It’d been my intention to get there earlier, but after I hung up with Mom, I found myself crying into the pillow like a pathetic cliché. It had only lasted a few minutes, but my face was still a puffy, red mess.

I’d spent a half hour with a cold washrag over my eyes, trying to remove all traces of my emotional outburst. The look Ayisha gave me told me I hadn’t succeeded.

She almost made it to a minute before she asked, “You . . . okay?”

Her frown told me she didn’t so much want to ask that as couldn’t stop herself.

I must’ve looked amazing.

“I’m fine,” I muttered, followed by a sniff that was my body basically calling me a liar.

“Uh-huh.”

Her obvious disbelief irked me and I snapped, “I am! I’m fine.” Like a crazy person.

She rolled her eyes. “Whatever.” Then turned away from me and took her phone out of her purse, which was on a shelf behind the desk. As she typed out a quick text message to someone, I was hit by a wave of remorse. She hadn’t done anything to deserve me acting out like a bitch. Besides, she wasn’t who I was mad at, not really.

“I’m sorry,” I said quietly.

She turned back to face me and her irritation was plain. “Which is it? Are you fine or are you sorry?”

I took in and breathed out a deep breath. “I’m sorry. Not fine.”

She stared at me without blinking and for a moment I forgot she was only a year older than me because it sure felt like I was being sized up by an adult and found lacking. Her putting a hand on one hip and cocking her head only emphasized that impression. But when she finally spoke, her tone was more knowing.

“This about Brody and Mia, or your folks?”

A weight came over my heart and I was grateful there weren’t any guests around. “It’s just everything,” I answered, crossing my arms over my chest. Then I realized, “You know about my parents?”

She raised a single brow. “Your dad’s been living here for the past few weeks.”

Oh. Right.

I dropped my head and it took everything I had not to start crying again. “I didn’t know.” My voice was rough. “Not until I got back. About them. Or Brody and Mia.”

She was silent for a long moment before she said, “Well, that sucks.”

I looked up and saw her watching me closely, but not, thankfully, with pity. And I felt the tiniest bit lighter. Especially when she handed me a tissue from one of the boxes we kept out of sight below the desk. More people handing me tissues.

“It sucks ass,” I agreed, and that made Ayisha snort. I wiped my nose and scowled. “What?”