Darn Stupid Brother You Are by Mairee

Chapter 77

(Angel's POV)

The morning sun filtered through the hazy clouds and warmed up the center's wide field. The staff gathered us for another grueling drill session and said it was to "promote physical endurance." I couldn't focus on the instructor's barking orders because my mind was elsewhere. Anxiety had been glued to me since I stepped on the field.

I could feel their eyes on me.

As I jogged along the dirt track with the rest of the group, snippets of gossips reached me like venomous arrows.

"Have you seen them together?" one girl said in a curious tone.

"They're inseparable," another said eagerly. "Thomas and Angel. Can you believe it?"

My chest tightened, and I stole a glance at the two girls ahead of me. Their heads were bent close, and their voices were just loud enough for me to hear every word.

"They've been sneaking around. I saw them last night near the porch," one girl whispered as if it were a secret. "Do you think they're, like, together-together?"

The other girl giggled. "Obviously. Why else would they be so cozy all the time?"

The other one chipped in, "That Angel is a real thing, isn't she? It's like she's something out of a fucking horror movie. I mean, she hooks up with her own brother, and then his friend? That's just wrong. She's a total slut."

I wanted to run away from their words and their judgment. I knew the rumors were spreading, but hearing them out loud

bars caught my attention. They weren't doing drills but were lounging around and laughing. My heart sank

a catch. Smart and pretty... I'd trade

them clapped Eddie on the back. "Better watch out, though. Hendrix might have something

the mention of Hendrix's name, my stomach twisted painfully. I didn't even realize I'd stopped jogging until someone bumped into me from behind and muttered a curse

my mind as a ringing reminder of the fractured bond between us. I couldn't

focus!" the instructor yelled, startling me. I started jogging again, but

in sweat and utterly drained. As I walked back to the dorms, I kept my

...

into paranoia over the journal's disappearance. If I was going to figure out what had happened,

but confronting her outright wasn't an option. Ava was too cunning and calculated. I had to

by keeping a closer eye on Ava during mealtimes and observed her interactions with others. Ava seemed distracted lately and not as sharp as she usually was. She spent less time with her

shake the feeling that Ava was

afternoon, as I sat at a corner table in the cafeteria and picked at a bowl of soup, I noticed Ava sitting a few tables away. She was staring at her phone and tapping her fingers nervously against the table. I studied her quietly and

Ellen's cheerful voice.

early on and often slipped me extra portions or offered comforting words when

with a

and wiped her hands on her apron. "You need

widened slightly, and it was the first real smile

voice. "You