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When I got back, I handed her the bag.

“Thank you,” she said.

“You’re welcome.”

Justice was putting his phone into the console. I watched him close it before I buckled my seat belt.

I wanted to open it and see who he had called. He could search my room whenever he felt like it, but I was supposed to sit there and pretend I didn’t have questions.

By the time we reached my grandparents’ house, I was tired of pretending I was enjoying myself.

Grandma came outside before Justice had finished parking. Dream started waving with her good hand, nearly hitting the back of my seat.

“There she is!”

Grandma helped her out and bent to kiss her face. Her tiny dog, Cookie, stood in the doorway barking like somebody had hired her to guard the place.

Granddad came down the steps and shook Justice’s hand before taking a bag from him.

“Come here, Storie.”

I hugged him.

“How’s school?” he asked.

“Good,” I lied. I hated school but I did get decent grades.

“Keeping those grades up?”

“Yes, sir.”

He looked pleased. That was all he wanted to hear.

Inside, Grandma fussed over Dream’s cast while Cookie followed us into the living room. She kept circling my shoes. I moved my foot away before she could start licking it.

Grandma scooped her up and kissed her little head.

“She’s excited to see y’all.”

I hated that mutt. One time she peed right next to the bed in the guest room I was sleeping in. When I woke up, I stepped right in it.

Dream wanted to hold her, but Grandma told her to wait until she was sitting down. Justice helped arrange a pillow beneath her arm before putting Cookie beside her.

I sat across from them with my candy in my purse.

Everybody was so happy. Grandma had bought Dream pajamas and set aside a drawer for her coloring books. Granddad wanted to show her something in the room where she would be sleeping.

I should’ve been thrilled. They were taking her off my hands for months.

Instead, I couldn’t stop seeing Melody’s name.

Once Dream was gone, Justice would have more free time. I had assumed he would spend it with me. Now I had to consider that he might spend it with her.

I wasn’t going through that shit again.

I had behaved since Dream’s accident. I had helped when he asked and kept my mouth shut when he accused me without actually saying the words. Meanwhile, Melody could call him whenever she pleased.

I wanted to ask him about it right there in front of my grandparents. He wouldn’t be able to tell me to go to my room, and Grandma would definitely have questions.