Rita’s POV

“You’re still sitting here.”

I stood a few feet from the couch and watched him. The oversized sweater hung past my hips. Black leggings. Hair down. I had thought about this for most of the evening while our parents got ready for their anniversary dinner.

Fredrick didn’t look up from the half-empty beer bottle in his hand. “Yeah.”

“It’s your birthday.”

“I noticed.”

I walked closer and sat on the opposite end of the couch, leaving space between us on purpose. The house felt too big with them gone. The only light came from the lamp in the corner and the muted television neither of us was watching....