I squeeze my eyes shut and let my head loll backwards. “It’s Evie. She hates me. I tried to talk to her.” Several times, in fact. She’s now taken to locking her bedroom door. And okay, fair enough. But she refuses to look at me in the Nook. “This is the last communication I got from her. Look at this.”

I pull out my phone and show him the single text she’s sent me since the I don’t want to talk one from movie night—

Evie: I broke it off. It’s over for good. Don’t want to talk about it, so don’t ask.

“Over? Between her and the scumbag?” Lucky asks, squinting at my screen. “That’s what she means? She and Adrian broke up.”

I nod. “Yeah. I also heard Evie Skyping her mom a couple days ago and crying. It wasn’t their normal day to talk, so I definitely think Evie’s upset about this. I wish she’d talk to me about it, but … nope. Now I’m worried.”

“At least she and Adrian broke up,” he says. “That’s good, right?”

Is he serious? “Lucky, the last time she broke up with him, Adrian showed up at a party he wasn’t supposed to be at, drunkenly shouted at her, and humiliated my family. What if he does something horrible this time? He threw a crowbar.”

“He wouldn’t hurt her. He’s an asshole, but he’s not a psychopath.”

“Are you sure about that?”

“Pretty sure? But I can absolutely understand why you’d be worried. I can’t even imagine what it would be like to even have to consider that. It’s messed up.” He frowns. “Should you tell your mom to watch out for Evie today?”

“Then Mom will know I’m up to no good. Besides, Evie’s studying with her friend Vanessa and some other people today, so she’s not alone.”

“Good,” he says. Then he squints at me, sensing there’s more. “Or … not good?”

“It’s good. But that’s not the only thing. Evie is now pissed at me, and how is their breakup my fault? I didn’t know he’d be in her room that day. Why am I the bad guy for pointing out something she wasn’t seeing herself?”

“The messenger always gets shot. No one wants to hear about their failings. But once she has some time to think about it, she’ll realize the messenger is not your enemy. The messenger is there to help you. Messenger good,” he enunciates broadly. “Josie good.”

“Josie’s always good, but Josie has zip to show for it,” I mutter.

“Well, guess what,” he says, putting his hands on my shoulders. “That’s what today is for.”

“Is that so?” I say, wanting to believe him.