Free Broken Lies (Broken Series) by Azure Boone

talks and you wishing you had known him better and wondering where he was? Whatever happened to that?”
    Daniel put his chin on her head. “You really want to know?”
    “Uhh yes?”
    “I lied.”
    She pushed him away a little and he looked down into her confused gaze. “You lied? About what?”
    “Missing him, wanting him in my life.”
    Her mouth fell open. “But…why, why would you lie about that?”
    “Because …” Daniel’s throat suddenly closed up on him out of the blue.
    “What baby?”
    Sofia’s compassion added to the weird turmoil. He swallowed his pride and forced the words out. “I just…didn’t want to scare you away.” Stupid words came out strained and hoarse.
    “How would that scare me away?” she whispered, confused .
    Of course she was confused. Nothing scared her away it seemed. He laughed, hoping to bring his throat back into working order. “Cause I’m a freak? I mean who doesn’t miss their brother?”
    Sofia squeezed him tight then finally murmured, “Somebody who doesn’t know how to.”
    Daniel suddenly couldn’t breathe. He cleared his throat. “Where the fuck is this book?”
    Sofia smiled up at him and hopped off the stool. “I’ll get it.”
    “What, he left it here? Did he put it in the curio cabinet?” Daniel felt a hell of a lot better now that Sofia new his feelings about Seth from the beginning. He went and sat on the couch waiting.
    Sofia hurried in next to him. “Did you know that you’re in this too?”
    Daniel frowned. “What? No way.”
    “Yes, and you’re adorable.” Sofia opened the small journal.
    “Wow, no lace?”
    She shoved her leg into his. “This is the family tree.” She pointed to Daniel’s name. “You know, we need to do one like that for our family.”
    “Yes, definitely,” Daniel muttered, looking at the names. He only recognized his father and mother, his uncle and aunt’s names. The rest were a mystery. Like who was JoJo? And Faviona? And Lucy?
    She turned the page. “His baby pictures.”
    Daniel’s lip quirked at the nauseating sugar in her voice. “Can’t you just let me look? I’ll figure it out.”
    “Noooo, I want to show you!”
    He rolled his eyes. “Well just…talk normal and not all vomitty.
    “Vomitty?”
    “So sweet it makes me want to vomit,” he explained. “How’d you like me to talk about Rene that way?”
    Sofia’s face turned Exorcist. “Well, but I didn’t fuck your brother, Daniel.”
    He cringed in disgust. “Don’t even say those words together in the same sentence!”
    “Well don’t mention her again. Now shut up and look at these cute damn pictures.”
    Guilt snaked through him. “Okay, sorry.”
    “Look, this is you,” she cooed, completely over it.
    He looked.
    What? That wasn’t him. “Let me see that.” He took the book and stared. That was so not him. What was lil Sethy up to? Daniel turned through the pages of his brother’s shit-story, every page convincing him he was right. He was such a con! Aside from all the bullshit newspaper clippings of his supposed awards from sewing to badminton, the pictures that were supposedly him were clearly not. How in the hell did Sofia not see that?
    “What are you doing?”
    He paused. “I was thinking of blowing this one up for him. Make like a portrait? As a gift?”
    Daniel was shocked to see Sofia smile. “Really? See, now that’s the Daniel I know.”
    He fought not to laugh, wondering how she could ever see any good in him apart from her. She really needed to sharpen up, she was way too naïve about people. But he’d let her think that this time. He’d make his portrait for his sweet talented brother, after he ran a face scan on his dirty lying ass. “You’re turning me into a damn saint Sofia.” He leaned and kissed her cheek then got up.
    “Where are you going?”
    He paused, realizing it was irrational to go make the portrait that second. “We’re not done? I needed to run some errands.”
    “Oh. Well, okay. I need