Total pages in book: 93
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 88849 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 444(@200wpm)___ 355(@250wpm)___ 296(@300wpm)
Vespar rolled his eyes and shifted so no one could see our faces. He spoke in a low voice, “I stand by what I said at the house. You’re pissing on us, and you don’t care. That makes me mad, but Gus wants us to make up. She wants things right, so fine. Whatever. As far as I’m concerned, you and I are fine. I hold no ill will toward you. Okay?”
It felt more like an order than a truce offering. I nodded, though. “Fine.”
Relief rolled off his shoulders, and he straightened. A little more bounce seemed to be in his frame again. “So, really, where is Kellan?”
I shrugged. “I don’t know, Vespar. I wasn’t lying. He’s not happy with you.”
His eyes narrowed. “What do you mean?”
“What do you think I mean? You disrespected him to his face. You told me that he had his hooks in me. You don’t think he didn’t hear that? He’s staying away for a reason, and things were fine with him and me. It’s you. I’d be worried if I were you.”
He frowned.
Giuseppa chose that moment to throw an arm around her brother and laugh as she poised next to the lockers. “How are things going? Are we all a loving family again? I certainly hope so.” When neither of us commented, her eyes danced between us, and a small frown appeared. “What’s wrong? What now?”
Vespar shoved her arm off and stalked down the hallway. Dylan chose that moment to turn into our hallway, right in front of Vespar, with his arm around a different girl. He stopped, saw a Braden coming his way, and glanced to the side. Then his shoulders straightened, and his feet stayed firm. Vespar saw it all as he kept approaching, reached out, grabbed Dylan’s shirt collar, and slammed him into the lockers. Two girls screamed and scattered out of the way.
“Oh God,” Giuseppa groaned. “What did you say to him?”
I watched as Vespar punched Dylan and then threw him onto the ground. None of his friends rushed to defend him or even help him from the floor. Then my brother continued on his way, his shoulders seemingly less tense.
I arched an eyebrow. That was interesting. “I just told him that Kellan must be staying away because of him, not me. Kellan and I were fine.”
“What?” Fear sparked in her eyes. “You said that?”
“It’s true. Vespar was out of line, not me. I spoke the truth, and then Vespar called me out. You think that made Kellan happy? Then he called out Kellan later when he asked why he let me talk to him that way. That’s like a slap in Kellan’s face. Then the next morning, he told me Kellan had his hooks in me. He heard him. Vespar’s got a problem, and he knows it. I can’t believe he said half of what he did.”
She froze, and the fear grew. “You’re right. Oh my God.” She glanced over her shoulder, as if she could see Vespar, who had already vanished into another hallway. “What’s he going to do? He didn’t think that out at all.”
I shrugged and exchanged my books. “It’s not my problem.”
As I started to leave, Gus blocked me. “Yes, it is. Our brothers can’t be fighting. Do you know how bad that is?”
Not as bad as it’s going to get, I thought to myself, but gave her a clueless look. “What are you talking about? You’re the one who said this would happen anyway. You said that Vespar would do it now, but he knows Kellan would kick his ass.”
“They could kill each other. And I was joking. Kind of.”
“Or Kellan could kill Vespar. He can’t touch Kellan, and everyone knows it. And why would you joke about that?”
She swallowed tightly. “Come on, Shay. Please do something. Say something to Kellan. Please. I can’t have us broken up. I love Vespar, but I need you two, too. It’s the four of us against everyone else. Don’t let something happen to that. You can stop this.”
“Why not you? Answer my other question.”
“Because…okay. Yes. I think Vespar wanted to fight Kellan last week, but he doesn’t anymore. He’s over it. I’m over it. And I really was joking. I really don’t want us to fight. That would be horrible. And because Kellan loves you more. Everyone knows that. He’s almost obsessed with you. If you weren’t his sister…” She shuddered. “You get my drift.”
I did, and I wasn’t fully comfortable with that. I didn’t have a good feeling about it, but another side was… I wasn’t going to focus on that. It didn’t help anyone. I could also tell that a part of Giuseppa hated admitting that to me.
“Shay.”
I sighed in surrender. “I’ll find him after school and see what’s really going on.”
She relaxed. “Thanks.”
Then I gestured to Dylan, who had gotten back to his feet and stood in a circle of his friends. He was throwing dark looks our way. “What about him? I don’t want to turn someone else into another zombie.”