Psycho Ex Boyfriend (Standalone New Adult Romance) (The Alpha Brotherhood Book 2) by Ember Chase

quite a few of them. I’ve met all the guys in the generation before us a few times when I was younger. And we’ve just met the kids coming up behind us a few times.”
    “That sounds weird.”
    “It’s extremely weird,” he laughs. “The older guys… I don’t know. They’re dicks. But I kind of get it. The younger kids, there are so many and I know more than half of them aren’t going to be around for long. So what’s the point of getting to know them? Or taking the time to teach them anything?”
    “Because they’re going through the same thing that you went through.”
    Adam doesn’t go into specifics about what it was like when he first got there. If I ask, he totally shuts down and ends the conversation entirely. I get the gist of the ‘program’ though. Old school rich guy creates a family of his own, exclusively composed of orphaned boys that remind him of himself in various ways.
    “Those boys are on their own. We all are. And, as Trent so often likes to point out, there are only so many slices you can get out of a pie before everyone is left with crumbs. Father agrees.”
    “So what does that mean?”
    “It means that these kids won’t have any little brothers. End of the line.” That is probably a good thing, but I won’t say it. “Anyway, this guy basically runs Chicago. He’s very important and I need to make a good impression.”
    “You seem a little nervous.”
    “Well, I can actually admit that to you because you’re my girlfriend and you won’t judge me.”
    Girlfriend. I’m finally used to hearing it but still swoon a little whenever I hear him say the word. If I could only brag about it. “I won’t judge you. But I’m sure it will go well.”
    “As a group, we only have a 50/50 success rate. Individually, I’m actually just under that. I need to step it up.”
    I swear I’m more paranoid about him getting kicked out of that twisted ass group home than he is. “Adam… I’m sorry if I’ve—”
    “Stop it,” he cuts me off. “I guess technically I could have stumbled across something amazing during the three times we’ve actually seen each other outside of school, but I doubt it because I wouldn’t have been looking. I’ve essentially put all my eggs in one huge basket here, aside from the think tanking I do with Trent and Shane.”
    “What happens if you drop this basket?”
    “ Nothing,” he says, admonishing me with his tone. “Quit worrying.”
    “Alright,” I whisper even quieter than usual. “So do you want to celebrate early tomorrow?”
    “Hmm, let me think. Do I want to make out and attempt to feel you up in the closet tomorrow…”
    “Well, we’re one day short of a month now so I think technically I can let you feel me up without being a slut,” I joke.
    Adam doesn’t laugh. “Are you serious?”
    “I don’t know…”
    “So you would have felt like a slut on Friday, but not on Monday.”
    “I’ll probably still feel like a slut.”
    “ What ?” he exclaims. “Sabrina… why the hell would you—”
    “I can’t help it.”
    “Is it because we’re a secret?”
    “No. God no. I’d probably make you wait way longer if we were out in the open because I’d get teased when you bragged about it.”
    “I wouldn’t brag.”
    “You’d better! You hypothetically got to second base!”
    “What?” he laughs. “This is very confusing.”
    “Try actually being a girl, not just dating one.”
    “Fuck…”
    “Not for a while.”
    “Jesus!”
    “Sorry, tiger.”
    “So let me get this straight.” Adam’s using his all business, calculating voice. “You’re putting boundaries on our extracurricular activities based on some messed up, Catch-22 courtship system designed at least a century ago instead of just doing what you want? Even though only we would know and there’s not a chance in hell you’d actually be judged for not adhering to such a code.”
    “I never thought about it like that. And technically there is a slim