“It’s not like we’ll be dropping him somewhere in the woods to fend for himself,” Aaron said. “We’ll be with him the whole time. I think it could be really good for him. For all of us.”

“Uh, yeah, sure,” I said, pulling one leg up onto the bed to wrap my arm around it. I used to love our camping trips. But the idea of being stuck in a couple of tents for a week, unable to escape my family, really scared me. But I knew that if Aaron presented the idea to our parents—which it sounded like he hadn’t yet—they’d insist on a family bonding camping trip.

And I know, in my heart of hearts, that I shouldn’t hesitate to jump at this idea. That this is a good, important opportunity to make things better with my family, to connect with them after months and months of hiding inside of my own head.

“Okay, cool,” Aaron said, nodding. “So, the thing is, I know money is tight right now. Because Dad isn’t able to work at sites anymore and there’s only so much admin he can do, and you haven’t been able to work—”

“Give me a break, Aaron,” I said, prickly, “it’s been kind of a hard year.”

“God, Rosie, why are you always like this now?” Aaron sighed, exasperated.

“What do you mean?” I asked, my stomach starting to twist into knots.

“You jump down my throat at every opportunity.” He sighed again. “I feel like all we do is fight these days. We never used to do that.”

“Yeah, well, it’s easy to not fight when you never talk,” I snapped, challenging him without thinking about it, without really wanting to. But he didn’t pick up the gauntlet I’d thrown at his feet, instead collapsing on the bed next to me, still somehow so much taller than me even though we were sitting side by side. He leaned his elbows on his legs, examining his hands as he twisted them together.

“I’m not the person you think I am,” he said softly, sending a chill down my spine. He had taken my line—I was the one who was supposed to convince him I was better, but here he was talking like he had to apologize to me.

“What do you mean?” I asked.

“You keep expecting the worst in me,” he said. “Like I’m still that fifteen-year-old asshole who wouldn’t take you to the movies with him and his friends.”