Page 33 of ’Til You Break

That way he can’t see the smile that’s threatening to spread across my face.

Vik’s usual BMW isn’t in the driveway when we step outside. Instead, he opens the door of a large, boxy Rolls-Royce. I sink into the plush leather seat, surprised he’s had this hidden away in the garage the whole time.

I don’t ask, but I’d bet his choosing this car over the BMW has something to do with his dad. I can’t think of any other reason he’d take it out. Not that I’d go so far as to say he’s trying to impress our parents. He’s done enough in his career to earn their admiration a thousand times over.

Then again, maybe I’m overthinking it.

For all I know, he’s simply taking it out for maintenance. Keeping the battery charged or something.

We don’t talk much during the drive. I bet he’s just as nervous as I am. From everything Mom’s told me, Vik has kept his distance from the family ever since he left home. Apart from sending a couple of cards and making one phone call that nobody answered, he cut himself off almost completely.

It’s another mystery I’m desperate to solve. One I doubt Vik will ever let me in on.

“Will you do me a favor?” I ask as we turn onto our parents’ street.

“Isn’t coming here favor enough?” His eyes never leave the road.

“It is. I appreciate it tremendously...” I trail off.

The hard set of his jaw eases as he notices my nerves are getting the better of me. Without a word, he slides a hand onto my knee and gives it a gentle squeeze.

“What can I do for you, Hannah?”

“Don’t tell them we’re living together.”

I don’t know whether he planned to anyway, but I wanted to say it before we arrived. He gives a small nod, and the car slows to a crawl a few houses from our destination.

“I want to ask you something too, Hannah.” He doesn’t wait for my reply. “How did you really end up in this situation?”

Shit. I wasn’t expecting that.

After asking him a question of my own, it’s only fair he gets one in return.

The problem is I don’t have an honest answer. Only the lie I’ve been telling from the start. I’m too deep into it now to admit what really happened at the hospital.

Whatever this strange relationship between us is becoming, it’s been built on shaky foundations. And I’m not ready to watch it crumble.

So, I tell him the same lies again. That nobody’s hiring. That every interview seems promising until it isn’t.

With every word, the knot of guilt in my stomach tightens.

“Okay,” he says simply.

If he suspects I’m lying, he’s incredibly good at hiding it. I’m grateful he doesn’t push any harder because I’d crack.

Still... It’s difficult to believe his question came from simple curiosity. It’s almost as though he’s giving me the chance to confess before he forces the truth out of me.

If I didn’t know any better, I’d think this was his way of caring.

Our parents are waiting in the driveway when we pull up. Vik’s dad has one arm around my mom’s waist and a beer can in the other. In many ways, Vik is the image of his father. They share the same broad build. The same wavy hair. The same striking eyes.

But that’s where the similarities end. Vik has spent years sculpting his physique, while Damian has let himself go. Then again, Damian is much older and has been happily married to my mom for decades.

“Holy shit, is that a Phantom?” Damian almost shouts from the patio. “I fucking love that car.”

The corner of my mouth twitches. I knew it. Bringing the Rolls wasn’t about practicality at all. It was Vik’s way of making some silly, boyish power move.

I climb out first, and Mom squeals the moment she sees me. I hurry over to her and wrap her in a hug, at the bottom of the steps. Vik follows behind, every movement noticeably stiff.