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“My grandpa.”

“If he’s in there, call out. I’ll come in.”

I was hesitant to leave him and Benji. “What are you going to do out here?”

“I’ll pretend I’m helping this cunt of a woman.”

“She’s not⁠—”

“She kicked you out. Took your things. She was going to hit you. She’s a cunt. Get your things. Cassian’s blowing up our phones. He’s going to come find us.”

“I mean, don’t threaten me with a good time.” It did the job, though. It got through to me, through whatever weirdness I felt was happening on my grandparents’ front lawn. Then again, Noah was here. Benji could be seen. Lee was going all grrr and protective. My grandma had literally tried to hurt me, and now I think she just ended up hurting herself. She probably peed her pants. She was shaking on the ground. She was an old woman. At the very least, we needed to help her get inside, get her situated, maybe put on Jeopardy! for her and give her some tomato juice along with her box of napkins. Not to mention the phone and remote needed to be within grabbing distance. And her book of word puzzles.

Her blanket had to be positioned at a specific angle—I was tired just thinking of all her needs.

I left them, going inside. My grandpa was asleep in his lounger. The television was blaring.

I walked past, skimming my room at the top of the stairs first. There really wasn’t anything left. Even the sheets were off the mattress. The drawers in the dresser were empty. A few hangers were in the closet, but my stuff was gone.

There was a pit in my stomach.

As I left and went downstairs to the first floor and down the hallway to the office, where the safe was kept, I knew that the pit in my stomach wasn’t as bad as it would’ve been if Lee hadn’t come. I would’ve had no one except Benji at my side.

Entering the room, I shut the door and flicked the light on.

Though, I didn’t know where the safe was.

Poof. Benji appeared in the middle of the room. He pointed. “It’s behind that cabinet. If you move it aside, you can open the safe. It’s not hard. Your grandpa can do it.”

I crossed the room, felt around behind the cabinet until I brushed against what I assumed was the safe. I moved the cabinet over. He was right. It was empty. There was nothing in the cabinet. It was for show.

He materialized at my side again. “Eight. Nine. Five. Two.”

I keyed in the code.

The door opened and I swung it the rest of the way.

My laptop was on the top shelf. I pulled it out but saw they hadn’t thought to take the charger with it. I’d have to buy another one.

Benji appeared by the door. “They put some papers on the bottom shelf. Your things might be in there. They were pieces of paper, right? What you were talking about?”

I nodded, saddened for some reason. My grandparents took from me. I was taking from them. This was a finality in my life and my throat swelled up. When I left here, I’d never come back. All ties would be cut to my biological family. My mom was never going to get out of the hospital or prison. If she did, I had no doubt she’d do something to go right back in. She struggled at surviving on the outside.

I found my things. My birth certificate. My social security card. I even found a few other things. I was pretty sure I might need this little card that said I was immunized. I was assuming. There were other items. I didn’t know what they were, didn’t care to inspect them at the moment. They had my name, so I stuffed them in Lee’s front pocket.

The cabinet was moved back.

After that, I went to the door.

Benji disappeared.

He only showed again when I was reaching for the front door. My grandpa’s snores were sawing away.

“Can I come with you?” Benji asked. His gaze seemed to look through the door. “He won’t let me, but maybe if you ask?”

My heart broke. “Oh. Benji.”

His gaze lowered. “You don’t want me either.”