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Blurry and out of focus or not, there was no mistaking the affection on her face as she cradled that baby. The bottoming out of my stomach didn’t help.
Was I fucking disappointed? Or… the reaction made no sense and when I stole a look back at her again, KC wasn’t looking at me, but she did seem to be staring off into the distance. If I had to guess, she was in the zone. I’d seen her do it plenty of times when I was tutoring her.
The laser focus, the ability to immerse herself in the work, and more—the way she processed it. The combination of keen intelligence and creativity captivated me.
Kaitlin Crosse was nothing like I expected. Vulnerable and uncertain one moment, powerful and confident the next. The intense pendulum swing from maturity to playfulness to—such intense melancholy.
Every facet demanded I rethink every fact I’d ever accepted about her. From the day I heard she was coming to the school, I dreaded the inevitable conflict. The reminder that she didn’t want us or Gibs in her life.
But that hadn’t been present…
Well, it hadn’t before the previous spring semester. Was that really on her?
No.
Fuck. Shutting it all down, I leaned back in the seat and drummed my fingers against the desk lightly. Was someone stalking her on campus? Was that what this was? Or was it all some kind of cosmic coincidence?
Prior to her attendance, Jonas, Lachlan, and I rarely if ever discussed her. Outside of wishing she’d forgive Gibs for his sake, for whatever reason she was cutting him out of her life.
When she was younger, it made sense. Her mother probably encouraged it. Mom thought less of Jennifer Crosse than she did her daughter. Mom, who’d been there for Gibs through everything. Where his family couldn’t be bothered, Mom put him first.
Was he flawed?
Yes.
But he tried. He tried for Mom. For me. For Lachlan. For Jonas. He connected with Jonas on a level none of us could.
When the door to the testing room opened an hour later, letting KC and Jonas out, I pushed up from my seat. I still had way more questions than answers. I also hated how exhausted she seemed. It was like someone had drawn her skin too tight over her bones.
“Hey,” I said as they turned to me. Jonas kept glancing at her, always seemingly aware of her every step. “All caught up?”
“Yeah,” KC said, lifting her hair with careful motions as she slid her bag over her shoulder and then crossbody. Her stomach growled and the sound seemed to echo in the silence. “Mostly just tired.”
“And hungry,” Jonas supplied the last, and they both grinned at each other. The brief flashes of their smiles settled some of my disquiet.
“You know what,” I said as I rose and put my notebook back into my messenger bag. “It’s Saturday and I’m clear until tomorrow morning. Let me take you guys off campus to eat and just get away from all of this.”
I needed it. Jonas needed it.
My younger brother cut a look at KC who stared at me with so much tiredness in her eyes, I wanted to just take them away for the weekend. Take her away—I shoved that thought right back into Pandora’s box and locked it.
This wasn’t about anything more than looking after my brother and mystepsister. Someone should be taking care of her.
“We can grab Aubrey, if you want,” I continued, and KC shook her head.
“We can ask, but she has a date.” That sounded promising. “What do you say?” She glanced at Jonas. “My gut was to just say no and go back to get some sleep, but…”
“Yeah,” Jonas said with a slow nod. “It sounds good.” Then he looked at me. “Think we can go to Jack’s Escape?”
I snorted. I probably shouldn’t. “We can—it’s a drive.”
“What’s Jack’s Escape?” KC asked. “And should we get coats?”
I motioned them to the door. “It’s kind of an indoor theme park, laser tag, bowling, pool, video games, and more pizzeria. The food is crap, but the games are fun.”
Jonas grinned for real. It was one of his favorite places, despite the chaos.
“It’ll be fun,” he said. “Long as none of the kids puke.”
