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The knock only got louder and more desperate, so I got up and worked on moving my couch away from the door. The second everything was clear and I could see who had been knocking, Agnes bolted in and slammed the door behind her.

“I want more cereal,” she demanded.

My head was still hurting, so it took me longer than usual to process that. “Have you heard of saying hello?”

She crossed her arms. “Yes, but I’m hungry.”

“You can have cereal if you say hi.”

Agnes pouted, but when I didn’t give up, she gave in.

“Fine. Hi.”

It was nowhere near polite, but it was progress.

I went to get a bowl and poured what she wanted. I waited until she was a few bites in before sitting next to her.

“So, any reason you haven’t asked your da—I mean, Gabriel for cereal?”

“He only makes eggs.”

I remembered that. He used his mom’s special recipe, and I would beg him for them.

The memory hit me like a train and I had to shake it away.

Having him back meant I wanted to fall more and more into old patterns. I was so mad at him, but I used to simply show up and yell at him when I was pissed off.

Avoiding him was always harder.

I felt the urge to do it now. He was just next door. It would be so easy to get it all out.

But I refused to.

My friends had drilled it into my brain that I didn’t need to get hurt. And I agreed with them. He didn’t need any of my energy, especially since he was leaving at any time. Hell, I was sure that he was calling every single day, hoping for his apartment to be fixed.

My energy was better spent somewhere else.

My heart didn’t agree. I’d woken up with bruises on my shins multiple times from where I would sleepwalk into the furniture I put in front of the door. I knew that if I didn’t barricade myself into my apartment, I would be in his bed the next morning.

“Hello?” Agnes asked, staring at me with a frown.

I pulled myself out of my thoughts. “That’s even better than hi. Try it next time. Or try asking Gabriel for the cereal.”

“I don’t wanna ask him for anything.”

“He has money, doesn’t he? Use it.”

“He won’t spend it on me.”

“I think you’re wrong.”

“No, you’re wrong.” Agnes had been rude to me before, but this was said with such fervor that I blinked.

I shouldn’t have stepped in, but I did anyway. “Wow, you really have it out for your dad.”

“He’s not my dad!” she yelled.

One look at her told me she was Gabriel’s, but telling her that wouldn’t help.