Between Two Brothers — Episode 6

If you drop dead at this table, she's going to claim the body before I finish my salad. Rice set his glass down. Eat. Your food.

I shrugged and stabbed a piece of lettuce. Then Ronan Sinclair walked into the dining hall. He walked straight to our table, dropped into the empty seat beside me, and took a strawberry off my plate.

He ate it like we did this every day. I froze. A girl nearby gasped. Rice looked up.

Ronan leaned back in his chair. Morning, fiancée. It's lunch. And wrong brother.

His mouth curved. Is it? Do you think this is funny? Rowan looked at him. A little. You're acting like a child.

Rowan's smile sharpened. Why? Jealous? Race looked at him like he was remembering every reason they hated each other. Then my phone buzzed on the table. A school notice lit up the screen.

Mandatory athletics assessment. Next period. You're doing the assessment with my group. Is that an order? Yes.

Ronan reached over and took the phone out of Ress' hand. Funny. Coach already put her with mine. Athletic assessment meant one thing at Sinclair Academy. Everyone got to watch rich kids pretend sweating was character development.

I stood on the training field in gym clothes and decided to fail quietly. Ronan was already there, in a black shirt and taped hands, looking like he belonged anywhere people were supposed to get hurt. The first test was grip strength.

Fantastic. I touched the machine like it might explode. Ronan stood behind me. Don't hold back.

I'm not. You are. He moved in behind me. The other closed over mine on the handle.

Crossed the field. Bryce's eyes locked on Ronan's hand over mine. The screen jumped.