But if Gabe gave up his revenge against my father, even if he called it a simple “liking,” I’d know it went beyond that. Only then would I be sure he loved me and wouldn’t hurt me again.

When I got home, Rita and I started looking for houses to rent online. We called about a few and visited two. Though the prices were way above our means, the landlords seemed open to negotiation. But hours, or even minutes later, we’d get messages saying the properties were already rented or the ...