“I need to grab my stuff from my room,” he said. “Meet you outside in five?”
I gave a nod and walked out of Milla’s bedroom.
Going into my room, I grabbed my backpack and helmet, and headed downstairs.
On the way, I saw Eva and Dad walking hand-in-hand down the hallway. They were both smiling and seemed so absorbed in their conversation, they didn’t even notice me.
Noah was sure Eva was with our dad to grab his money for herself and her daughter. However, I couldn’t help but wonder if there was something deeper between her and our father.
I’d never seen Dad look so happy. Eva might be after his money but damn, she made the stone-hearted man smile.
“Hey, Corey,” said Eva, finally noticing me. “Wait, are you Caleb?” She glanced at Dad helplessly. “I still can’t tell them apart.” She looked back at me with an apologetic smile. “I’m sorry I’m still so bad at this.”
“Don’t worry about it,” I said. Both Corey and I were used to people not being able to tell us apart. We usually enjoyed their confusion.
“Where are you going?” Dad asked in a grim tone. That’s what I hated about him. When it came to his sons, he was a fucking hard ass.
“School.”
He scoffed. “I’d believe that from Noah. You better not get into trouble with your brother.”
Eva’s fingers pressed into his elbow. “Leave him alone, honey. He hasn’t even done anything.”
He made an irritating noise in his throat. “You don’t know them, darling. Last week, Corey almost died in a bike accident. These idiots didn’t even feel the need to tell me.”
“Imagine your reaction if wedidtell you,” said another voice from behind me. Corey came up and stood beside me. “Chill, Dad. I didn’t die.”
“Don’t get mad this early,” Eva said in a worried voice. “They’re just starting with their day.” She attempted to smile at us. “I hope to see you guys for dinner.”
“Will Milla be coming?” Corey asked.
“She better,” said Eva, looking disturbed for the first time. “It was rude of her not to join us last night. I still can’t believe she slept the whole day.”
“She works too hard,” said Dad with an indulgent grin. “She must feel safe here. That’s the reason she slept so well.”
Corey and I glanced at each other. They were blissfully unaware of the hell we unleashed on Milla. The only reason she kept sleeping was because Noah doped her with sleeping pills.
“See ya, Eva,” said Corey with a wave and walked forward.
“Yeah, we’ll see you tonight,” I promised, following after him.
17
Corey
“Hey, Corey! Caleb!” Sugary voices called out to us as we walked down Havannah Lane, one of the streets cutting through Silverlake Uni’s campus. Instinctively, I grinned at the two unfamiliar girls waving at us but didn’t feel any excitement.
My gaze searched for Milla but she was missing. Anxiety bubbled inside me the longer it took for us to find her.
I didn’t like the sneaky way she and her mother invaded our family, but what I hated most was the way she’d wormed her way inside our minds before dropping the bomb about being our stepsister.
There was no way she wouldn’t have looked up our public profiles and figured out who our dad was. She couldn’t be that simple and naïve, could she?
“Where the fuck is she?” Caleb growled, his gaze surveying the vast area around Jerry’s Café. “Do you think she’s gone somewhere else?”
“Patience, dear brother,” I said in a grim voice, mimicking Noah’s way of talking. “Thou shall find what you seek.”
“Stop fucking around,” Caleb muttered, walking past me.