Page 20 of Rent Free

As for her reaction… I wasn’t quite sure what to make of it.

Put me in a tree and call me a cicada. I’m about to scream.

—Pepper to Everest and Tarrant after a confrontation with Sage

PEPPER

She might’ve been the reason I came, but he was the reason I was staying.

He had no clue that the phrase he’d said would be the turning point in my life.

I had zero inclinations to stay in Dallas.

In fact, I could think of nothing worse than being in Dallas with their people, their dirty air, and their traffic.

But… he was here.

And whether he hated me or not, I was staying.

My brothers didn’t understand, though, hence the conversation I was currently having.

“I just don’t understand why you want to stay,” Tarrant grumbled. “The kids miss you.”

I missed them.

But…

“There’s something I have to do,” I said.

“What?” Everest asked impatiently.

“I, uh, met someone,” I said.

There was a long pause before Everest said, “Who?”

I told them all about Atlas Carter—including everything with Sage.

“Well, you can write him off,” Tarrant grumbled.

“I know, I know,” I said. “But… I feel something there. I just… I can’t let him fall into her trap.”

“Fine,” Everest grumbled. “But you’ll be back home for Christmas.”

“I promise,” I said.

Even though, with that promise, I just meant I’d be coming home. Not staying.

They didn’t need to know that, though.

“Good,” he said. “But don’t let him fuck you over. You know how men are when it comes to our sister.”

That I did.

“I’ll be okay,” I said. “He’ll come around.”

Atlas didn’t come around, though.

Not even a little bit.

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