Briar's family takes the news about as well as I thought they would. That is to say, they completely freak out and tackle her in hugs. They all help her do more research to make sure it isn't a scam. So far, it seems like it's not. Things are really looking good for Briar. As for me...

I'm standing across the street from my parents' house, loosening and tightening my grip on my skateboard. I'm 95% sure my parents aren't home but Roman is. And if that other 5% happens to be the case... The worst my parents can do is ridicule me for coming back to talk to Roman and not to apologize to them.

Briar offered to come with me for moral support, but I told her it'd be better if I went to talk to him on my own. Makes it more meaningful. Besides, she has a talent agent to say yes to. That's more important than coming to watch me be awkward with my brother.

I take a deep breath and cross the street. It feels like I'm walking through water, my feet dragging against the pavement. I don't think I'll ever make it to the door, but I'm there all too quickly at the same time. Before I know it, my finger hovers over the doorbell. I shut my eyes and press it before I can change my mind. I take a step back and count the seconds in my head. A moment later, the door opens, revealing Roman. He freezes when he sees me, his eyes widening for a fraction of a second. Just as quickly, his eyebrows furrow like he remembers Nanay and Tatay are mad at me and he should be, too.

"What are you doing here?" he asks.

"I wanted to talk to you," I say, carefully enunciating each word.

Roman shifts. "About what?"

"What do you think?" He narrows his eyes again. Right. Probably not a good idea to be snarky... "Can we just talk, please?"

Roman studies me. His hand tightens on the doorknob, and I almost think he's about to slam the door in my face. At the last second, his expression softens and he steps back to let me walk into the house. The moment he does, it hits me that I haven't been back since the night my parents kicked me out. I have to force myself to step past the threshold, ignoring how much my heart is racing and how sweaty my palms become. I take deep breaths as I slip off my shoes and walk into the living room. I sit on one end of the couch. Roman sits on the other, looking at me expectantly.

A moment of silence passes before I blurt, "Are you scared of Nanay and Tatay?"

Roman blinks. Once the question registers, he makes a face at me. "Why would I be scared of Nanay and Tatay?"

My heart is still thudding against my chest, and the rhythm forces the words out now that I brought up the subject. "Because you don't argue with them. And you said it makes your life a lot easier to not argue with them and just do whatever they say."

Roman sits back, resting his arm on the back of the couch. "That's me being smart. Not scared."

"So none of that is because you're scared to talk back to them?"

Roman glances around the room like he's trying to find an answer he's willing to share. I guess he doesn't find that answer because he deflects: "What's this about, Idris?"

I grip my skateboard. "I just want to know if you're happy with Nanay and Tatay. Like are you okay with the way they talk to you and treat you?" I hold up a hand when he opens his mouth. "Before you brush me off, actually think about it. I'm not trying to be dumb or act like I don't know anything about anything. And even if I don't know anything about anything, I'm trying to know something about this. So think about it and give me a genuine answer." I take a deep breath. "Please."

Roman shuts his mouth. His expression goes blank as he takes me in. I count the seconds as he thinks over his answer. It's so quiet, I swear I can hear him breathing from three feet away. The silence coupled with his unwavering gaze starts to feel uncomfortable, but I bite my tongue. Counting and listening and waiting.

"I think you're really stupid for talking back to Nanay and Tatay," Roman finally says. I feel my heart sink. Well... go figure... "But..." Roman sighs and turns away. He rests his elbows on his thighs and clasps his hands between his knees, focusing on the coffee table. "I think it makes you brave, too."

I blink. "You do?"

He nods. "I mean, just on principle, I'll keep telling you that you don't know anything about anything since you don't. But..." He makes a face. "I guess you know how to connect with people. And you know how to stand up for yourself. Even if it gets you in trouble."

I furrow my eyebrows, slowly pointing between us. "Are you... complimenting me...?"

Roman glares at me. "Don't make a big deal out of it." I hold my hands up and sit back. Roman sighs, sitting back, too. He crosses his arms over his chest. "I get why you went behind Nanay's and Tatay's backs, but I don't get why you argued back with them. You had to know how that would end."

