Raging Heart On (Lucas Brothers #2)(37)

"So he is on record as being your sibling?"

"What? No! At least I don't think so. Why would he be? This is ridiculous!"

"Be that as it may, my hands are tied here. You can, of course, appeal to the board of directors."

"You can bet your ass I will!"

"But since your contract clearly stipulates against things like this—"

"This isn't the end of this," I growl, getting up from my chair.

"Ms. Graham—"

"You and the school board will be hearing from my lawyer!" I announce and stalk out of there.

I don't look at anyone as I leave. There's no point because I can feel their eyes on me. I'm in my car and heading towards the house. I should call White, but I'm afraid to. This is all my fault. I'll put it off as long as I can.





CHAPTER 26


WHITE




"Kayla! I know you're in there. Open this door!" I yell into her apartment door as I bang on it with my fist. She got back yesterday. I thought she would seek me out, and when she didn't, I assumed she would at least come over last night or call me. I waited and waited… like a chump.

I swore to myself I wasn't about to crawl back to her. It's her turn to chase me. That lasted the rest of the night and most of the morning. It's now noon and I know for a fact that Kayla didn't go to work. I know because I've been watching through my window for her to leave—again, like a chump.

Now I'm done waiting.

"Open this f*cking—" I break off as Kayla opens the door. She doesn't look like I expected though. She's wearing sweats and a large t-shirt that hangs to her knees. The sweats are so baggy, you could fit three of her in them. Her hair has probably not been brushed and it's pulled up on her head but is hanging in every direction—including her eyes. She's holding a half gallon container of her favorite orange sherbet ice cream.

"Stop screaming. We do have other neighbors, you know," she mumbles with a spoon in her mouth. She walks off, leaving the door open. I follow her in, just in time to see her all but fall on the couch. She doesn't even look up, even when I sit down across from her.

"Do you want to explain to me why you haven't bothered telling me you were back?"

"I didn't realize I needed to check in with you. In fact, I'm pretty sure I don't."

"I'm not in the mood for your shit, Kayla."

"Look! Something we can agree on. I'm not in the mood for yours, either," she sighs, sliding down on the couch and bunching her hair against the armrest. At least that explains why her hair is a mess.

"What's going on with you?"

"I've been knocked up by my brother, haven't you heard?"

"Is that why you didn't go into work today?"

"Kind of."

"Kind of?"

"I am no longer employed by Rosemont Center for Education," she says, waving her spoon in the air as she pronounces the name of the school in time with each wave.

"You're not? You quit? But, you loved that job."

"I did," she says, licking the back of her spoon and still refusing to look at me.

"Kayla?"

"Turns out I'm not Rosemont material."

"What are you talking about?" Frustration is in my voice, and I probably should have kept that in check. Especially when she turns to look at me and I see anger warring with sadness in her dark eyes.

"They don't want a woman teaching their children who sleeps with her stepbrother."

"I'm not your damn brother! Or f*ck, even stepbrother."

"But, you are."

"No. I'm not. You were never legally my sister."

"No, but your mom did go to court. Some papers were signed, even if they weren’t full adoption papers. Everyone treated me like your sister.”

“I’ve never treated you like my sister!”

“No. Not you. Though to be fair, until recently, you didn't even realize I had boobs, so it’s kind of the same thing."

"The f*ck it is!"

"Whatever, I don't want to talk about this anymore. I find I’m all talked out."

"Well, too f*cking bad! If you think I'm going to let them get away with this shit, you're crazy. We'll fight it. Hell, we'll sue them!"

"I signed a morality clause," she says with a sigh, sitting up and putting the container of ice cream on the coffee table.

"Big f*cking deal. You haven't done anything wrong."

"Just let it go, White. I've already got another job."

"You do?"

"Yeah, I accepted it today."

"That's great then, right?"

"Yeah."

"Then what's wrong?"

"I just never thought about all the fallout of you and I doing this. I just don't think it's worth it. I think it would be better if we just walked away and—"

"Do not even finish that sentence, Kayla."

"Why not? I'm just stating the truth. What's the point of all this, White? I mean, seriously. We haven't even had sex and it's already a catastrophe."