But Benji is the same guy who saved my life when I needed it most.

He’s the one who stood up for me in the moment it really mattered.

I start crying. I can’t stop it. Sometimes things get too big for me to understand, and it overwhelms me. He’s not judging me for it.

“I don’t want people to realize I’m gay, though,” I whisper.

“But you are.” He puts his hand on mine, which is trapped under the cover. “And it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, you can’t change yourself. So you have no choice but to be yourself. Fuck everyone who has a problem with it. You’re still a man.”

“Okay.”

“Say it.”

“I’m . . . still a man?”

“And Dad is a dickhead.”

“And Dad is a dickhead.”

“And if anyone has shit to say about you, you just do them like you did Chad and keep it moving. We’ll handle the charges later.”

I chuckle through my tears. Even if he’s wrong and that advice would get me into a lot of trouble, there’s something to be said for having someone around who takes the risk without considering the consequence. Who does what he wants because he wants to.

I admit it. There’s something to be said for my brother.

“Thank you for listening to me for once in your life.”

To that, he smirks and rolls his eyes. “Yeah, whatever. Don’t get used to it. At school on Monday I won’t know who you are.”

“That’s okay with me. I have better friends now.”

“Finally—God. So, I’m gonna give Mahalia this.” He cracks open a black box from his book bag to reveal a necklace with a diamond pendant. “As I explain that demons have been haunting our lives and that’s why—”

“That’s why you cheated on her? Because of demons?”

“Okay . . . I’m still framing the story. But there was a demon in our house, right?”

“I think you have to just treat her better, be a better person, and not cheat on her anymore. That’s the only thing that will win her back.”

“Okay, I’m asking you what your queer eyes think of the necklace, not for your judgment on my relationships. Jesus.”

“Did you steal it?”

“No, dummy—I bought it.”

“In that case . . . it’s very pretty.”

“Success.” He frowns at my head, the turban of gauze wrapped around it. “Damn, that ghost really fucked your shit up, huh?”

I see a flash of hot blood exploding from Rod’s body, under a spray of bullets. I feel the smoke of his burning house roaring up my throat.

“Can we talk about it later?” I ask.

He hesitates some. “Okay.”