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“Just hustlin’.” He nodded in my direction. “Hey, mind if we have a few minutes?”

Larissa glanced at me. “Sure,” she said. She picked up my books and went to her room with Woofarine and shut the door.

Jesse hung his jacket and joined me on the sofa.

“So what you up to?” he asked, sitting.

“Not much. You want something to drink?”

“Nah. Thanks.” He scanned the living room. His eyes settled on Larissa’s sweater draped over the back of a chair. “You’ve been kind of MIA,” he said, looking at it. “Haven’t been going to the gym.”

“Don’t feel like it.”

He looked back at me. “Didn’t go to lunch with us the other day too.”

“Didn’t feel like that either,” I said.

It had been over a month since the cabin. I hadn’t seen anyone. And it wasn’t for lack of them trying.

Mike tried hardest of all.

Xavier called twice. I sent him to voicemail. I didn’t know what he wanted to talk about, but I had my guesses.

“So you’re just gonna ghost everyone, then, huh?” Jesse teased.

I didn’t answer.

He leaned forward with his elbows on his knees. “He’s not mad about it, you know. He knows why you hit him. He forgives you—”

“I don’t forgive him,” I said.

“He was messed up, man.”

“I’m just not ready to talk to him right now,” I said. “And you pushing me into it isn’t going to change that.”

“Don’t you even want to know if he’s okay?”

“Is he?” I asked.

He gave a one-shoulder shrug. “Define okay. He’s working for Tony. He fucking hates it, but he’s doing it. Moved out of Donna’s too. Got an apartment in New Hope. Got a therapist.”

I looked away from him. “Good.”

“He’s doing it for her, you know.”

I glanced back. “Doing what?”

“All of it. He wants her back. I think hoping for that is the only thing keeping him going. I think it’s the only reason why he’s not full twelfth-grade right now. Or worse.”

I nodded slowly. “You know that’s not going to happen, right?”

He puffed out his cheeks. “Yeah. I figured. But if hoping is what gets him through it, let him hope.”

We sat there in silence.

He leaned toward me. “How long is she going to be here?” he whispered.

I blinked at him. “As long as she wants to.”