"He's not my brother. In fact, I'd like to get out of here before he wakes up. Hey, actually…do you know his schedule?"
Dax narrows his eyes. "Why do you ask?"
"Isn't it obvious? I want to avoid him."
"Mmm…I don't think I should tell you that. I don't think he'd like it."
"Why not? He hates me. I'm sure it would improve both of our moods."
"Yeah, but Eliaslikesto be in a bad mood. He's kind of made it his entire aesthetic. I can't take that away from him."
"I'll send you his class schedule," Nolan says.
Dax gasps. "Traitor."
"And he and Dax go to the gym almost every evening around six."
"How does he manage that with his shoulder?"
Dax and Nolan exchange a look before Nolan says, "There's nothing wrong with his shoulder, Saige."
"What do you mean?"
I flip the last of the pancakes just as Elias's bedroom door opens and closes.
Fuck. I was so close. At least there's only one set of footsteps. Whoever she was must have left already.
"I'm leaving," I mutter.
"No, stay," Dax says. "I know your class doesn't start until nine."
"I don't want to stay and eat with him."
"You'd be staying with us, not him," Nolan says.
He places his hand against the small of my back, and instantly I freeze up. He's touching me, but I know I'm not allowed to touch him.
"You do look really pretty today, by the way. I like your lipstick, even though Dax fucked it all up."
"Um…thanks."
"There's something about red lipstick, isn't there? I can't stop thinking about how it would look smeared all over my dick."
"Why don't you show us right now, Saige?" Elias says as he strolls into the kitchen. "We've both seen you take Dax's cockalready, anyway. That's how it works in this house—sharing is caring."
I don't know how he knows about what happened with Nolan last night already, but it doesn't feel good. Heart pounding, I toss the last of the pancakes onto the plate. "No thanks. I actually have to go."
"Go where?" Elias asks.
"I have an assignment I need to print for history," I lie.
"I guess I'll have to wait for my turn to watch the show, then. I'll save you a seat in psych."
Steadily, I exhale relief and then return to the bedroom to retrieve my backpack.
"See you later, Saige," Dax says through a mouthful of food as I make a beeline toward the door.
I try to get to psychology early and sit in the front, but I have a class on the other side of campus, and even though I'm out of breath from tearing over here, I still don't make it before Elias.
