I bit my lip. “Maybe?”
“Jesus, fucking Christ,” he hissed, dragging his hands through his hair as he stalked away from me and into the great room.
* * *
Doc
“Raquel, my office,now,” I demanded, and made my way down the hall. I heard her swear, then her familiar stomp as she followed me, so I waited until she walked in before closing the door.
“What can I do for you, darling brother?” she asked.
“You and Orion.”
“Me and who?”
I raised an eyebrow and leaned against my desk. “You seriously trying that shit with me? It might work with Dad, but you forget who you’re talking to.”
She sighed, wrinkling her nose. “He and I have been seeing each other for a little while, but I broke things off.”
“Why?”
“None of your business.”
“Fair enough. But why’s he here?”
She shrugged. “You’d have to ask him.”
“I’m gonna fuckin’ lose my religion if you don’t start telling me the truth.”
“Idon’tknow why he’s here. I told him I needed a break. He said okay, but now he’s here, so I have no idea.”
I cocked my head. “Did he know you were coming here?”
“No.”
“Raquel,” I warned.
“Okay, fine!” she snapped. “I didn’t tell him anything, but he knows me enough to know that when I’m feeling any kind of emotion, I’m gonna go running to my big brother. You’re my emotional support human.”
I sighed and pulled her against me. “What’s really goin’ on, sissy?”
She burst into tears. “I don’t know. I’m just all out of sorts right now.”
“Why?”
“Maybe because I’m failing two of my classes,” she growled, pulling away from me. “And I’m failing because I’ve been so wrapped up in Orion, I couldn’t focus.”
“Are you seriously failing two of your classes?”
“C in one and a C minus in the other.”
“Well, shit,” I said. Our dad wasn’t one to accept anything less than a B when it came to school, and since he was footing the bill, Raquel was going to have to bring those grades up.
“Well, shit, indeed, big brother. Do you have any idea what Daddy’s going to do when he finds out?”
I rolled my eyes, releasing her. “You haven’t told him?”
“No, I haven’t told him!” She threw her hands in the air. “The second I do, he’s gonna ship me home for good.”
