Her comment about freeloading unleashes a rush of the guilt I’ve been storing up. “I don’t want to be a freeloader either. This wasn’t my idea, and we can move rooms or leave anytime. This isn’t something I expected, and I truly don’t intend for us to stay long, despite what I said to Maren.”

McKinley waves me off. “Don’t spend a single second worrying about it. Besides, I just told you I like you. I don’t like many people, especially not the women who date my brother. And people I do like, I’m willing to do anything for. That’s just the way it is.”

“We’re not dating,” I say, trying to clarify something I don’t totally understand myself.

Her brows rise, skepticism stamped on her features. “Either way, I like you, and you’re welcome to stay. It’s a rough time for both our families, so it’s the least I can do.”

“I’m sorry about your father,” I say quietly. “I know yesterday was a hard day.”

“For all of us. I’m sorry about your parents too.” She pauses. “But whatever they did, it’s not on us, and I wouldn’t hold someone’s actions against their child.”

“Thank you.” It’s nice to feel like I have at least one supporter in the Riscoff family outside of Lincoln.

“Besides,” McKinley adds. “You probably don’t remember, but you stood up for me once when I was in middle school. Older boys were giving me a hard time, and you told them to leave me alone or your brother would beat them up. I never forgot that. Consider the rooms here my overdue thank-you, and truly, you’re welcome to stay as long as you like.”

I thank Lincoln’s sister again before locating my locker, and change out of my robe back into my street clothes.

Although this afternoon has been a little rocky, I feel pretty damn good overall. I refuse to let my run-in with Maren get me down. As far as I’m concerned, going forward, she doesn’t exist in my world. How’s that for some positivity?

When I make my way to the elevator bank, Karma and her girls are just entering one.

“Get in if you’re going up. Otherwise, catch your own.”

I still haven’t solved the mystery of why my cousin is such a bitch, but I’m going to assume she just can’t help it. Maybe she only sees the clouds. Either way, her attitude makes me want to redouble my efforts to follow Magnus’s advice and change how I view the world.

“Can I see your nails?” I ask Maddy as I squat beside her, and she holds out her fingers. “Cute! Is pink your favorite color?”

“No,” Karma says. “Her favorite color is blue, but this place is too classy to have that. Of course.”

I cringe at the thought of Karma passing on her crappy attitude to these two precious little girls, but instead of saying something that will no doubt make the situation worse, I ignore her. This isn’t the time or the place.