Page 58 of I Hate You More

Ruby could only stare at her. She could count the number of compliments her mother had given her on one hand. Laurel wasn’t a woman who fell easily into raptures.

“After you quit, I always assumed you’d find something else to light that fire in you. It’s why I kept all your pageant gear. I hoped you might come back to it.” She popped another pita triangle in her mouth. “You still can, you know. There are adult pageants and amateur events and—”

“No way. No how. Not for all the money in the world.”

Her mom sighed. “I figured that was the case, but I had to try.”

Before Ruby could become too alarmed at this sudden shift in her mom’s attitude, she added, “Besides, you’re so out of practice these days you’d have a better chance of becoming that doctor.”

Chapter 15

“Caleb, you don’t have to leave. Not right away. You can live here for a few more months, maybe until you get full-time work or find a new place or—”

Caleb took a deliberate step over the duct-tape line in the living room. He’d been doing it every five minutes since he’d returned to the house without his ankle monitor. Spencer could have pointed out that the rules of the householdtechnicallystill existed, but he didn’t bother.

He was too happy for his brother to care about any of that.

He wanted him to be excited about what the future held. He wanted him to feel as though he had something to look forward to. He wanted him to experience even a fraction of the walking-on-air sensation he’d been enjoying since his weekend with Ruby.

“I love you, Spencer, but if I spend another minute inside your house, I’m going to stab my eyes with a fork.” Caleb brought his hands down on Spencer’s shoulders. “Repeatedly and without remorse.”

Spencer was forced into a laugh. An overdramatic and unnecessary reaction was exactly what he’d expect from his brother. “I’m just saying. I know I haven’t made things easy on you these past few months, but I can do better. I canbebetter.”

Caleb had yet to lift his hands from Spencer’s shoulders. Something about the way he held them there—heavy and unrelenting—made Spencer feel as though the worst was yet to come.

He was right.

“I don’t knowwhatthat woman did to you last week, but the next time I see her, I’m not letting her go until I find out.”

“I changed my mind,” Spencer said, feeling the tips of his ears flame. “You can go now. I’ll help you carry your bags to the car.”

That only made Caleb laugh. Yet another problem about living with a twin brother was that he knew exactly when Spencer didn’t come home for the night.

And Spencer hadn’t come home for the night. Or the morning. Or the following two days.

Spencer was careful to avoid his brother’s gaze. “Where are you staying, by the way? Mom and Dad would be over the moon to have you.” The subject was a dangerous one, but he had to bring it up. “They’ve been taking your absence to heart, and it would mean a lot to them if—”

A knock at the door interrupted him. Which was probably for the best, because Caleb’s grin was starting to dim.

“That’s my new landlord right now.” Caleb clapped his hands and rushed to answer the door. “So you don’t need to worry about me. I’ve got everything handled.”

The sight of three very enthusiastic, very hyperactive Chihuahuas answered the question of who was next in line to take Caleb in. Two of the dogs sported polka-dotted bow ties, while the third wore a matching bow in her hair. Lawson’s pack had been over to visit many times before, so they sniffed, ran around in circles, and made a beeline for where Caesar lay in one corner. The bulldog, accustomed to their exuberance, sighed and allowed them to climb all over him. He was probably missing Wheezy, who made a much more restful companion.

“Well, well. You’ve finally decided you’ve had enough of living in a tomb, huh?” Lawson extended a hand toward Caleb. In any other man, it might have been taken as an offer of a handshake, but he reached for the overstuffed black garbage bag and hoisted it over his shoulder instead. Lawson had always been a good man to have around when moving. He could lift anything. “Not that your house isn’t nice, Spencer, but there’s not much…excitement around here, is there?”

Considering the frenzied dog pile in one corner, Caleb’s upheaval of belongings, and the way Lawson’s cheerful voice boomed, Spencer failed to see how anyone could make such a claim.

“You’re doing me a huge favor, Lawson. Thanks.” As Caleb turned toward him, Spencer could see that his happy, carefree facade was back. “Lawson’s giving me a bedroomanda guest bathroom. It’s the height of luxury. I’ll hardly know what to do with myself.”

He hoisted a second black garbage bag and headed out the door to where Lawson’s SUV sat parked and waiting.

“I’m sorry I didn’t say anything earlier,” Lawson said as soon as Caleb was out of earshot. “I wasn’t sure if Sanit would be on board, but he’s looking forward to having your brother stay with us for a bit. Our own company tends to pall after a while. You don’t mind if we steal Caleb from you?”

“Of course not. You’re welcome to keep him as long as you like. Just…be careful, okay? And send him back to me if anything gets to be too much.”

“You make it sound like he’s an escaped convict or something,” Lawson joked.

Spencer met his gaze. Lawson and his husband were very nice, very stable human beings, and it would do Caleb a world of good to be around them, but it didn’t seem fair for them to take him on without being aware of the extenuating circumstances. Matching his tone to Lawson’s, he said, “Would you still take him if he was?”