Aimee says again. “I mean, your ex-boyfriend.” “I’m fine,” I repeat. I don’t know these people. I owe them because it’s my fault Yoshi’s here and Evan, too, and Darby in Fort Worth and even Peter, wherever he might be, and of course Aimee came on Yoshi’s account. But I don’t owe them the whole truth of Ben and me. I’m not sure I even know the whole truth of Ben and me. I just have to stop what’s happening. I have to put an end to the misdirected spell, blessing, whatever and its effects, for good. Peso’s scratching frantically to go outside. “I’ll take him,” Aimee announces, diffusing the silence. She gets up, snags the leash hanging from a hook, attaches it to his rhinestone collar, and exits the house. I turn to apologize to her — for I’m not sure what — when the door closes behind them. Yoshi thunders downstairs with my laptop to work alongside me. Why did I give him my password? Oh, well, there’s nothing that interesting on my hard drive anyway, and I guess I needed a break, a few moments without him hovering.
