Page 32 of Tore Up

“Bane hates me.”

Than shook his head. “No, he doesn’t. He is a mess right now. Bane doesn’t do emotion, but losing his brother? That fucked him up. Brought out shit in him he hadn’t known he had. Give him time. He wouldn’t have moved you into the house if he hated you.”

I wasn’t so sure about that.

“I don’t think Linc gave him an option.” I frowned, scrunching my nose. “Who is Linc exactly?” It was something that I still couldn’t figure out, and Than was easiest to talk to. I felt moderately comfortable asking him things.

He pressed his lips together and looked straight ahead, as if I’d just asked a difficult question. “That is probably something I can’t answer,” he said. “But Bane or Linc will explain it soon. Now that they know for sure that the baby is Crosby’s.”

The mystery about this family and all their secrets were no longer just odd, but sliding right into unsettling. What was such a big deal about telling me who Linc was?

“Don’t you have somewhere to be?” Bane’s harsh voice startled me.

Than rolled his eyes as he moved off the stool. “Didn’t know my schedule was so important to you.”

Bane stalked past him and went to the sink with his empty plate.

I glanced from his back to Than, who took his cup and then gave me a smile before leaving the kitchen. Now, I was alone with Bane again.

Oh boy.

“My mom wants to meet you,” Bane said, turning around to look at me.

His brooding expression told me this wasn’t going to be pleasant. Not that anything in my life ever was.

“Okay,” I replied. “When?”

His gaze dropped to my body, then back to meet my gaze. “Now. She’s out of bed before noon for the first time in two months.”

“Do I need to change?” I asked since he’d seemed displeased by what I had on—or it was his displeasure with me in general.

“No, that’s fine,” he said. “Unless you have a bigger bra.”

I glanced down at my chest, then back at him. “This is the onlyone I have. What’s wrong with it?”

His eyes dropped again, and I crossed my arms over my chest, not liking the way he made me feel.

“It’s too small. Your tits are coming out of the top of it. I can see it through your shirt.”

I couldn’t believe he was talking about my boobs. My face was on fire.

Did he get off on humiliating me? Was that a thing for him?

“Let’s go,” he said and started for the door.

I followed him with as much enthusiasm as I would if I were walking to the gallows. I wished Than could take me or Linc maybe. I preferred to have as little interaction with Bane as possible.

Fourteen

Bane

I’d give her one thing; she was good at staying quiet. Most females were uncomfortable when no one was talking, and they rambled on about shit just because they didn’t like silence. This one hadn’t said one word since we’d left the kitchen. It wasn’t like she was pouting about the bra comment either. I’d have picked up on that.

I opened the front door of my parents’ house and waved a hand for her to go on inside. The house was peaceful compared to when I’d left here last night. There had been too much drama, aggression, crying, and shit that had nothing to do with my brother’s absence—just selfish reactions. Why Saylor’s behavior had surprised me, I wasn’t sure, but I’d thought she’d have been sensitive enough not to make the situation all about her. I’d been wrong. It might as well have been the Saylor show.

My mother’s heels clicked on the marble floor, and I closed the door behind Halo. Of course she’d been listening for us. She’dcalled me before I even woke up this morning. That was a rarity. The woman liked to sleep in late. Since Crosby’s death, she’d been taking her meds and sleeping well past noon and barely coming out of her room the rest of the day.

“Oh.” My mother’s breathless gasp as she entered the foyer wasn’t a bad one.

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