Chapter 6
Put me in a tree and call me a cicada. I’m about to scream.
— Pepper to Everest and Tarrant after a confrontation with Sage
PEPPER
She might’ve been the reason I came, but he was the reason I was staying.
He had no clue that the phrase he’d said would be the turning point in my life.
I had zero inclinations to stay in Dallas .
In fact, I could think of nothing worse than being in Dallas with their people, their dirty air, and their traffic.
But … he was here.
And whether he hated me or not, I was staying.
My brothers didn’t understand, though, hence the conversation I was currently having.
“ I just don’t understand why you want to stay,” Tarrant grumbled. “ The kids miss you.”
I missed them.
But …
“ There’s something I have to do,” I said.
“ What ?” Everest asked impatiently.
“ I , uh, met someone,” I said.
There was a long pause before Everest said, “ Who ?”
I told them all about Atlas Carter —including everything with Sage .
“ Well , you can write him off,” Tarrant grumbled.
“ I know, I know,” I said. “ But … I feel something there. I just… I can’t let him fall into her trap.”
“ Fine ,” Everest grumbled. “ But you’ll be back home for Christmas .”
“ I promise,” I said.
Even though, with that promise, I just meant I’d be coming home. Not staying.
They didn’t need to know that, though.
“ Good ,” he said. “ But don’t let him fuck you over. You know how men are when it comes to our sister.”
That I did.
“ I’ll be okay,” I said. “ He’ll come around.”
Atlas didn’t come around, though.
Not even a little bit.