“Nothing. I was totally framed.” His innocent expression was a bit overdone, and he quickly changed the subject. “Guess what? Jared was saying at lunch that he didn’t think it was fair for you to have to move out of the room you were used to. He said we weren’t being good hosts. He said you should move back in with me! Isn’t that great? I asked him if I could tell you right away, and he said that was a good idea. He said you would be in here.”

“I’ll bet he did,” Ian murmured.

“So what do you think, Wanda? We get to be roomies again!”

“But Jamie, where will Jared stay?”

“Wait—let me guess,” Ian interrupted. “I bet he said the room was big enough for three. Am I right?”

“Yeah. How did you know?”

“Lucky guess.”

“So that’s good, isn’t it, Wanda? It will be just like before we came here!”

It felt sort of like a razor sliding between my ribs when he said that—too clean and precise a pain to be compared to a blow or a break.

Jamie analyzed my tortured expression with alarm. “Oh. No, I mean but with you, too. It will be nice. The four of us, right?”

I tried to laugh through the pain; it didn’t hurt any worse than not laughing.

Ian squeezed my hand.

“The four of us,” I mumbled. “Nice.”

Jamie crawled up the mattress, worming his way around Ian, to put his arms around my neck.

“Sorry. Don’t be sad.”

“Don’t worry about it.”

“You know I love you, too.”

So sharp, so piercing, the emotions of this planet. Jamie had never said those words to me before. My whole body suddenly felt a few degrees warmer.

So sharp, Melanie agreed, wincing at her own pain.

“Will you come back?” Jamie begged against my shoulder.

I couldn’t answer right away.

“What does Mel want?” he asked.

“She wants to live with you,” I whispered. I didn’t have to check to know that.

“And what do you want?”

“Do you want me to live with you?”

“You know I do, Wanda. Please.”

I hesitated.

“Please?”

“If that’s what you want, Jamie. Okay.”

“Woo hoo!” Jamie crowed in my ear. “Cool! I’m gonna go tell Jared! I’ll get you some food, too, okay?” He was already on his feet, bouncing the mattress so that I felt it in my ribs.

“Okay.”

“You want something, Ian?”

“Sure, kid. I want you to tell Jared he’s shameless.”

“Huh?”

“Never mind. Go get Wanda some lunch.”

“Sure. And I’ll ask Wes for his extra bed. Kyle can come back in here, and everything will be like it should be!”

“Perfect,” Ian said, and though I didn’t look at his face, I knew he was rolling his eyes.

“Perfect,” I whispered, and felt the razor’s edge again.

CHAPTER 39: Worried

CHAPTER 39

Worried