Page 106 of The Facade

And his first reaction seemed to be relief. Like he was relieved to see that I was still alive and well. But then he took in my position beside Cambrielle, and probably sensing that I’d slept over, his relief turned immediately to something like rage. He walked to the side of Cambrielle’s bed, yanked on my arm, and said, “What the heck are you doing in here?”

35

Cambrielle

“It’s notwhat it looks like.” I jumped out of my bed and put myself between Nash and Mack before Nash could do something stupid like punch Mack in the face.

“Really?” Nash asked, fire in his blue eyes when he looked down at me. “Because it looks like one of my best friends just had a sleepover with my sister.”

Okay…so maybe it was what it looked like.

“How long has this been going on?” He glared at me. “Since Halloween? Were you just lying to me about not going after him?”

“No, it’s just—” I started.

But he didn’t wait for me to explain. Instead, he looked at Mack and said, “How could you do this to my sister? She’s sixteen, Mack. She’s not old enough to be sleeping with guys. Especially not guys with a reputation like yours.”

Okay, hold up.He was assuming anawfullot here.

I was about to explain what was really happening when Carter came running into the room.

“What’s going on in here?” he asked, his gaze traveling from Nash to me and then to Mack. When his eyes caught on Mack, he seemed temporarily relieved like Nash had been when he’d seen that Mack was alive and well and not off doing whatever dangerous thing they thought he had gone to do in the middle of the night.

But then he looked back at me and my bed, and then at Mack’s jacket and shoes that were still on the floor. And putting everything together quickly, his expression mirrored Nash’s.

“What did you do to my sister?” Carter charged toward Mack. “I told you not to touch her!”

“I didn’t.” Mack stepped back until his back was against the wall. Holding his hands up, he added, “At least, we didn’t do what you’re thinking. We just slept.”

“You really expect me to believe that?” Carter asked. “When you’ve bragged to me about how many girls you’ve taken to the falls?”

“Yes.” Mack stood to his full, intimidating height, not looking as scared of my two brothers as I thought he should be. “I actually do expect you to believe it.”

“And why would we believe that?” Nash asked, crossing his arms over his chest.

“Because it’s true,” Mack said.

Nash turned his steely blue gaze on me. “Did Mack use his mom’s coma to take advantage of you last night?”

“Oh my gosh! No!” I said, hardly believing he had just said that.

Like, how in the world could he even think that about his best friend?

Or me, for that matter?

And because he was being an idiot and I was so sick of my brothers thinking they had any say in who I dated and what I may or may not want to do with them, I found myself saying, “But you know what? Even if he had, that would bemydecision.” I poked him hard in the chest. “And none of your business.”

Nash took a step back, as if shocked that I dared suggest I be the one making decisions like that for myself without my older brothers’ consent.

I wanted to go off on Nash and Carter about a few other things now that I’d gotten started, but my mom appeared in the doorway then, probably hearing the commotion from wherever she’d been in the house, and I decided to leave my grievances with my brothers for another time.

“Mack,” my mom said. “Your father’s worried sick about you. I think it’s time for you to go home.”

“Yeah, okay.” Mack glanced at everyone apologetically. Then, looking like he couldn’t escape the charged room fast enough, he grabbed his jacket and shoes from the floor and rushed past my mom and out of the room.

“Did you hear that, Mom?” Nash said once Mack was gone. “Mack was—”

But my mom held a hand up to cut my brother off. “Thank you for your concern, Nash. But I heard the whole thing.” To me, she said, “I’d like to see you in my room now, Cambrielle. It sounds like we have some things to talk about.”

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