Pushing the Limits (Pushing the Limits #1)(46)

“Never got a crack at it. I went for yours first.”

Noah ran a hand over his face. “Why? Why did you read mine first?”

“It was closer.” Because I needed to do this—for him. “Besides, I had a flash from that night. Not much, but it was enough to scare the crap out of me.” And add fuel to my nightmares for weeks. Who needed more than three hours of sleep a night? Not me.

The bell rang, dismissing lunch. Noah stood and helped me to my feet. “Come on, I’ll get you to class.”

I held on to his warm hand simply because I wanted to. “I’m going home. My mind’s a little fried. Mrs. Collins called Ashley to tell her that I’m on my way and she’ll probably go postal if I don’t show soon. I didn’t know I’d have to chase you the length of a football field.”

He squeezed my hand. “Yeah. Sorry. I was … being a dick.”

At least he admitted it. I let go of him and pushed open the side door. “It’s okay. Tell me on Monday what I missed in class.”

NOAH

“Make sure you talk about me. I want your brothers to know who I am when they come and live with you.” Beth became lost in a cloud as steam hissed and rose from the iron. She methodically slid the iron over the arms of my white button-down shirt.

“Will do.” I continued to scrub polish on the pair of black boots I’d found at the Goodwill. They fit, but were scratched to hell.

Isaiah flew down the stairs to the basement, swiped one of the boots and a rag, and joined me on the couch. “Why do you do this, man? They’re your brothers. They don’t give a shit if you show up in a pair of ripped jeans and an old T-shirt.”

“It’s not for them. It’s for my social worker and that stuck-up couple. Everything I do and say is judged. I need them to see me as an upstanding citizen.” To trust me to take care of the two most important people in my life.

“So …” Isaiah exchanged a glance with Beth. “What’s going on with you and Echo?”

The iron gurgled when Beth set it on the ironing board. She inspected the shirt for missed wrinkles before handing it to me. “What happened to business only? You know, hands and emotions off of Echo.”

I shrugged on the shirt. The warmth from the ironing eased some of the tension in my neck. “Still the plan.”

Beth plopped next to Isaiah, resting her head against him. “Then what the hell was yesterday?”

I had a hard time accepting a rubbing from the king and queen of denial. Isaiah and Beth lived in a strange world where emotions were left unsaid, yet the two gravitated together like a couple. My gut told me that one of these days I’d find them na**d in bed. “Echo snuck a peek at my file and found my brothers’ foster parents’ last name. I may not be able to give her a relationship, but I can’t turn away friendship. Only a real friend would stick themselves out like that.”

“Or a girl who’s into you,” mumbled Beth.

I shoved the boots onto my feet and laced them up. Did I have more than one shot? My past told me no, but miracles had occurred since Echo had entered my life. “What would you guys do if I did bring Echo around?”

Beth grunted in disgust. “Buy some glue for when she shatters you. Look at everything you’ve done for the girl and where is she going to be tonight? At the dance with King Luke, not you.”

The image of that ape with his arm draped over her caused my blood to spew lava. I shoved the emotion down. My only concern was my brothers and if I didn’t get my ass moving, I’d be late. “See you tonight.”

Beth yelled after me, “Tell them that their aunt Beth loves them.”

I walked past Dale and Shirley eating lunch without either of them acknowledging my existence. When Tyler and Jacob moved in with me, life would never be like that. We’d talk all the damn time. I’d know everything going on in their lives. Outside, the February air nipped at my freshly shaved face.

“Hey,” Isaiah called from the house, following after me. He pulled at his earring before he spoke. “Look, man, I get it. We don’t do attachments. We depend on something or someone and the system rips it away from us. But Echo’s not the system, man. She’s a girl who looked like shit yesterday and chased you down when we all decided you should play the dick instead of being her friend.”

I ran my hand through my hair and then shook it back over my eyes. “Beth’s right.”

“Beth can’t see this one clearly. You ever tell Beth I told you this and I’ll kick your ass. Luke screwed her over the summer before her sophomore year. She honestly believed that ass**le loved her. She was a virgin, man. He never called, texted, nothing. Me and you, we’re bad shit, too, but at least we’re up front. No girl expects a cuddle or a call from us.”

If I never had a reason to kick Luke’s ass before, which I did, I had one now. Beth was my sister, regardless of blood. “What’s this got to do with Echo?”

“Those popular pricks—they’re Beth’s equivalent of the system. We’ve got social workers and judges making our life hell. Luke and Grace—that’s her hell. Echo and Luke were legend when Beth and I were freshmen. Beth honestly believes Echo is just like Luke.”

“But she isn’t,” I said, climbing into my car. The need to defend Echo against any attack rocked my system.