Page 112 of Fight For Me

“I think my mom’s in my room,” I tell Everly. “Why don’t you go ahead and I’ll meet you in a second.”

She pats my arm. “Sure thing.”

Nix eyes me warily as we face each other in the hallway. “You okay?” he asks gruffly, not making eye contact. Such a teenage boy.

“I’m okay, Nix.”

“Heard you crying,” he grumbles. “Want me to kick his ass for you?”

I laugh. “No, buddy. No one needs to kick anyone’s ass.”

He finally looks up and meets my gaze. There’s fire in his eyes. “I’d do it. I don’t care that he’s older than me, he doesn’t get to make you cry.”

It’s everything I can do not to cry again right now, but I know that would just freak my brother out even more. “Wyatt is your friend. He gave you that keyboard you play all the time.”

“Only ‘cause he doesn’t use it anymore.”

“That’s not the only reason.” When he doesn’t say anything, I step forward and wrap my arms around him. He grumbles loudly but doesn’t push me off. “You’re a very good little brother, Phoenix. But you don’t need to be mad at anyone, okay?”

“If you say so.”

I squeeze him a little tighter, mostly to bug him—but he brings his arms up to hug me back. “You’re an okay big sister,” he mutters.

I laugh. Coming from a sixteen-year-old boy, that’s high praise.

“You want to come hang out with the girls?” I ask as I pull back.

He makes a face. “Pass.”

I shrug. “Your loss. Aunt Paige brought snacks.”

The hour I spend with the girls is just what I need. Aunt Paige is her usual silly self, we eat snacks until my stomach hurts, and we all end up with fresh sparkly manicures. No one brings up the TV show or the fashion line or Wyatt. I do tell them about George, which inspires another round of sobbing. But my mom and Paige spoon ice cream into my mouth until I can calm down. It could be any other girls’ hang-out, if it wasn’t for my red-rimmed eyes and puffy face.

I study Everly’s face while she braids the front section of my hair. “I thought you might be mad at me.”

Her fingers still as she looks at me. “Why would I be mad at you?”

“Because I didn’t tell you about Wyatt.” It’s the first time I’ve said his name in an hour, and I can’t help the stab of pain I feel. I wonder if it will always be this way.

Everly is rolling her eyes. “Alex. Did you honestly think I didn’t know?” I’m so surprised I jerk away, causing her to lose her grip on my hair. Next to us, Rose gasps in shock.

“Now I have to start over,” Everly grumbles, reaching for me again.

I grab her hands. The last thing I’m worried about right now is my hair. “Youknew?”

“Of course I knew.”

“Why didn’t you tellme?” Rose shrieks.

“Because it wasn’t my secret to share.” We both gape at her. “What?”

Rose shakes her head. “I didn’t think you were physically capable of keeping a secret.”

“I have lots of secrets, Miss Rose,” Everly says haughtily. Rose and I eye each other. This is an interesting development.

I shake my head, still stuck on the fact she knew all along. “How did you figure it out?” I ask.

She snorts. “He was sneaking into your bedroom every night. Besides, I have eyes, Alexandria. I could see the way you guys looked at each other.”