Page 203 of Rebellious

“If this isn’t a good time, we can leave,” Grant said, kinder and gentler than Ryan.

CJ, the voice Rory waited for, remained silent. Maybe he’d misunderstood Ella. Or maybe she thought she saw CJ… Or maybe Ryan convinced her to lie.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone halt next to him and pick up Gypsy’s photo off the desk.

“She was pretty,” CJ said softly, breaking into Rory’s distress and wild thoughts.

Swallowing, Rory nodded, afraid to meet his cousin’s gaze. Afraid he’d see the same anger and derision he’d seen for days. He didn’t know what to say to make things right. He just wanted his life back to normal.

“Gypsy?” Ryan asked in an unreadable tone.

Rory might deck him if he made an off-the-cuff comment about her.

“Yeah,” CJ said, laying the photo down and turning away, setting Rory’s nerves even further on edge. “I still can’t believe she’s in the past tense.”

“Fuck, bro, you and me both,” Ryan said.

“How are you holding up, Rory?” Grant asked. “I know you took her death pretty hard.”

“I did,” Rory mumbled, still afraid to ask why they were visiting him.

Was it to jump him again? Neither Mom or Dad was home, so they couldn’t rescue him.

Who…?

His little sister rose to his head. CJ liked her. He wouldn’t hurt Rory if she was there.

Grabbing his phone, he fired off a text.

SOS. Come to my room. I need your help. CJ might kill me.

Mattie was angry with him, so she might leave him to his fate. He wasn’t sure. A minute later, he heard her bare feet slapping against the hardwood floor in the hallway as she ran to his room.

Sagging in relief, Rory lifted his head and swiveled around.

Grant stood just inside his room, but she was moving so fast, she couldn’t stop. She barreled into Grant and he lurched forward, though he didn’t fall to the floor. He glanced over his shoulder and laughed, then shook his head.

Blushing, Mattie giggled. “Hey, Grant.”

“Mattie.”

“Your favorite cousin’s here, too,” Ryan announced, smirking at Rory, as if he knew he’d summoned his sister. Walking forward, he waved. “Couldn’t wait to see me?”

“Uh—”

Glaring at Rory, CJ shook his head, then went and kissed Mattie’s cheek. “Hey, bae. What’s up?”

“I, uh, I…” She glanced at CJ, Ryan, and Grant, before gazing at Rory, clearly at a loss for words. She began to fidget, a manifestation of her fear, especially toward Dad.

Rory regretted putting her in that position.

Biting her lip, she took a step back.

“Forever a fucking fucked up fuckhead, Rory,” CJ bit out.

Ryan thumped his shoulder. “Shut up, cuck.”

“For her to tear down the fucking hallway, he must’ve texted her that we were here to fuck him up,” CJ guessed.