Page 91 of The Rules

Kath didn't bother lifting her face from where it was half-buried in her arm. "Yes," she confirmed, voice muffled against the fabric of her sleeve. "The scary one."

"Sooo… the scary one’s the hot one? Or is that someone else?" Lisa asked, her voice infuriatingly casual for a question laced with that much implication.

Kath whined again. This was a sound of pure, existential suffering. She pressed her face deeper into the couch cushion, as if she could somehow escape this conversation by suffocating herself in polyester.

"Oh my god, Lisa," she mumbled, the words barely audible.

Lisa poked her sister in the ribs like the menace she was, grinning when Kath flinched away from the contact.

"Youdidsay he was hot," Lisa pressed, leaning closer.

"I'm just checking if that's still the vibe."

Kath rolled over just enough to fix her sister with a flat stare. "I take it back. He's awful."

"Mmhmm," Lisa hummed, not even trying to hide her skepticism.

"Don'tmmhmmme," Kath warned, narrowing her eyes.

Lisa just smirked. The expression was sweet and deadly all at once—the look of a younger sister who knew exactly which buttons to push and took unholy delight in doing so.

"If he makes you that mad..." Lisa said, her voice taking on a teasing, sing-song quality, "it means you care."

The accusation had barely settled before Kath grabbed the nearest throw pillow and launched it at her sister.

“Of course I care what he says,” she snapped.

“He’s my boss.”

The pillow caught Lisa square on the shoulder before tumbling to the floor. She yelped, then burst out laughing—unapologetic and unbothered.

Despite herself, Kath felt her lips twitch, the smallest smile breaking through. The knot of tension that had been stranglingher chest since the storage room finally loosened, just a little. The room felt warmer. Lighter.

Lisa grinned at her from the couch, smug but harmless.

“Still counts,” she muttered.

The evening softened around them. Lisa had shifted her textbooks aside, replacing them with her laptop, its blue glow illuminating her face in the dimly lit living room. Some cooking show played on the TV, volume turned low enough that it became pleasant background noise rather than a distraction.

Katherine felt herself finally unwinding, the day's tension gradually releasing its grip on her shoulders. She curled deeper into the couch cushions, tucking her feet beneath her.

"I checked out a few more colleges today," Lisa said suddenly, excitement brightening her voice as she angled the laptop screen toward Kath.

The shift in atmosphere was immediate. From workplace drama to something that actually mattered—Lisa's future.

Kath leaned closer, all thoughts of Sinclair temporarily forgotten as she focused on the webpage Lisa had pulled up.

"This one has an amazing program," Lisa continued, scrolling through images of sprawling green campuses and modern buildings. "And the dorms look decent—not like those horror stories you hear about. Plus, they have this professor who's basically a legend."

Kath watched her sister's face as she talked, the genuine enthusiasm lighting up her features. This was what mattered. This was real.

"You're going to do amazing, Lis," Kath said softly, meaning every word.

Lisa bumped her shoulder playfully. "Yeah, I hope so."

She glanced at the time display in the corner of her screen, her expression shifting to confusion. "Wait, aren't you supposed to be meeting up with Tammy?"

Kath's heart slammed against her ribs.Shit. She'd completely forgotten about the cover story she'd given earlier in the week.