Page 93 of Before We Break

“Because you need me.” His voice is calm and decisive. “And because there’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”

TWENTY-FIVE

SHARK WEEK

♫ Orbiter - Noah Kahan

NOAH

The front door crashes open, and Lexi drops her backpack to the floor with a loud thud. She stomps into the living room and slumps onto the armchair.

When Julia Roberts walks into a shop on Rodeo Drive, Lexi groans. “Oh, my god. Do you ever watch anything else?”

“Who pissed in your cornflakes?” Clio asks defensively.

Lexi cocks her head, her jaw clenched tight.

“Oh. We synced. Lovely.”

I jerk my head back. “Wait. That’s a thing?”

“Yep,” Lexi replies, popping the P. “You two look cozy. What’s for dinner?”

“I don’t know,” Clio says. “Make yourself something.”

“We don’t have anything. You were supposed to do groceries.”

“Oh crap. I guess we can order pizza.”

Clio starts to sit up, but I stop her.

“You relax,” I say. “I’ll handle dinner.”

“Can you even cook?” Lexi asks skeptically.

“I’m a great cook, but I’m even better at delegating.”

I reach into my pocket and pull out my phone to dial Emma’s number.

“Hey, big brother,” Emma says. “I have Auggie.”

“Great. Can you run down to the market and grab a few things?”

“Sure. What do you need?”

“Code red.”

It’s what Emma used to tell Jonah and me when it was that time of the month, more as a warning than a cry for help, though I made a few trips to the drug store for supplies over the years.

“Shark week?” she asks.

“Yep. Lexi and Clio both.”

“RIP. It was nice knowing you.”

“Are you going to help or delight in my misery?”

“I can multitask.” I hear the car door open and shut. “I’m here now. I’ll grab the essentials and be there soon.”