Seb squinted one eye shut. “Actually, no, that wasn’t them. Jaz borrowed it last week for work. I let her take it because she said you wouldn’t mind.”
I didn’t. But why wouldn’t she tell me that?
And how did he know that she was at the cottage last week?
“Seb Jansen,” I said, pointing an accusatory finger at his chest. “You haven’t been ‘occasionally’ crashing at my cottage. You’ve been living in it!”
Now he looked embarrassed. “Notliving, exactly. Just...” He sighed heavily. “It’s just that Dad and I don’t have much to do with each other. It’s not like it was between us before, but...” He scrubbed the top of his head. “It’s just been a little shitty around here lately, okay? So I’ve been crashing wherever.”
“Like my cottage? You’ve been sleeping in my bed, Seb. What else have you been doing?”
“In your bed? Quite a lot, I’m afraid. Don’t worry, I thought of you every time.”
My cheeks warmed. “You’re vile. You know that, right?”
“But honest.”
“Ha! Nowthattruly is funny.” I shook my head, looking anywhere but his face. “I can’t believe you’ve been living here. Jesus, Seb. No wonder the utility bill has gone up!”
“Hey, you should be thanking me. A house needs to be maintained. If you don’t maintain it, nature claims it. Or robbers. So, you know, you’re welcome. For all the maintaining.”
“Maintaining?” I threw up my arms in frustration. “I can’t even... What’s wrong with you? Did you get hit on the head when we were in high school? Because I cannot for the life of me understand how my sweet, loyal friend turned into prince of the fucking delinquents.”
“Look, I’m not hereeverynight. I stay at Benny’s, too. Sometimes I crash in houseboats in the marina.”
“Are you serious? Jazmine’s parents are going to murder you.”
“They don’t know, okay? I’ve been working for Mr. Neely since last fall, and he’s been really cool. So please don’t blow this for me.”
I squeezed my eyes shut, trying to understand it all. “Hold on.You’reworking at the marina? The boy who said his future career plans were to retire at eighteen? What in the world do you do for Mr. Neely?” I couldn’t picture him working... ever.
“Pump gas, mostly. Engine repair, oil changes. Sometimes I help with valet boat launching.”
“Wow.”
His brow lowered. “Fine, judge me. I guess when you get a free ride to Harvard, you’ve earned the right. I may be a lowly gas attendant, but at least I’m bringing in cash.”
“Well, for your information, my financial aid is being stripped because some jackass told my resident dean that my estranged ex-father was worth millions.”
“Why would that matter? You haven’t seen him since you were a kid, and he doesn’t support you. You don’t even have his surname.”
I made the same arguments in the financial aid department. “It matters because the only way I can afford to attend school in Cambridge is thanks to need-based financial aid. People whose families make under a certain amount don’t have to pay tuition.
“But if my father can afford to pay tuition, then the school says I’m not below that need-based threshold anymore. I asked the family attorney to send me old legal documents that show Nana had guardianship of me, but that wasn’t good enough. So now I’ve got to resubmit all my financial paperwork with his salary included—or get him to sign a form stating that he’s not legally responsible for me. Andthatis why I’m here this summer instead of studying in Europe.”
A long silence stretched between us.
“Yikes,” Seb finally whispered, squinching up his face. “I don’t know what to say, Paige. Have you seen your dad yet? He’s a big shot commercial real estate agent in Grand Rapids. Wins awards and shit.”
I scrubbed my face. “Yeah, I heard. I just got in town today.” Reintroducing myself to the man who ruined my family and begging him to sign paperwork to help me was not something I looked forward to doing. “I can’t... handle him yet.”
“Too busy getting robbed,” Seb agreed blithely.
I glared at him. “These so-called robbers had time to drink a thousand bottles of Haven Beach Ale? Because I spent most of my time cleaning up those, along with all your weed.”
“You threw my weed away? Dang, Paige. That preroll sale only happens a couple times a year. Please tell me you’re joking.”
“You care more about that than this cottage—so typical! Nothing has changed. What’s wrong with you?”
