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“You know them?” I ask Kota without looking away from the two girls headed toward the door.

“No. Let’s get out of here.”

I give her my full attention.

“There’s still another page of—”

“We can do it at home.”

No shit. We could’ve done all of this at home. But we’re here for a reason.

“Either you tell me what’s going on or I’ll go ask those bitches myself.” They’re guilty until proven innocent. I don’t give a fuck.

“I’ll tell you in your truck.”

“You need me to drive you home?”

“Just to my car. I walked over here.”

I don’t see the girls outside and no one else bothers us as we walk to my Ram.

“There have been whispers,” Kota tells me on the short drive to Littoral’s campus.

“Whispers? About what? You?”

“That I’m hooking up with my brother.”

“I’m your stepbrother.”

She rolls her eyes. “That’s not as scandalous, I guess, so you’re my brother.”

“We didn’t grow up together.”

“I know.”

“I didn’t meet you until this year.”

“I know.”

“Our parents just got married.”

“I know.”

“They didn’t even meet until this year.”

Kota sighs. “I know.”

“When did the whispers start?”

“Literally the first day of school. Probably before then but my team wouldn’t dare repeat them to me. At least most of them wouldn’t.”

Last night there were fourteen scabs on her scalp. Up from the twelve we’d gotten it down to last weekend. I assumed it was school, but apparently not. It was something that had to do with me.

My stomach churns.

“Why didn’t you tell me sooner?”

“What would it matter?”