It wasn’t just the threat of the institution—it was having to leave behind another home. As bizarre as life was at Copeland Hall, I understood how it worked (well, mostly) and I knew who I was there. I had Agatha. I had Barrett. Even Laura and John were reassuring presences.

Out there? In the real world? I would have to start over. Alone.

And I just couldn’t bring myself to do that.

And then the quiet voice in my head surprised me.

It said, Yet.

KNOCK KNOCK.

I sat up in my bed and smoothed my hair. “Yes? Come in.”

Barrett pushed the bedroom door open. When he saw me, he smiled, bemused. “The nursery was open . . . Do you always just sit around in your bedroom with perfect posture?”

“No—I thought you might be your mother.”

His eyes crinkled. “And . . . you sit like this when she comes in?”

I felt acutely the squareness of my shoulders and forced them to slump a little. “I don’t know. Maybe. Why are you posture-shaming me?”

“I’m not,” he said, wide-eyed. “You look very nice.”

“Thanks.”

“Helpful,” he said. “Like a trained poodle. Eager to zip away and . . . fetch something.”

“You can fetch my butt,” I said.

“I would love to.”

I threw my pillow at him. “Are you just here to make fun of me? Or can I . . .” I was going to say help you, but I stopped. I’m no poodle.

Kiss you was the next thing that came to mind. But that wasn’t possible. Agatha was doing her homework right on the other side of the wall.

Nope. We would just have to wait until—

But then Barrett was slipping inside, closing the door behind him.

“This is dumb,” I whispered. “You’re being so dumb.”

“That’s okay,” he said. “You’re right. Be dumb with me.”

He reached for my hand. When I gave it to him, he pulled me close. I turned my face up and our mouths found each other, and for a couple of blissful, dumb, incredible minutes, we clung to each other and kissed.

At last, we forced ourselves apart, and Barrett took a deep gulping breath. “Come on, let’s get out of here,” he said.

“Out of where?” I asked.

“The house.”

“Permanently?”

“Ha.” He shook his head. “I actually came to see if you wanted to go for a walk.”

“Oh, and here I thought you came here to compare me to a dog.”

“I came here to kiss you,” he said, and then our bodies were so close, and his lips were whispering across the place where my neck met my shoulders and I would have been happy to just lie down and die.

But no. This wasn’t the time or place. With a frustrated grunt, I pulled away, then swung out of reach as he tried to duck his face toward mine again.