Alex’s eyes stared at my mobile, and it took me a while to find an answer. I was failing my challenge. Allura was slipping from my grasp, leaving only the messed-up Amy to inhabit my body. The poor Amy, who had fear of commitment and was now in a relationship with Jason. The same Amy, who suffered through the deaths of all her family, and made a promise to herself she would never love and let another person break her heart.

“Um, I was checking something,” I responded as convincing as I could. “There is a kid we share a fence with, he is constantly stealing my cat. I put...