I shrug. "I just didn't want to deal with them saying crap to my face anymore. I don't know how you never argued back if they were saying a lot of the same things to you." Whether I picked up on it or not...

Roman waves me off. "It was too much wasted energy to try and change their minds about anything. So I just stopped. You know first-hand how intimidating they could be when they're pissed off about anything. I didn't need that stress in my life." He gives me a meaningful look. "You didn't either."

Huh... So he did—does—feel bad... "If you think that way, why'd you give me such a hard time?" I narrow my eyes. "And why'd you give Marlowe such a hard time all those years ago?"

Roman looks away, tightening his arms around his chest. "I know this will sound fucked up—" Oh, great "—but it made me feel better. Like if other people were worse off than I was, then I was at least doing something good for me."

Myron goes through my head. Roman has the same energy of if-I-can't-be-happy-then-I'll-make-sure-you're-not.

"That is fucked up," I say.

I expect Roman to glare at me, but he doesn't. He stares straight ahead, nodding. "I know."

"So stop, you asshole."

Before Nanay and Tatay kicked me out of the house, I don't think I would've even thought of calling Roman names to his face in case it put him in some mood. But something about being around Briar's family and Marlowe all the time now makes me feel a little bolder and that maybe Roman snapping back and meaning what he says to me shouldn't matter that much. It might hurt, but I can always walk away now.

Roman doesn't respond. He just glances away. I sigh, running my hand through my hair. "You know Briar's been trying to give you the benefit of the doubt? And she's been saying that maybe you were just doing your best?"

My brother arches an eyebrow. "That girl—" He cuts himself off when I glare at him. "Briar," he amends, "really said that?"

I nod, eyeing Roman. "She still hates you, but she's been trying to understand."

Roman nods slowly. "She sounds like she's really sweet."

I smile. "She is."

"Did you sleep with her?"

My face immediately heats up. "No—"

Roman throws a pillow at me. "Don't lie."

I throw the pillow back at him. "That's not what we're talking about right now!"

He smirks, holding the pillow in his lap. "That's a yes."

I grit my teeth. "Fine. Yes. One time."

After she told me about Amalia's parents. I can still feel the soft curves of her body beneath my hands. Feel her gentle touches. Hear how melodic she sounds. She literally sounds melodic doing and saying anything, and it's amazing. She's amazing.

Especially when she actually tried to sing "Dead Girl Walking" to me during sex. She got distracted every few lines and eventually gave up. She sang it to me afterwards while she made chord shapes on my chest. After the song, she sleepily admitted to me she's pretty sure she could never perform the full scene on stage, so it's probably a good thing Heathers isn't on Broadway anymore. But that just means I got the only Briar Chiem rendition in the world, and I can live with that.

Roman's still smirking at me when I come back from my thoughts. I throw another pillow at him. "I'm not talking about this with you!" I huff, sitting back and running a hand through my hair. "Anyway, Briar is sweet, but she doesn't put up with bullshit either. Especially yours. And especially if you're saying something about people she cares about."

"Like you and Marlowe."

"Like me and Marlowe."

Roman sighs. He sets the pillow aside and gets to his feet, pacing around the living room. "Why are you telling me this? Why are we even talking about any of this?"

I stand, holding my hands out at my sides. "Because maybe it's time you walked away from Nanay and Tatay and do what you want to do."

Roman pauses, his hands on his hips. "Walk away from Nanay and Tatay..."

I nod. "Yeah. Find your own place. Live there. Do what you want to do. If it's economics... that's weird, but go for it if that's what you want to do."

He nods slowly, narrowing his eyes as he takes me in. "I'm only twenty."

"Almost twenty-one," I remind him. "And anyway, I'm only sixteen—almost seventeen—and that didn't stop Nanay and Tatay from kicking me out. So what's gonna stop them from letting you move out?"

Roman hesitates. We make eye contact, and it hits me that we both understand why they wouldn't let him go even if he has the money and the means to do it: they need at least one person in the house to have some sort of power over. And they might make it sound like he absolutely has to stay at home. That he's not ready to be out on his own... Which is a stupid excuse considering they kicked out their youngest kid...

