved what you did.” I pushed back against the seat and shot him a side eye. “And Raven Smoake… really? Is that what you call enjoying yourself.”

Luca snorted but then shook his head, smile dropping. “Are you God? Can you decide what anyone deserves? Am I?”

That shut me up.

“Ring your friends. I’ll grab your bag, time for you to get out of dodge, baby sis.”

The thought of leaving them both made my fingers numb as I tried to dial Eva. Eventually she answered.

“I’m coming.”

Eva gave a whoop, but all it did was make my heart sink lower than ever.

Now I had to take my fraudulent self back to a college I never even wanted to go to in the first place.

All so I proved people right and made the fight worthwhile.