Page 48 of Did They Break You

“She wanted me to keep an eye on you,” she mumbles, pulling on her socks, standing on one foot for each one. “She wants to make sure you don’t wind up in prison, Cort.” She stuffsher feet into her sneakers, finally looking up at me, her ponytail falling over one shoulder. “And if you keep fucking around withher,” she sneers that word, and I think about watching Maya drop Remi in the gym and my blood heats. “That’s exactly where you’ll end up.”

I jerk my chin to the door. “Leave.”

She laughs, running a hand over her hair, smoothing it back. A nervous gesture. I can see it in her eyes, the fear. She doesn’t want this to end. She doesn’t want the idea of becomingMrs. Adlersnatched away from her.

But I’d never marry her even if Remi wasn’t currently taking up too much of my brain. Maya was a defense. In high school, she was a distraction. We weresupposedto be together, and besides that, I didn’t much care how my mom belittled her. She was a bitch. So was Mom. They could deal with each other.

But now… “Seriously. Leave.” I point to the door, wanting to shove her out of it.

“You’re being ridiculous,” she snaps. “We’re going to that party together?—”

“I’m not going anywhere with you and if you know what’s best for you, you won’t fucking go either.Get the fuck out of my room.”

Before she can move, the door flies open from the outside, and Storm stands there as Maya spins around.

He’s got his shirt off, and I take in the tattoos all over his torso, his arms crossed as he leans against the doorway, his eyes lined with red like he just smoked a joint. I smell the marijuana trailing into the room and I feel a stab of envy thatI’mnot currently high. Might be a hell of a lot easier to deal with Maya, and Remi in my head, if I was.

“Careful, Maya,” Storm says softly, his light blue eyes locked on hers as she crosses her arms tighter over her chest. “Cortland has a really bad temper these days.” His gaze trails over herbody. “I’d hate it if you broke something while you were in my house.”

She glances at me, looking for me to save her.

I’m done saving bitches.

I just stare right back at her, then she finally stomps out, skirting around Storm as much as she can.

We hear her clomp down the stairs, slam the door shut behind her so hard the house shakes.

I curl my fingers into fists.

Storm meets my gaze. “You wanna fuck her.”

I blink at him, thinking he’s talking about Maya. “I beg your pardon?” I ask him, my voice hoarse. “I could’ve done just that?—”

He clears his throat to interrupt me. “Nother.”

My heart picks up speed in my chest.

“Remi.”

I open my mouth to deny it, but he cuts me off.

“Probably shouldn’t do that,” he says lightly, straightening from the door, the hoop in his nose catching on the dying light from the sun streaming in through the window by my door. “Let’s go out tonight. You can find some other ass that isn’t gonna put you in jail.”

I shake my head, even though I planned to do just that. “Since when do you want to go to college parties?”

He shrugs. “Since I see you thinking about a girl who almost ruined both of our lives.”

I don’t say anything and instead I think about those cuts on her wrist.Did we ruin hers, too?

“I’ll be waiting downstairs. Hurry up.” Without another word, he turns and walks down the hall.

I stare after him a second, listening to his footsteps grow quieter. Then I hear my phone vibrating from my nightstand,and I snatch it up, swiping my finger across the screen to answer Tristan’s video call.

A second later, my baby brother’s face appears, sleepy gray eyes like mine, a lighter shade of hair fluffed on his head, he looks tired.

“Hey, buddy,” I say with a smile, taking a breath and sinking down to my bed.

I hear my dad in the background before Tristan speaks. “You coming for dinner?”

---