Even the smell is rich in this house, but everything seems too quiet. Lonely. It’s not what I’m used to. At home, I’m around my sister, cousins, parents, or other relatives. I’d be sad to live in a place like this.

Swinging the bathroom door open, I feel relieved to see the sink is nice and clean. She has a soap dispenser and a drying machine, but I opt for the hand towel. A documentary proved that it’s a lot better to dry your hands naturally or with a towel. The device will bring back all the bacteria you just washed off.

After I’m done washing them for exactly thirteen seconds, I get back to the living room. A sleepy Olivia walks down the enormous stairs. She’ll get her ass kicked for not answering my call.

I put my hands in my pockets and wait for her. “Rule number one?” I say.

“Always answer the phone.” She rolls her eyes.

“And what did you do?”

“Broke the golden rule.”

I nod, placing her head on my chest and kissing it. Sometimes I feel like I’m acting more like a father than a brother. As much as I hate it, I can’t help but worry about her. If I say nothing, she’ll do it again. And again. Until I have a damn heart attack.

Two voices interrupt us before I can say anything else. Indigo and Enya are walking down the stairs, talking about something.

I clear my throat, getting Indigo’s attention. She presses her lips together, avoiding eye contact as they stop a few steps away. Indigo continues to ignore me and crosses her arms over her chest, hugging herself and unconsciously pressing her breasts together.

I swallow. “I’m here just to grab Livy,” I say. “Sorry for staying this late.”

It would’ve been weird to stay quiet, waiting for her to speak first. I’m the one who got caught up in work and lost track of time.

Indigo nods, pulling her fingers through her hair and throwing a quick glance my way.

“Don’t worry about it,” Enya dismisses, grinning at me.

It feels hard to breathe as Indigo raises her eyes to mine. She’s intimidating enough when she’s looking elsewhere. Imagine the effect they have when tracing me from head to toe.

Livy kicks her friend’s leg, but I resist the temptation to laugh and instead act like I didn’t see anything.

“Yeah.”

That’s the only word Indigo says. I find it funny how uncomfortable I make her feel, although I don’t know what I did to make her feel this way. I try to avoid asking people too many personal questions. It’s difficult to understand where she’s coming from.