Page 60 of My Family

I nod, then hustle Tyler out of the office before the panic in my chest can get any louder. In the hallway, the lights feel a little too bright. I keep my hand on his shoulder, steering him down the maze of corridors, to the dorm wing, then the stairwell to the second floor. I pass my room and point to it.

"If you need anything, you can find me here," I tell him. He nods.

The doors are heavy and prison-like, with locks on the outside, with a little window for surveillance.

We stop at his room's door, and I hesitate for a second.

"It's Quiet Time. Three hours after lunch when we have to stay in our rooms. It's the only time we're really locked in, even at night the doors are unlocked for safety reasons. So your roommate must be here. I have the keys because I'm a leader. Your roommate is also a leader, so this will be good for you. He has some privileges. They might help you."

"Is he bad?" he asks. I want to nod but I shrug.

"Meh," I say, lying, then push it open.

Reed is inside, sitting at the desk with his feet up, flipping a pencil between his fingers. He looks up, eyes narrowing the instant he sees me. The tension in the room spikes.

His room is different from mine. He only has one roommate, two beds, one on each wall. He has a desk, and the room is a little bigger. All because he's the director's nephew and can do whatever he wants. It's so fucking unfair.

"Got you a new roommate," I say, keeping my tone light, even if I'm shaking.

Reed doesn't answer. He just looks at Tyler, slow, up and down, as if measuring him for a coffin. There's a long, ugly pause.

Tyler doesn't flinch. He just meets Reed's gaze, dead-on, and smirks. "Nice place."

Reed's jaw tenses. He glances at me, then back to Tyler. "You're in Mason's bed."

"Guess he won't be needing it," Tyler says.

Reed lets the pencil drop, and it rattles on the desk. "You touch any of my shit, I'll break your fingers," he says, voice flat.

"Cool," Tyler replies, already walking to the empty bed. "I'll keep that in mind."

I watch the exchange, heart pounding. Reed's anger is palpable, but Tyler's not the type to back down. I want to step between them, but I know that would only make it worse.

Instead, I clear my throat. "You need anything, Tyler, you come find me. Got it?"

He doesn't look up, just starts unpacking the plastic bag of essentials they gave him at check-in. Toothbrush, deodorant, a single pair of socks, a blank notebook. He's already moving like he's lived here for years.

Reed stands, stretching to his full height, and moves to the door. He stops next to me, close enough that I can smell the menthol on his breath.

"You think this is funny?" he whispers. "This fucking kid is taking Mason's place before Mason's scent has even faded."

"No, it's not funny," I say, matching his volume. We're almost the same height but he's a little taller. And he's stronger, bigger than me. "But you're going to deal with it. And don't you dare mess with my brother."

"Brother?" he scoffs. "You're a fucking Farley?" he asks Tyler.

"I mean it, Reed," I say, locking his gaze. He looks at me for a long time. Then he grunts and goes back to the desk where he was.

"I'll see you at snack," I tell Tyler. He nods, not even paying attention to me. He doesn't look scared, which is good.

But I'm still shaking.

I go back to my room and I'm barely holding it together. He's with Reed. He's looking sick as hell. He's my little brother.

When I open the door, everybody is there. Liam immediately sits up, cracking a huge grin. I feel my heart melting a little. I go sit on his bunk and he hugs me, tightly. Jack also sits up, on his bunk, in front of us, and asks, "How is he?"

"He's okay, I guess," I say, my voice cracking, Liam still holding me. The warmth of his arms is the only thing keeping me sane. Jack bounces his knee, waiting for more, his eyes wide. Miles doesn't look up from his book, but he's listening.

"He's in with Reed," I say, the words tasting sour.