Dangerous Fling (Dangerous Noise 4)

She looks to Kit. "Don't shrug at me."

He chuckles. "How would I know where your brother's girlfriend is?"

"People trust you with secrets." She stares into his eyes. "It's the pretty, sad eyes."

Kit leans in to kiss her.

She tugs at his hair as she kisses back.

Ethan clears his throat. "Where is Lacey?"

"I don't know." I press my palms into my knees. I know where this conversation is going. I can delay it, but I can't stop it from reaching its destination. Not with these three.

"Okay. I'll rephrase." Ethan leans forward. "Why isn't Lacey here?"

"I asked her not to come," I say.

Ethan taps Piper. She pulls from her make-out session to shoot me a death glare.

"Your lipstick is smudged," I say.

She wipes her makeup with her thumb. "You know what we're asking."

"Have you considered that it's not your business?" I ask.

"Have you ever considered that?" Ethan teases.

Piper clears her throat.

Ethan too.

I look to Kit for support, but I've got none.

Fine. I try to make my expression neutral. Enough is going on right now. I don't need to add my nosy family to my list of concerns. "We broke up."

"I thought you weren't together," Ethan says.

"Does that matter?" I ask.

"Of course it matters." Piper folds her arms. "Mal, what the hell?"

Kit reaches for her. "Baby, it's his life."

"And he's my brother and I'm not going to let him be miserable," she says.

Kit leans in to whisper in her ear.

She nods, conceding whatever point he's making. She turns to me. "Are you going to explain?"

"Is this the time?" I ask.

"You want to keep staring at that door?" She motions to the blue sliding doors, the ones with the East Wing sign above them. "Do you want to count every second until Mom's surgeon has news?"

"No," I admit.

"Then it seems like it's the time." Piper folds her hands in her lap. Her expression gets intense. "What happened, Mal?"

Fuck, Ethan and Kit are shooting me those same demanding looks.