Page 3

“J, you up there?”

I sigh, keeping my eyes on my book. “No.”

Three seconds later, a hand lands on the treehouse floor before Damiano’s head appears, that same crooked smile on his face as he pulls himself up.

“I have the biggest surprise for you!”

I close my book and look at him. I’ve known that smile for seven years now, which means I also know there is absolutely nothing about whatever he’s about to tell me that I’m going to like.

“What did you do?”

His smile grows.

“Triple date!”

I groan. “Nope.”

“Oh, come on! You should see those girls.” Damiano proceeds to show me just what assets he appreciates, using his hands because apparently words aren’t enough. “Plus, they’re tourists. Only here for the summer. Come on, Jude, don’t abandon your best friend.”

“Tough shit.”

“I’ll do your chores for a week.”

I look at him.

“Two.”

His smile disappears. “Two weeks?”

“You want me to go or not?”

He narrows his eyes at me before holding out his hand.

“Fine. Deal.”

I shake it, trying not to smile because we both know I probably would’ve gone anyway. Damiano has been dragging me into his adventures since we were eight, and somehow, no matter how much I complain or how many times I tell him no, I always end up going.

Another hand appears over the edge of the treehouse before Dex pulls himself up.

“So, did he say yes?”

Damiano grins. “Yep, for two weeks of chores.”

“Are you fucking kidding me? I said yes for free!”

Damiano shrugs. “That’s because you’re an idiot.”

“Fuck you.”

I laugh and pick up my book again while they start arguing about which one of them is the idiot, their voices filling the treehouse that somehow stopped being just mine years ago.

I may not like people or socializing much. Too much noise, too many conversations happening at once, too many people expecting me to say something when I don’t have anything to say usually leave my head feeling like it’s going to explode, and most days I’d rather be here with a book than almost anywhere else.

Damiano is different.

He always has been.

Somehow, all the adventures with him never leave me feeling exhausted. He talks enough for both of us, never seems to care when I go quiet, and has never once asked me to be anything other than exactly who I am.