Page 9 of Breaking the Rules
It's a classic Brendon stare.I know best. I know everything. I'm waiting for you to figure it out.
But he doesn't have time today.
He has to pick up Kaylee and fly to New Jersey.
He finishes his glass of water and sets it on the table. "What's your plan?"
"I'll find a new place. Kay can check it out when you're back."
"Until then?"
"I'll stay here for a while."
"It's that bad?"
"Yeah." It's worse. I cross my fingers behind my back. Pray he'll accept this as being about the eardrum blasting volume of my music and nothing else. "I just have to get my stuff. I… uh… I'll do it tomorrow."
"You okay?"
"Great." I try to smile. Fail. Fuck. I'm giving too much away. And I can't. I can't talk about this. I can't even think about it.
"Em, what happened?"
"I told you. The super is a dick. And I want to stay here." I hug my text book to my chest. "Go. Finish packing. Pick up your angel. Join the mile high club. I have to study."
"All right."
Once again, he stares through me.
He waits for me to break.
He's good at it. Usually.
But this time, I'm sticking with my cover story.
The super is a dick about music. Period. The end.
If Brendon finds out…
That ends someplace ugly.
"Does Kay know what really happened?" he asks.
"I told you what really happened."
He folds his arms.
"Don't put this on her." I swallow hard. She doesn't know either. She suspects, sure, but she doesn't know.
"Em…" His voice gets soft. Caring. He wants to know. To make sure nothing bad happened.
His concern means a lot.
Really, it does.
But I can't take it today.
I can barely stomach this.
