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“Should I be worried?” Eddy smooths his hands over his plaid sweater. “Before you get defensive, I don’t judge you for hiding him, if you are, and?—”

“Eddy, you have no idea what you’re talking about.”

“—in fact?—”

“Shut up,” I snap, doing so as quietly as possible so my teacher won’t overhear.

“Hey, all I’m saying is that I would’ve done the same for my brother.”What is it with the men in my life? Why can’t they listen?“But here’s the thing.”

My gaze skates to the front of the class. Only one student is left talking to Professor Dempsey.

“What’s thething, Eddy?”

“I’m concerned he might show up here.”

He.

He.

As if he doesn’t have a name. As if Kaleb is a freak, the boogeyman everyone said he is.

I’m seething. Growling. Then I pull it together and roll my eyes.

“It’s a serious concern, Shiloh,” he emphasizes.

That does it. I’ve had it up to fucking here. Up to my eyeballs.

Kaleb scares me, too. So much. But so do many of the people we read about in our psychology books.

He’s a person like them, damn it.

He saved me. He’s just as worthy of therapy. Of acceptance.

Being understood isn’t a privilege. It’s a right.

The world has neglected my stepbrother for far too long. They left him to rot in a psychiatric hospital for killing the assholes who assaulted me.

The more I think about it, the more I realize that I can’t even blame him for killing the guard and driver in his attempt to get out. Eddy watches me as the cogs turn in my head, his expression one of curiosity.

I understand Kaleb. I understand now why he took from me instead of asking for what he wanted.

He’s misunderstood and he needs me. I need him too. Down to my marrow.

We’ll have a conversation about boundaries.

Which Eddy won’t hear about.

As far as the rest of the world is concerned, Kaleb has never hurt me and never will. I won’t give them another reason to hate him. To think he’s any less worthy of fundamental human rights.

“Why is that, exactly?” My eyebrows crush together. Eddy jerks back, the movement rattling his chair. “He’s been away for eleven years. Been treated by the best doctors. He’s not a rabid animal. He deserves to be understood. Treated. Cared for. He deserves a second chance rather than hate and judgment.”

“Holy shit.” His pupils are huge. Cheeks pale. “Youarehiding him.”

“Am not!” That was a little too loud. My teacher clears his throat, and when I steal a glance at him to apologize, he’s smirking? “Sorry,” I whisper, then turn to Eddy and his huge, dumb eyes. “I have no idea where he is. All I know is that life fucked him over. We’re trying to help people get better here. Come to terms with who they are. Without judgment. Yet here you are, ready to label him and cast him aside.”

I can’t believe the words that come out of my mouth. Eddy could have my ass kicked out of this class for it. Ban me from campus for good, maybe. It could give Dad a good excuse to commit me.

Fix this, a voice in my head demands as Eddy wrings his hands nervously.