Page 18 of The Price of Forever

JORDAN: Off day. Might head to a spa later since I fucking earned it at my high-risk, completely unsafe job.

SEVEN: What spa, what time?

JORDAN: I don’t know yet. I’m seeing where the day takes me.

I went to the bathroom to pee and wash my face. Once I was clean and slightly less bleary-eyed, I checked my phone again.

SEVEN: Need details.

JORDAN: I’m wearing panties and a tank top. I haven’t had breakfast yet. I just brushed my teeth.

SEVEN: Not that kind of details.

JORDAN: I weigh 125 lbs and I love avocado.

SEVEN: Jesus Christ.

JORDAN: If you’re the security guy, aren’t you supposed to just naturally intuit my next move? I thought you were linked in telepathically by now. If you’re not able to tell me where I’m heading next, I don’t want your services.

SEVEN: Quit being a brat. I’m heading over.

JORDAN: I’m not putting pants on.

SEVEN: Whatever you’re wearing is probably more than you had on last night. I’m sure I’ll survive.

I narrowed my eyes, a weird heat circling in my belly. I desperately wanted to follow this thread further. But he was irrelevant, since he would be gone soon. I didn’t have time for him, or any of my brothers, at this stage of my life.

Which reminded me…Axel’s text.

I set the phone down as I prepared my standard avocado toast and coffee. I had no idea what to say to my brother except no. Though part of me wanted to say yes, especially after what Legs revealed in the car.

What would Kaylee think if she knew that you opened up to them and let them into your life?

I scowled as I finished off the spicy chipotle drizzle then took a big, crunchy bite. Avocado toast could cure a lot. But it couldn’t cure the painful void in my chest where the Haynes family used to be.

Axel and Damian had been born Haynes, just like me and Kaylee. But they’d chosen the Fairchilds—their foster parents and foster brother Trace—as their true family and left me and Kaylee in the dust. They moved to New York City for college, even though they could have stayed back for us. And when Kaylee died from a drug overdose, my family had gone poof.

Evaporated. Like it never existed.

So, no, I did not want to get a casual lunch with my brother. He’d abandoned me.

I picked up my phone. Maybe the contemplative morning had been my sign from the beyond.

JORDAN: I can’t today. Really busy.

AXEL: Soon, then?

JORDAN: Probably not.

AXEL: We’re dying to catch up with you. Don’t forget about us, okay little sis?

I swallowed the lump in my throat. Don’t call me little sis. Dying to catch up? Kaylee actually died—did you even fucking care? All things I wouldn’t say. Because not saying them was safer. Keeping them buried—along with my former self—was the only way forward. I didn’t want to wade any deeper into this emotional territory than I’d already gone.

My hard-won stability depended on having these people out of my life. Continuing the status quo.

I did not need Axel, Damian, or Seven.

I didn’t need anyone.

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