Page 93 of Override

Rachel studies me over the rim of her drink. The same way she studies Matt when she knows he's lying about something. "You've been different lately."

"No, I haven't."

"You slept at your apartment twice." The yard goes quiet again. I stare at her. She stares right back. How the hell does she know that?

"You keep track of where he sleeps?" Cross asks.

Rachel shrugs. "I keep track of all of you."

Honestly, that's terrifying. Matt doesn't even look surprised. Which somehow makes it worse.

"You've been leaving the office more," Rachel continues.

"You sound like you're building a case."

"I am."

"Objection."

"Denied."

More laughter. I glance around the yard. Matt. Rachel. Bullet. Cross. Samantha. Sloane. Wheels.

Family. Not by blood. Not by paperwork. Not by anything that should make sense. Yet somehow these people know me better than anyone else on the planet.

Which is exactly why this conversation is dangerous. Sloane narrows her eyes. Then points at my laptop.

"It has something to do with that."

"No."

"That's a lie."

"Technically it was a complete sentence."

Matt groans. Wheels laughs so hard he nearly falls out of his chair. Bullet shakes his head while turning another burger.

"Whatever he's doing," Bullet says calmly, "it's probably illegal."

"That's fair," Cross says.

"Statistically likely," Samantha adds.

Rachel points at me. "See?"

"I hate this family." The words leave automatically. Without thought. Without hesitation.

The yard falls quiet for half a second. Then Rachel smiles. The soft kind. The one that means she heard exactly what I accidentally said.

Family. Speaking was a mistake.

Wheels points at me. "He smiled and had feelings in the same afternoon."

"Get out."

"Someone write this down." Bullet jokes which makes it so much worse. When he jokes people actually listen.

"I mean it."