e she's trying to decide whether to call for help or just leave me to whatever is clearly wrong with

iously,

lasping as if I haven't just finished delivering the most aggressive

t you were being murdered." A pause, her gaze dragging over me

k without missing a beat, pushing

ed. "You were literally askin

it's ne

re in

e anno

unish you

eady steering her toward the door with a loo

uttering something under her breath that sounds a

call after her, loud eno

oice immediately cuts s

ecause survival instincts do exist-I ju

like that, the house settles again, though

ng our teeth or eating breakfast. It's automatic, effortless, and completely unavoidable. The thing is, it doesn't actually mean anything

means it when she asks how you're doing. She's smart too, annoyingly so, and emotionally stable in a way that feels unna

annot overlook, the one thing that rui

ikes

he actually likes him, which immediately disqualifies her

e bir

t flawlessly-but because of what comes with it. Every sing

rin

h h

fferent year.

. A carefully designed irritation built into

an in

day, I'l

ing in the quiet of my room. For a brief moment, I just s

longer than necessary already feels like a loss, and I refuse to sta

ker without hesitation, and the second the music hits, it floods the room comple

tt

omething presentable. By the time I'm done, there's nothing left of the girl kneeling on the floor a few minutes ago, threate

on without trying too hard, a fitted black turtleneck that keeps everything clean and sharp, sneakers because comfort matters more t

are op

nce i

nnounce as I step into the

expression softening imm

I've personally improved his day just by exi

beat-overcomplicated, unnecessary, and absolutely perfect in execution. It ends the sa

Kerah mutters

y at the exact same time, no

g her a sweet, satisfied smile that she im

ice instantly-that carefully constructed sweetness sh

om says

rly hoping for neg

of cream, "the number of pets you've accidentally

, her expression sharp.

ard," I reply lightly, not even both

shifting tactics as she turns to

ke a professional. "I'm not getting involved. Your mother runs th

y," Mom says calmly, w

oney," Kerah and I

isibly offended. "Betr

because it

" Kerah pushes, r

tly at her, her express

. End of

chair, defeated, and I take

ct

she loo

sm

he kind of smile that means she's already

ever a g

saw... certain people?" she asks,

h drops i

e, considering it.

o

no

ready see it forming, the idea building behind his ey

his face

. Family golfing

g in me g

N

rply, that warning t

this time, the horror settli

fing doesn't mean

esh air, or whatever peaceful n

ns one

er

equally irritating, equ

g off whatever argument I'm abou

ead slowly

me. And she has the aud

tc

uths silently, satisfactio

, matching her e

ll," I mo

k is ruined-and I haven't