Page 12 of Wherever You Are

“Christ, when’d you get so sassy?”

Lily crinkles her nose, trying to put on a “tough” face. But she fails. Lo sticks his chip between his teeth, freeing up his hand, and he pinches her nose.

Lily playfully pounds her fist into his arm.

Lo feigns a wince and mumbles, “Ouch, love.” He tilts his head back and the chip falls into his mouth.

Their love is an all-consuming thing when you’re in the room with them, and my all-consuming love is thousands of miles away.

3,539 to be exact.

Why am I even here again?

To watch them flirt. To be the seventh-fucking-wheel.

So I blurt out, “We were talking aboutJustice League 2.” The movie isn’t coming out any time soon—the release now up in the air (which Lily and I were discussing)—but the mention of the DC property is enough to receive a Grade A grimace and glare from Loren.

Seeing him drop his own wife on the ground for talking about DC should have probably made me hesitate. But maybe I have a death-sentence.

Murder me.

It’d be easier being dead.

Lo flashes a half-smile. “Why don’t you go talk about that down the street, turn right, approach a mailbox that saysAbbey, walk up the driveway, slam the door—goodbye.” He waves curtly.

Bile rises to my throat. If he even knew what walking up to my family’s home means…

But maybe that’s where I deserve to be. Pressure sits heavy on my chest, and I spin an unlit cigarette between my fingers. Ryke would probably shit a brick if I smoked in here, but I could leave.

That’s what Lo wants anyway.

Anger and something worse pounds against me. “You want me to go home?” I snap and then grind down on my teeth.

Home.

Let me go home and break another rib.

Let me go home and give my mom a chance to save me. Only to push me in a snake pit all over again.

Lo holds my gaze. “I want you to notspeak about what-shall-not-be-named inside my brother’s house, and if you can’t handle that, then yeah, you can go home.”

“Lo!” Lily chastises in shock, jaw dropped.

Loren pushes her chin up, closing her mouth. He almost smiles. “Lily.” He mock pouts.

She pokes his chest. “You’re not being nice.”

“Because I’m not nice.”

I release a tensed breath. He’s just being a normal, raging asshole. I have to remember that Lo doesn’t know anything about my home. I don’t think he’d poke at this part of my life if he had any idea about what goes on there.

Lily slides her hand to Lo’s cheeks and she’s looking at him with intensefuck meeyes, so I focus elsewhere. The ceiling. The floor. My phone.

No new texts.

Willow’s probably asleep.

I waver between staying here and jumping off the counter and leaving. But even with Lo practically painting neon arrows towards my house, I like it here. My other option is sitting alone in my apartment.