I spoke of them both a lot, I realized. When it came to Eddie, I could hardly help myself, if given half the chance I would talk about him to nearly anyone. With Lisbeth I was a little more careful, if only because I knew she was more careful, but I still spoke of her often. Especially around Eddie, because I trusted him more than I did anyone else.

"Let's go inside," I suggested with a helpless grin. I was excited that they were meeting. "Lisbeth wants to make sure we're being taken care of properly because some group homes can be terrible."

Besides the experience with Creepy Tim, I liked living here. I liked being close to my friends, knowing Rosie and Eponine were nearby, knowing I could sneak into Eddie's room and curl around him at night. I was nervous about turning eighteen in a little over a year, and what would change when it happened.