She sounded irritated rather than apologetic.
“Todd’s phone is dying. The food is getting warm. Mom has medication that needs to stay refrigerated.”
I nodded slowly.
“That sounds inconvenient.”
“James.”
“I’m just confused.”
“About what?”
“You said I didn’t contribute.”
Her mouth tightened.
“So why am I apparently responsible for every service in the house?”
She folded her arms.
“We gave you the couch. You’re acting ridiculous.”
“No.”
For once, my voice stayed completely calm.
“You decided everything without asking me. You mocked me after I reminded you I paid. Mom dismissed it because apparently having no children means my money doesn’t count. Todd laughed at me.”
I reached toward the passenger seat and picked up the rental folder.
I opened it.
“My name is on this contract.”
Emily looked at the pages.
“I paid the deposit. I’m the primary renter. Utilities are under my account.”
I held up the keys.
“And these are mine too.”
Her expression changed.
Maybe for the first time, she understood that this wasn’t the old family vacation where Grandma and Grandpa quietly paid for everything.
There was no invisible adult coming to solve it.
I was the person who had made the vacation possible.
And they had just treated me like an unwanted guest.
Emily stepped backward.
“You’re going to regret this.”
I almost laughed.
“I really don’t think I am.”
She stormed back toward the house.
I drove away.
Ten minutes inland, I found a small inn.
Nothing fancy.
Beige walls.
Old television.
View of a marsh instead of the ocean.
But it had air conditioning.
Hot water.
And most importantly, a queen-size bed that nobody had voted away from me.
