Unbroken

“Uh-huh.” As she demolished her food, she said, “There’s afor hiresign out front. I might apply before we go.”

“You want to work here?”

Her eyes brightened. “Think of all the fish and chips I’ll get to eat, Leo.”

His smile was faint. “Far from your house, don’t you think?”

She shrugged. “Two buses. It’s doable.”

He resisted frowning. “I’ll get Shane to drive you—”

“No,” she cut in sternly. “Absolutely not.”

“Skye—”

“I like doing things on my own.”

He pressed his lips together, deciding not to push the matter. Skye was out on her own more and more lately. She seemed content in her own company, not as open and exuberant as she used to be.

He wondered if he could have Shane hang around just to keep an eye on her, but then he worried his father would know about it.

He tapped his fingers along the counter, stewing, hating the barriers he was up against.

“Aren’t you too busy tutoring after school?” he asked then, trying to get inside her head. She was locked up tight these days, and he craved to break her open just to hear her thoughts.

She shrugged. “It’s just three days a week.”

“You’re good at Math.”

“But bad at everything else.” She groaned. “I still don’t know the difference between ‘there’ and ‘their’. One is possessive, another is a pronoun…sometimes.”

“There are three, actually.”

“There is?”

“’They’re.’”

She just stared at him. “How am I supposed to know which one you’re referring to?”

“’They’re’ as in ‘they are’.”

“Oh, yeah.” She shook her head, seeming embarrassed. “I’m so dumb.”

“So dumb, and yet you’re already flying through grade 12 math—”

“I’m good at Biology, too.”

“See? What does it matter if you don’t know what ‘there’ they’re referring to?”

She bit her lip, chuckling. “Thanks for making me feel better. Maybe you should be my tutor.”

His chest stirred at having more alone time with her. “I’d love to—but you’re going to be working, apparently.”

She grinned. “I want money.”

“What for?”

Her eyes bulged like he was being the idiot now. “For stuff.”