MADELINE’S POV
“Fine, I'll help you.”
Vivian stared at me like she hadn’t expected that answer.
“You’d… help me?” she asked, blinking.
I laughed softly and leaned back against my bed.
“Why not? You seem nice. And Jeremy’s—well, Jeremy.”
“That’s not exactly an explanation,” she said, smiling cautiously.
“I mean it in a good way,” I insisted. “He’s kind, annoying, protective, stubborn, and painfully loyal.”
Her eyes lit up. “That sounds… perfect.”
I raised an eyebrow. “You’re already romanticizing him.”
“Can you blame me?” she teased. “He carried your bags like a knight from some old novel.”
“Please,” I scoffed. “He complains about back pain like he’s forty.”
She laughed, then grew thoughtful. “So… your cousin. Is he really single?”
“Yes,” I said. “But there’s a complication.”
