“Edson, huh? Like Edson Tech?”

“Yeah,” I said, cringing and squinting in the afternoon sun.

“Relapse?”

I sighed. No point in denying it any longer. “I’m a drunk, Abby. My parents invoked the last resort of tough love. I was pretty out of control.”

“My mom’s a drunk, too. I remember when she tried so hard not to be.”

“She couldn’t kick it?”

“Not alone, and she’s too proud to ask for help.”

I looked down at the ground, kicking at the uneven sidewalk with my boots. “I don’t deserve Fin’s help. I don’t deserve anyone’s help.”

“Did Tyler tell you about Travis and me?”

“Not a lot.”

She tucked her hair behind her ear, glancing back at the house. “I was sure he was wrong for me. My family was worse than dysfunctional. My father nearly got me killed. I pushed Travis away, thinking he was bad for me, and then I pushed him away again, thinking I was bad for him. Turns out, when I finally let him in, all the bullshit fell away, and we could just be good together.”

“I’ve known all along I was bad for Tyler. He won’t listen.”

“When a Maddox boy falls in love, he loves forever…” Abby mused.

“What?”

“If he’s in love with you—and just the fact that you’re here tells me he is—he’s not going to give up on you. I can see that you care about him.”

I nodded. “He’s a good friend.”

She narrowed her eyes. Her radar was going off. “Right.”

“I do,” I blurted out. “I care about him. I might even … I feel guilty that I can’t seem to let him in or let him go. Either way feels wrong.”

“I know exactly how you feel,” Abby said without hesitation. “But your sister is right. You don’t love yourself right now. That’s why you can’t get things right with Tyler. That’s why you don’t want to.”

I breathed out a frustrated laugh. “I need a drink.”

“I’ll make you one. But if I were you, I’d take all the help I could get if it meant happiness was on the other side. And believe me … these boys … when they’re happy? It’s like living in a fairy tale. They don’t know how to half-ass anything, and loving someone is no exception.”

The brothers stepped out onto the porch with Camille just as Marco pulled away from the curb. Tyler descended the steps and crossed the yard, hooking his arm around my shoulder. “You okay?”

I nodded.

“Finley?” he asked.

“We’re good. I haven’t called. They were worried about me.”

He kissed my temple. “C’mon. You’re freezing.”