"Nanay and Tatay do care about us," Roman whispers, looking down at his shoes.

I nod. "Yeah. Sure. I guess in a weird, power-hungry sort of way. But I'm just saying: get out if you can. It'd probably be better for you mentally."

Roman drops his hands to his sides and meets my eyes. "Has it been better for you mentally?"

I have to kick my skateboard into my hands just for something to hold. "I think I'm still a little fucked up about the fact that people who chose to have and raise me could kick me out so quickly because I wasn't doing what they wanted. But... it's been nice to not have to deal with the stress of living with them. And having them constantly judge me and tell me I'm not good enough..." I tighten my grip on my skateboard. "Same goes for you..."

Roman has the decency to look down in shame. "I'm really sorry, Idris."

"Yeah, whatever." I swallow and take a deep breath. "All I'm saying is you should consider living away from home full-time. Not just during the school year."

Roman hesitates. "I don't know."

I shrug. "It's up to you. But if you're not happy with how they treat you, think about it."

He nods, turning to look at a picture frame on the wall. I follow his gaze. It's a picture from a family vacation when I was maybe ten. We're on a boardwalk with a Ferris wheel lit up behind us. Nanay's arm is hooked through Tatay's while Roman and I flank them. We're all smiling at the camera, and it looks pretty genuine. But if we ever tried to recreate that picture... I don't know if it'll even pass as content.

Roman turns back to me, planting his hands on his hips again. "If I get an apartment, would you come live with me?"

I blink. I start to laugh, but when I realize he's not joking, I pause. Live with Roman? Who's been insulting me my entire life? And yet... he's also the one that can make me laugh and have good days, too...

"I'll think about it," I say. And I mean that. "But if I even think you'll be a jerk to me, I'm moving back in with Briar's grandfather." If he's willing to have me, that is.

Roman nods. "Sounds fair." He glances at the clock. "You should go in case Nanay and Tatay come back home."

I nod and head for the door. When my back is to Roman, I let out a breath, shutting my eyes, a weight lifting off my shoulders. I did what I had to do. I did my best. That's all I can do for now. So whatever happens from here on out is up to him.

"Idris." I pause, my hand on the doorknob. I turn to face Roman. He takes me in for a moment before saying, "Thanks. For coming to talk to me. It was nice seeing you. And I'm sorry about Nanay and Tatay and how they've been treating you all these years. And... I'm sorry about how I was treating you."

I tighten my grip on the doorknob. The standard thing to say would be that it's okay, but it's not okay. "Right... At least you know now."

Roman nods. "I'll let you know if I come up with something."

I pull out my phone and tap on my contacts list. When I hold it out to Roman, so he can add his number, I realize he's staring at me. "Oh," I laugh, "Briar's family bought me a new phone."

Roman gives me an incredulous look as he takes the phone. "They must really love you."

"Or they're just good people."

Roman hands the phone back to me. "I'm glad you're being taken care of."

I text Roman my name, so he has my new number. "Me too." I meet his eyes as I tuck my phone away. "I hope you're being taken care of. If not now, then later when you move out."

"Sure." He squints at me. "I think this is the part where we're supposed to hug."

I scoff, already turning towards the door. "I'm not hugging you."

He laughs. "Yeah. Whatever. Just get out of here. And..." His voice catches. I turn to look at him again just in time to see his expression soften. "Good luck with everything if I don't hear from you or reach out by the end of the summer."

I nod. "Same to you."

I walk out of the house and shut the door behind me. Once I'm on the sidewalk, I drop my skateboard on the ground and hop on, heading straight to Everett's house. The rumble of gravel beneath the wheels rattles the rest of the weights off my shoulders, and I find myself smiling a little bit.

I still think my brother is an asshole, but... maybe we're closer to being like Hien and Hai towards the end of The Quiet Nights series. Maybe we'll get along all the time without our parents between us from now on. And if not... at least I tried my best to be Hien.