Chapter 2

But I did.

I knew Daniel had never smiled like that.

I knew why Mom's face went pale.

I knew why Dad instinctively reached for his asthma meds.

They used to date.

And now, they were brother and sister, even though they were not actually related.

Mom later explained that Aniyah wasn't really the real Anaya, she was just standing in for Anaya—but to everyone else, and on paper, they were siblings.

This relationship was never going to be easy.

The atmosphere at the dinner table was so strange that it felt like we were stuck in a silent film.

Mom was being extra attentive, offering Aniyah some lobster with her fork. "Aniyah, try this."

It was a piece of lobster meat.

Daniel suddenly spoke up. "Mom, Aniyah can't eat lobster. She's allergic to seafood."

The lobster slipped from her fork and landed on the table.

Mom looked at Daniel, bewildered. "Daniel, how do you know your sister's allergic to seafood?"

Aniyah quickly chimed in, "Mom, Daniel and I both went to Westbridge University, and we were in the same club.

"I mentioned my seafood allergy during a club dinner, and Daniel has a good memory. He probably remembered it from back then."

Daniel nodded. "Yeah, that's right."

His tone was flat.

But I could tell he was faking it, not because I was some genius at reading people.

It was just no guy remembered his ex's seafood allergy just because he got a good memory.

I kept my head down, acting like I hadn't seen a thing.

None of this was my business.

I just wanted to keep my head down and wait for the storm to pass.

After dinner, Mom took Aniyah upstairs to check out the rooms.

I followed behind, thinking I could help show her around.

After looking at a few rooms decorated in soft pink, Aniyah stopped in front of a simple, minimalist room. "I'll take this one."

Mom quickly said, "No way."

Dad came up after us. "This room isn't a good fit for you."

I couldn't help but laugh.

Daniel's room was right across the hall from this one.

"Hey, just so you know, Daniel's room is right across the hall," I explained to Aniyah.

Aniyah shot Mom a look, and Mom avoided her gaze, looking totally guilty.

Aniyah smiled understandingly. "Alright, I'll pick another one then."

She ended up choosing a room on the fourth floor.

The one that was as far from Daniel's room as possible.

Watching her walk away, I realized this girl was really smart.

She knew how to avoid awkwardness, how to keep her boundaries, and how to handle herself in a house full of strangers.

Maybe she was actually pretty easy to get along with.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

It wasn't because I was worried about anything. It was just that I was used to staying up late.

At one in the morning, I went downstairs to get some water and saw the living room lights were still on.

When I got closer, I saw it was Aniyah.

She was sitting on the couch, totally absorbed in a book.

"Can't sleep?" I asked softly.

She looked up, a little surprised to see me. "Yeah, it's just hard to sleep in a new bed."

I sat down across from her. "Hungry? There's stuff in the fridge if you want something."

"No, thanks," Aniyah replied.

After a moment of silence, I finally said, "Sorry about today."

She looked up. "What?"

"About Daniel," I said. "I didn't know you two knew each other. If I'd known, I would've given you a heads up."

She looked at me for a second and then suddenly smiled. "You don't have to apologize. It's not your fault."

"But I can't help feeling—" I started.

"Tabitha," she interrupted, "you don't owe me anything. I'm not the real Anaya."

I froze.

"My name's Aniyah. I'm Anaya's friend from the orphanage," she said, closing her book and looking at me seriously. "She was too scared to come home, so I came to scout things out for her."

"Scout things out?" I echoed.

"Yeah," she nodded. "Just wanted to see if this family is worth coming back to, and if you all are actually good people."

I went quiet.

So that was it.

She wasn't here to steal my place.

She was just here to scout things out for her sister.

"So... what do you think?" I asked.

"Pretty good so far," Aniyah said with a grin. "Except for the whole Daniel drama, everything else is pretty chill."

I couldn't help but smile too.

Right then, it hit me that maybe we could actually be friends.

*****

Over the next few days, I kept an eye on Aniyah.

She really was sharp.

She minded her own business, never crossed any lines, and never tried to suck up to anyone.

She was chill and confident with Mom, kept it real with Dad, and with Kody, she'd roast him or crack up whenever she felt like it.

But with Daniel, she was always careful to keep things strictly polite and distant.

At dinner, she made sure not to sit next to him. When walking, she always kept a gap between them. And whenever she talked, she avoided making eye contact.

The more she tried to keep her distance, the more it was obvious there was something between them.