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I open my mouth, but footsteps break the silence.

Calista appears in the doorway with her hair messy from being in bed. An oversized T-shirt hangs off one shoulder. Her eyes move between us.

“What are you guys doing?”

“Just talking,” Evelyn says, pulling her hand away.

She takes another careful sip of her drink so she doesn’t disturb the cream on her face.

Calista chews the inside of her cheek as she stares at me.

“About how you’re fine with Zaiya staying out late with a guy, but if I did it you’d kill me?”

“Calista—”

“She’s been here for a minute and you’re acting like she’s your own daughter. But your actual daughter doesn’t get the same freedoms.”

Evelyn dips her chin. “Honey, you know how I feel about you being with boys.”

Calista scoffs. “You really think she’s just talking to Edwin Crotavere? They’re obviously fucking.”

My head jerks up as heat floods my face.

“No, we’re not,” I say too fast. “I haven’t—”

“I know,” Evelyn says softly. “You’re a good girl.”

She isn’t my mother, but I still don’t want to disappoint her. She pats my hand to reassure me, but I worry anyway.

Calista laughs under her breath.

“Oh, but I’m not?” she snaps.

“Zaiya knows the value of restraint,” Evelyn continues. “She wants to preserve her body. There’s power in what you choose to not give away.”

I wonder if power actually works like that, or if the things I let Edwin do only tied me tighter to him.

Calista looks at me like I’ve betrayed her without understanding how.

“She’s not better than me.” The anger in her voice falls away enough for me to hear the pain underneath it.

“I’m really not,” I agree.

But it sounds unconvincing.

Evelyn stands, draining the last of her drink.

“No one said anyone was better,” she says. “Now let’s all get our beauty sleep.”

She ushers us down the hall. At my door, she pulls me into a hug. Her vanilla perfume surrounds me in familiar comfort and yet it becomes suffocating all at once.

When she pulls back, her eyes flick once more to the ribbon around my neck. Then she smiles.

Calista slams her door before Evelyn can reach her.

I step into my room and close my door quietly to separate myself from their family tension. I shouldn’t be in the middle of it. Picking sides is too hard when I want everyone to be happy.

The window draws my attention, its latch firmly in place. I don’t dare to touch it.