Page 63 of Break

My friend and I have been quiet for long enough that Mina backpedals and second guesses her choice. “If… If you think that’s a bad idea, you can cross it off. I suppose itissilly. Who wants to actually be drunk and hungover?”

“No,” Ethan growls at the same time I shout.

“Absolutelynot!We’re gonna get you drunk enough that you’ll be cursing us the next morning. Smelly bar, sticky floors, pool tables, loud music, the whole works.”

Her nose wrinkles in that adorable way again as she considers my description of a night out. “Maybe that doesn’t sound so great,” she mumbles.

“It sounds perfect. It’s also going to be the first thing we do once we find a place safe enough to take you. Do you sing? We could find a karaoke bar!”

I chuckle when her face goes pale and any hint of amusement seeps from her face. “Please…no.”

Ethan’s laughter surprises me. He sits on the side of her bed, careful not to tip her tray and pats her lower leg. “No singing, then.”

As we continue to go through the list, I can’t help but feel a sense of excitement. The thought of showing Mina all of these things and seeing her experience them for the first time is thrilling. It’s like discovering the world all over again through someone else’s eyes.

We toss around a few more ideas, but nothing else makes it to the list. As the conversation comes to a lull, I watch as Mina’s eyes start to droop, her breathing beginning to even out. “Looks like someone’s got the right idea,” I say, nodding towards her.

Ethan stands up and moves the tray from her lap. The absence of the weight makes her shift lower and snuggle down into her pillows. Ethan walks back over to her and looks down for a moment, then at me. “I should get back to work.” He gives her another look, then reaches out to tuck a strand of hair behind her ear.

It’s clear to me that Ethan is becoming attached to her. To be honest, I think we all are.How did we miss so much about her when we were younger?I don’t think she’s projecting someone new to us. I think we were just oblivious and self-centered.Would I have had a crush on her back then? I don’t know… maybe if I had taken the time to talk with her and get to know her.Older me definitely is crushing on older Mina, I can at least admit that much. I also find that I don’t mind so much that Ethan is apparently feeling something, too. A discussion for another day, I suppose.

A loud bang from downstairs draws both of our attention to the door of her room. “Max?” I ask Ethan, whose eyes are narrowed in thought. When his arms flex, I know the answer is going to be no.

“He’s doing fieldwork. Won’t be back until tonight.”

We both move at the same time to go find out what caused the noise. A glance at Mina laying in the bed shows her fast asleep, so I slow down long enough to make sure the door shuts silently behind us.

I always keep a weapon on me, especially since I’ve been staying here at the house with a psycho ex looking for the wife we’re hiding.

Ethan and I both make the trip downstairs as quietly as we can, and when we hear another bang coming from the back door off the kitchen, Ethan waves his hand for me to go toward it. He quickly mouths that he’ll go around outside.

Nodding my head, I hold my gun to point at the floor as I brace myself against the wall that is shared with the kitchen. Giving Ethan a minute to make his way outside, I take a quick peek around the corner and fucking see red.

Goddamnit!Fuck Danny and fuck ever meeting him all those years ago. This piece of shit has the nerve to try to break into Max’s house? Christ, he’s stupid.

Stepping into the room, I hold my gun up, aiming it directly at his chest. He’s so absorbed with what he’s doing, trying to maneuver his way past discarded shoes laying across the entryway, he doesn’t see me until I make myself known.

“Well, this was a terrible idea. The fuck are you doing here, Danny?” I can hardly contain the sound of loathing and anger from my voice.

His bloodshot eyes shoot up to mine and he sneers. “You guys are hiding my fucking wife from me, aren’t you? She’s in this pathetic house too, right?” He takes a step forward and I tighten my stance, unwavering.

“Don’t fucking move.” His eyes bulge when he realizes I’ve got a gun pointed at him. “What makes you think she’s here?”

Danny is practically shaking with rage, fisting his hands at his sides. “After you all had that little visit tomyhouse, I started keeping an eye out for you when you went into town. Want to explain to me why I just saw Max at the store, picking out women’s clothing and other shit like hairbands and stuff?” He jabs a finger at me. “You all are fucking hiding her from me. Didn’t take me long to figure it out, you goddamn traitor.”

I laugh at him, but I don’t find any of this funny. “So, you decided you’d just come on over here, do a little breaking and entering, and what, talk to her or something?”

There’s no worry about confirming that she’s here. This move just bought me a new job assignment from Cooper. After this, I’m going to be on Mina’s detail like a fly on shit. Hopefully, this will be enough to get his ass put back in jail.

“I’m going to fucking destroy that-” he begins to rage, but I find that I don’t want to hear another word from him.

“Fuck right off with that shit. You’re not going to do a thing besides sit your ass down right there on the floor.” I use my gun to point down briefly before aiming at his chest once more. “I’m going to call this in.Really, really bad fucking idea.”

Danny shifts like he’s going to run. I smirk when he gets the courage to spin around and he comes face-to-face with Ethan. I don’t think I’ve ever seen my friend look so pissed off in his life. Ethan is trembling with undisguised hatred for the man standing in front of him.

Moving to slide my gun back into its sleeve, I realize a second too late that Danny was hiding a long thin pipe in his hand before he’s swinging it at Ethan’s head, connecting it with his temple.

“Fuck!” I shout, diving to catch my friend before he hits the floor. He didn’t see it either since the entry light was off.

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