She paused, something like regret darkening her eyes. “If you keep expecting things from him… he’s stupid, he’ll do it… you’ll view his time as nothing, and you’ll end up resenting him for it.”

Juniper’s whole body recoiled, her spine straightening like someone had yanked her strings.

“Oh, that’s rich.” Her laugh held no humor, her lips pushing forward in that exaggerated confidence that always preceded her worst decisions. “Where’d you get all this… this wisdom? Your brother? Some… some self-help book you’re suddenly an expert on?”

“I know because I did that to someone before.” Sophia’s voice went flat, final… her gaze sliding past Juniper to fix on nothing. The words seemed to leave her mouth without her permission.

Juniper physically stepped back. The raw honesty made her next biting comment die in her throat. Their eyes met, and for a moment, all pretense fell away.

“You and Daniel are my friends, and I don’t want…” Sophia trailed off, unable to finish.