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“I’m not super hungry.” I fight a laugh because the kitchen is a disaster.
“Luke will want to eat my food,” Kat says defensively.
“I will,” he agrees as he comes into the kitchen behind me. His brows lift when he sees the mess, but he doesn’t hold back his chuckle.
“Hey! Don’t laugh at me.” She points the spatula at him, and pancake batter drips from it onto the floor.
“I’m sorry, honey, but this is adorable.” He makes his way over toward her, and my phone vibrates in my hand.
Walsh: Did you eat breakfast?
I don’t know what makes me do it, but I take a picture of the chaos in front of me and send it to him.
Walsh: Who’s the guy in the suit?
Me: Brother-in-law
Why did he ask that?
Walsh: You should eat breakfast. It’s the most important meal of the day.
Walsh is probably right. I didn’t eat hardly anything last night, and it will be a while until lunch. I sit down at the kitchen island, and Graham helps my sister make a non-burned pancake.
“The bacon!” my sister screams as she rushes over to the oven. She opens it and a cloud of black smoke fills the kitchen. “I ruined it.”
“That’s like a crime against humanity,” I tease her, and she glares at me.
“We can make more.” Luke grabs an oven mitt to pull the sheet of blackened strips out of the oven. He drops the whole thing in the sink while I pour syrup over my pancake and try to eat it quickly.
Walsh: Am I going to have to bring you breakfast?
He has to be teasing me, so I send him another picture. This time it's my half-eaten pancake.
“Nadia, can you hear me?” Kat snaps her fingers.
“What?” I ask as I pull my attention away from my phone.
“Is it okay if Graham takes you to school?”
“Yeah, that’s fine.” I only have my permit because in Vegas I didn’t need to know how to drive. “You stay here and keep at it. You’ll get the bacon right the second time.” She sticks her tongue out at me as I slip off the chair and pull my bag over my shoulder.
“Oh, are you still going to that party tonight? Luke and I have some charity thing so we won’t be home until late. I’m going to the spa today before I get ready.”
Shit. I told her about the party, but that was before everything happened with Kyle.
“I think so.” I mean, there might still be a party? Kyle might also be in trouble with his dad. Either way, I don’t think I’m invited any longer, but I don’t tell her that. She’ll worry about me being at home alone. Kat is always worrying over me and whether I’m happy being here.
“All right. Text me later.”
“Will do,” I say and walk out with Graham to one of the cars.
“You okay?” Graham asks when we pull out of the gates and onto the road.
“I’m fine.” He gives me a sideways glance.
Okay, I’m not fine. I’m dreading school today. I’m going to keep my head down and hopefully avoid Kyle. That should be easy enough because when we’re at school he never really talks to me. He’ll text me sometimes, but I haven’t heard anything from him since last night.
“When my wife says she’s fine, that means she’s anything but fine,” Graham responds.
