Page 80 of Finding Us
Jacinta walks through the door first, and I hear Connor’s voice straight away, “Jaz, thank fuck, I’ve been going out of my mind …” His words die off the moment I enter behind her. “Why are you here with my sister?” he asks as his eyes move from her to me. The moment the penny drops, he lunges in my direction. “You fucking bastard.”
He draws back his fist, but Red jumps in front of him before he gets a chance to swing. “Connor wait … let me explain,” she says, placing her flattened palms on his chest and shoving him backwards.
“Explain what exactly? That someone I thought I could trust took advantage of you?”
“Nobody took advantage of anyone,” she says.
His angry eyes move to me. “She’s my little sister.”
“That’s irrelevant,” Jacinta snaps.
“There’s a thing called the bro-code. Sisters are at the top of that list.”
I’m pretty sure chicks have the same code, and I’m guessing brothers are on their list too.
“I wouldn’t go there if I was you,” I say, shoving my hands into my pockets. Maybe I should out him while we’re at it, but that’s only going to escalate things. And I have no proof, I’m only acting on a hunch. What am I going to say?By the way, Red, your brother is secretly in love with your best friend … he has been for years. I could be completely off the mark here, but my gut tells me I’m not.
“Fuck you,” he spits, charging in my direction.
“Connor, stop!” Jacinta screams. Ignoring her, he keeps advancing. “If you lay one finger on him, we’re going to have issues.”
That stops him in his tracks. “Weare going to have issues?”
“Yes.”
“I’m defending your honour here.”
“Well don’t.”
He turns his attention back to me. “Get the fuck out of my house.”
“If he goes, so do I,” Jacinta threatens.
“You wouldn’t dare.”
“Watch me,” she says, lifting her chin in defiance.
“I’ll tell Mum and Dad.”
By some miracle, I manage to hold back my laugh; he did not just say that. “What are you five?”
Jacinta gives me a look that clearly says, ‘You’re not helping’, before focusing back on her brother. “Tell them,” she snaps, placing her hand on her hips. “I’m twenty-one, Connor. I’m not a little kid.”
“I can’t believe this.”
“I met him before we even knew who each other were.”
“When?”
“Remember when I told you someone ran into me outside the gym and broke my phone?”
“I believe it was you that ran into me,” I interject.
This time when she looks at me, her eyes are narrowed. I turn my face away and roll my lips together.
“That was you?” Connor asks.
I hold up my hands in front of me. “Like I said, she ran into me.”
