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“You don’t have to.”

“Yes, I do.” She starts going through her cupboards. “I refuse to send any guest away hungry. You will be fed in this house, and that’s final.”

“But—”

Margo tugs on my arm, and I almost trip over her as I twist to follow her out of the kitchen.

“There’s no point in arguing. She’ll win,” she whispers. “Besides, she likes to cook.”

Annie lifts her giant bowl of popcorn off the counter and leads the way to the living room. She side-eyes me, and I wonder what’s going through her head. She twists her mouth and after much deliberation, she says, “I don’t know what to watch with you here.”

“Just watch whatever you want?”

She scratches her head. “But we always watch rom-coms. You probably wouldn’t like those.”

“Why not?”

She shrugs. “It doesn’t seem like something you’d watch, but I could be wrong.” She raises an eyebrow. “Do you watch rom-coms?”

“Not really.”

“See, that’s what I thought,” Annie replies.

Margo sits down next to Annie, and I sit next to Margo.

“That doesn’t mean I can’t watch one right now,” I say.

Margo nudges Annie. “Stop stalling and pick one.”

Annie settles onLeap Year.

The three of us sit there awkwardly next to each other. I’m stiff, afraid of my arm rubbing against Margo’s. Annie keeps stealing glances at us. I’m pretty sure she thinks she’s being subtle, but she couldn’t be more obvious. And Margo sits forward, pinching her wrist.

“What are you doing?” I ask.

Her eyes are heavy, but she smiles. “Trying to stay awake.”

Annie groans. “This is a good movie. I swear.”

“I never said it wasn’t,” Margo replies.

“Do you want me to pause it?” Annie asks.

“No. I’m good. Really,” she says.

I don’t buy it. Not after this morning. Margo doesn’t feel good, but she knows Annie wants to watch a movie with her, and I came all the way from school to visit, so no matter how tired she is, I know she is going to sit here and continue pinching herself. I don’t like that. She’s going to give herself a bruise—if she hasn’t already.

Forget about feeling awkward. I put my hand on Margo’s shoulder and ease her back on the couch. “You need to rest.”

She tries to resist, but her eyes are too heavy. She falls asleep not even two minutes later. I can tell by the change in her breathing. Each breath is soft and consistent, easing my mind enough to relax too.

I find myself watching her more than the movie, trying to mesmerize every inch of her face.

“You really care about her,” Annie says.

My gaze drifts to Annie. I nod.

Annie seems like a quiet person, someone who only speaks when she has something important to say. I admire that about her. She thinks carefully about every word. “Make sure she knows. Don’t forget to look at her like that when she’s awake.”