The Rules They Broke

Chapter 37: Rule Number Ten

ELIJAH

As Elijah stood at the fridge, pulling leftovers at random from the shelves, Logan pointed his pen at him. "I was so tempted to tell her you actually left to follow her," he said.

Elijah poked his head out and glared. "You better not have done it," he grumbled. "I told you not to tell her."

"I didn't, I didn't. Chill out. Couldn't let her find out you're secretly a stalker, could I?"

"Well, what else was I supposed to do? I couldn't just let her walk alone with some random kid."

"That random kid fucking kissed her! I almost knocked his brains out for it but Blake threatened to kick me in the balls." Logan threw his pen at Elijah, narrowly missing his head. "I think you really encouraged him unnecessarily. He's getting a huge head for it."

"Am not!" Blake yelled down the hall from his room.

Logan hurled another pen down the hall. "You don't get a say in this!" he hollered back at him.

Elijah raised an eyebrow at Logan. "You seem to be in an awfully good mood."

Logan smirked. "Whenever I get a negative thought, I think about exposing you to Olivia, and it makes me feel better."

Elijah rolled his eyes. "Whatever makes you happy, Logan."

"Does that mean I can tell her?"

"What would you even get out of that?"

"I don't know, but it's going to be fucking hilarious."

Elijah picked up his pen for him and put it back on the dining table. "Pick your stuff up so there's some room for us to sit and eat."

"I'm studying."

"Just dump it in Blake's room until we eat."

"It's not junk that I can just dump."

Elijah gave him a look. "Gently place your very important shit in Blake's room and hurry up about it."

"You're really killing the mood."

"Just channel your good thoughts or whatever."

Grumbling something nasty, Logan picked all of his things up off the table, piled it all into his arms, and staggered down the hall.

Elijah set a dish in the microwave and leaned back against the counter, pressing his hands into the granite to take the pressure off his spine and mind. The FBI officer was coming the following evening, and he had no idea what to expect. He had hardly gotten over the shock that his little sister was possibly running from corrupt cops. Now he had to deal with the aftermath of it too.

If they were relocated, he supposed he would have to find another job. Logan would have to apply to a new university, find a new roommate that might or might not care as much as the last one. Blake would make new friends.

And Olivia - although she'd taken quite a while to get used to living in his house, he suspected that for her, adjusting to a new place wouldn't be the hardest part. Finally letting go of secrets and being willing to let people in would be the biggest obstacle for her.

There was no telling what she had seen the past year. Living in the neighborhood Blake and Logan had described was one thing, but constantly looking over your shoulder was another. Elijah didn't even know where to begin helping her find some peace.

The microwave beeped and he half turned before he heard Olivia's voice behind him.

"Elijah."

Elijah turned back to look at his sister.