“You know, for the record, I think this whole thing is a little over the top.” Enzo pokes me with his foot. “You’re doing fine. Mom and Dad don’t need to be so worried.”

I’m oddly touched by this. The thought that Enzo’s on my side in all of this is comfort to my poor betrayed soul. “Well, at least you’ve got some faith in me. Did you know this whole thing was Marco’s idea?”

He’s already apologized more than once, and explained all about how he was just trying to help, how he thinks I’m stuck in limbo, and maybe this could be good for me. I’m not mad anymore but I’d be lying if I said it didn’t still sting.

“Don’t pout, Liss,” Enzo teases, even though I totally wasn’t pouting. “Marco just feels bad for ditching you for his family. He thinks he’s let you down or something since he can’t be around much anymore.”

So they’ve talked about it. They talked about me? I’ve never imagined my siblings having conversations that involve me, aside from, “Remember when Lissa was four and she married the dog? Hilarious. So, the stock market.” Apparently, I was wrong.

“Thanks, Enzo.”

“No problem.”

He pulls out his phone and starts scrolling, and we fall into a comfortable silence. Not for the first time, I wonder how much closer he and I could have been if it hadn’t been for Christy. I can’t blame him for picking her over me. She was his baby sister for five years before I came along. On my least selfish days, I’m even glad for her. With all the chaos of Christy’s life, she deserves someone steady and loyal like Enzo. But I’m still jealous sometimes when I think of how things could have been, if she hadn’t always made him choose. 

“Man, my shift’s in ten minutes.” Enzo jumps to his feet. Luckily for the rest of us, he’s actually taken an interest in Dad’s sports equipment business, where they rent out everything from ice skates to kayaks. We were all relieved when Dad realized he didn’t have to keep guilt tripping the rest of us.

I toss Enzo his keys. 

“Thanks for dinner, but you still owe me,” he says as he stuffs his feet into his shoes.

“Yeah, yeah.” I scowl. “Three car cleanings and a month of laundry.” I was really cheated on that deal.

“And hey.” He pauses next to my chair. “If you really want this place for keeps, don’t give up. You can be pretty creative when you need to be.”

Then, because he can’t just say something nice, he ruffles my hair like I’m six and cheerfully tells me, “This is my last set of clean clothes, so you’ll want to run a load tonight. Key’s under the mat.”

I bat his hand away. “Wonderful. Looking forward to it.”

His laugh follows him out the door.

After cleaning up from our meal, the bathtub in the master bedroom is calling my name, but I remember my promise to my parents. I should at least check out the attic so I know what I’m dealing with. 

I press my nose up against the window in the garage door before I go in, just to make sure Jamie isn’t there. His truck is parked on one side, but other than that and a few fishing rods in the corner, the garage is empty.

Thankfully, the attic door has a string attached to it, so I can pull it and the ladder down on my own. I’m surprised that it doesn’t unleash a cloud of dust. Someone must have been up here recently.

I climb up expecting the musty smell I remember from when we moved this stuff up here. Instead, the windows are open, and despite the darkness of the room, the fresh air makes it feel much less cave-like. There are boxes everywhere.

“What are you doing?”

I scream and lose my grip on the ladder. My foot scrambles for a hold, but I’ve lost my balance and it’s too little too late. My life flashes before my eyes.

Two rough hands catch me around my upper arms. For a second I just dangle there, staring into piercing grey eyes. Then I’m hauled up and unceremoniously dropped on the attic floor.

I gape up at Jamie. Adrenaline rushes through me, leaving me shaky and breathless. I wait until I’m sure my legs won’t collapse under me, and then struggle to my feet. 

“Are you trying to kill me?” 

Jamie’s jaw clenches. “I literally just saved your life.”

I want to point out that I wouldn’t have needed saving if he hadn’t snuck up on me, and also, his white knight routine could use a healthy dose of gentleness. I can already feel a bruise forming on my arms. But in the name of good manners, I force out a, “Fine. Thank you.”

I expect a sharp comeback, but Jamie only pushes past me, letting his shoulder knock into mine in that passive-aggressive guy way. 

“Hey, what’s your—” I stop when I notice how rigid he is. “Wait, are you mad at me?”

“No. Now go away.”

“You are.” I move closer, and get a good look at the hard expression on his face. “You’re mad at me!”

Jamie claimed the role of antagonizer from the beginning of our breakup. He’s eerily good at pushing my buttons and riling me up, while everything I throw at him just seems to slide off his back. Now and then I’ll catch a flicker of annoyance, but I can’t remember the last time he was actually angry. It’s deliciously satisfying.

“You’re mad,” I sing-song.

“Back off, Lissa.”

I probably should. But I want to poke the bear. “What could I possibly have done to you?”

Unexpectedly, he turns on me, and I’m forced to take a step backwards. “I told you I wasn’t going to move out,” he says furiously.

“I remember.” 

“Then what are you doing here?” He sounds like he’s trying very hard not to shout at me. 

“Like I told you—” I fling his words back at him. “I need somewhere to live.”

“So what, now we’re going to live together?” He takes another step towards me. “That’s your idea of a good plan?”

Unwilling to back down, I poke a finger at his chest. “This is my family’s house. Not yours. I have every right to be here.”

“Newsflash. It’s getting sold.” He crowds in even closer, so that we’re almost pressed together. If he thinks he can intimidate me with how much bigger he is, he’s dead wrong.

I rise up on my tiptoes and get right in his face. “Not if I have anything to say about it.”

“You don’t.” 

We stand there in silence, both of us unmoving, just watching each other. Like a dare. When he’s the one to back down, I’m so smug it’s all I can do not to say ha, I won.

“What are you even doing up here?” he grumbles.

I wave a hand towards the stacks of junk. “I told my parents I’d help go through all this.”

“Well I’m already doing that.”

“Well then I’ll just do it on the other side.”

“Fine.”

“Fine.”

I don’t need to say anything for him to know I’m gloating. I’ve mastered the art of the silent gloat, and I do it as obnoxiously as possible. His taunt about the house being sold just makes me that much more determined to prove him wrong. And why shouldn’t I fight it? Aunt Meryem would have. 

In that moment, I make a promise to myself. I’m not taking this lying down. Like Enzo said, I can be pretty creative when I need to be. I’m going to come up with a plan to save this house.

Jamie can get wrecked.