Chapter 45

I gently ruffled Jonas' hair and asked, testing the waters, "Jonas, why do you care so much about your brother? He's always picking on you." I swear I wasn't trying to drive a wedge between them—I just wanted Jonas to be a little more cautious. "Because he's my brother," he replied simply. That was it? Just that? I wanted to ask more, but the unwavering sincerity in his eyes stopped me. Jonas was so kindhearted. No matter how Xavier treated him, he would never act like Xavier, who was always looking for ways to stir up trouble. How could two kids raised in the same family turn out so differently? Xavier was a handful, plain and simple. The sound of a door opening pulled me from my thoughts. Yvonne entered with Xavier by her side, the two walking closely together. From the mirror, I caught a glimpse of them—Xavier's eyes were puffy and red like he had just finished crying. "Why did you guys get back so soon?" I asked, keeping my tone light for Jonas' sake. I didn't wa