Page 96 of Atone

I nod, planting my hands on his chest.

With a final pause, he pulls back.

Patience and I watch him disappear down the hallway with Gideon before she turns to me.

“That was weird,” Patience mutters.

“What was?”

Besides everything,I think. Because this whole situation is awkward.

“I thought they were fine.” Her eyebrows knot. “He never stopped accepting the books, so I guess I just assumed… Maybe I was wrong.”

“Are you talking about the books you’d drop off at Montgomery?”

Patience nods. “It was Dad’s way of communicating with Alex while he was in there. I’m not supposed to know that, but I’m nosy. He’d put messages in the margins. Updates. Sigma Sin bullshit. That kind of thing. At least, that’s my guess.”

“You don’t know?”

“They were coded. Probably for the best. I don’t want to know what they were talking about.”

If I had to guess, it had to do with the trials. Or maybe things the House had Alex working on when people thought he was out of commission. The web of lies is never-ending.

“Alex seems fine in general though. Which is surprising,” Patience continues. “Apparently, Mom was lying when she said she was worried. There’s nothing she wouldn’t do to get me here.”

Patience’s glare lands on her mother, who is staring at the fire and sipping her drink. She hasn’t bothered to greet us. She simply waits for us to meet her where she is inside the library.

“Maybe she is worried about him?” I say.

After all, when I came here with Alex, she was warmer than she seems now. She looked at Alex with genuine concern.

“Maybe. Alex hasn’tspokento anyone else but you, right? Not to them?”

“Not that I’m aware of. He said I’m the only one.”

Patience hums, watching me.

“I really am sorry. I didn’t mean for you to find out like that.”

“I should have seen it coming. The way my brother looked at you when you’d come with me to Montgomery was obvious. I just didn’t want to admit it to myself.” She shakes her head like she’s trying to loosen a thought from it. “Just be careful, okay?”

“I promise I want what’s best for him.”

“That’s not what I mean. I don’t think you’d do anything to hurt him.”

But he would.

She doesn’t say that. But I see the worry in her eyes because we both know what he’s capable of.

“I’ll be careful,” I promise. “You’re really okay with it?”

“It’s weird.” Her face pinches. “And gross. But at least he’s not Marco.”

I roll my eyes. “Thanks for the vote of confidence.”

Patience shrugs a shoulder, almost smiling.

“What’s going on with you in LA? You seem happier than when you left. Did you actually take my advice and screw the hot professor?”