Mum choked on her wine in a display that held more drama than a middle school musical. She held up a finger as Dad slammed his palm into her back, aiding her recovery. Her face was stained slightly red as she looked down at her plate, then back up again, at Jace and I, blinking rapidly.

"Hello, Jace, honey," Mum said, her voice raspy from the aforementioned choking saga. "Did your, uh, car break down? Are you stuck here? Did you need a lift home?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Eliza," Dad said. "She wouldn't offer to help him if his car broke down. She would've caused the break down." Dad looked at Jace seriously. "If she's holding you hostage, blink twice. If she's kidnapped your cat or something, blink three times."

Liv, who must've returned from Casserine early today, laid a hand on Dad's arm. "Dad, she would never hold Jace hostage. That would require spending time with him!" She looked at Jace with a seriousness that resembled my father's. They'd always had similar mannerisms. "No offense, Jace. It's Lena who is weird, you know we all think you're lovely."

"Uh, thanks?" said Jace.

"Hey, Hartley," said Alec from Liv's side. Alec was a regular fixture at the Montez dining table, and if it wasn't Alec with Liv, it was Kaelin with me or our other cousin Harry with Austin. Thankfully, our chef knew to make extras for the other branch of the Montez family. "Nice to see you bonding with my dear cousin, finally." Then he grinned. "But, like, was she knocked out today? Alien invasion? Should I be contacting Area 51?"

"You guys are hilarious," I said sarcastically.

"You guys are hilarious," said Jace genuinely.

"And she wonders why we like him more," Dad muttered.

Mum poked him with her fork defensively. Favourite parent award goes to: Eliza Montez. Then I saw her consider briefly and pause only momentarily before she nodded in agreement. Cool, they like my worst enemy more than they like their own daughter.

I need new parents.

"Well, Hartley and I are school project partners and he's staying for dinner now," I announced.

Because of course I had to have an excuse. I didn't want my parents sending me to hospital tonight to get my head checked.

Austin raised an eyebrow. "Oh, good girl, making friends." I could hear the thinly veiled knowing in his voice, the knowledge of why, exactly, I was being nice to Jace Hartley.

Though, admittedly, I'd slipped once or twice; I couldn't actually be expected to go an entire twenty-four hours without saying anything mean to him, could I? But given I'd also slipped in another way—slipped my tongue in his mouth—I believed that wholeheartedly made up for any insults I'd accidentally allowed. Really, it should be the highlight of that boy's life.

At least I had Austin's approval that I was following his blackmail laws. Like I really had a choice. I wasn't going to let Austin expose Knight. Well, unless Austin asked me to do the whole nice-to-Jace thing again; two days was far too much of an ask; I would rather throw Knight to the sharks. Plus, I couldn't risk my health like that; I've heard that excessive lying can give you indigestion. Liv was definitely my favourite sibling now.

Mum looked delighted. "Oh, wonderful! Jace, help yourself to any of the food. It's so nice to have you stay. How are your parents?"

Jace pulled out the empty chair next to Alec, and I stalked to the only other available seat; which happened to be the one next to Hartley. Ugh.

Hartley smiled warmly at my mother, in the charming way he always had with my parents that made them love him. It was revolting. Why could they not support my passions in life? Hating Hartley topped that list.

"Yeah, they're really good thank you. Also, thank you so much for having me, the food looks incredible," said Jace.

Politeness was a deeply attractive trait on everyone but Hartley. For him, I could see through the façade; it was not politeness that motivated him, but a need to conceal his true self. To make me look bad for hating him, to turn my family against me. Subtle in this mission, he was not.

The devil that wreaths himself in shadows and hides within the skin of a kind man is far more dangerous than the one who brings fiery wrath down on the heads of sinners; at least then, you know that you're being punished. At least then, it is mercifully fast instead of a long, bitter torture.

I stabbed my broccoli with ferocity, so that I wasn't tempted to stab Hartley instead.

"You're too kind, Jace," Dad said. "Seriously. Please stay here and teach my own children some manners."

"That's what I'm here for," said Alec. "Sit up straight, heathens. Hold your fork properly."

"You should open a finishing school," said Mum drily.

"I've considered it," Alec said. "But I prefer offering private coaching to lost cases." He nodded at Liv and I.

Liv stuck her tongue out and plucked a potato with her fingers in a display of disgustingly poor manners. She then threw it at Alec, in a display of disgusting wastage. The don't be wasteful because there's starving children who are suffering talk had clearly never quite gotten to Liv.

"So, Jace," Austin said. Then he pointed a fork between us. "How are you two doing?"

I sat bolt up straight. "What do you mean by you two? There is no us two."

Liv and Alec were sharing a secret smirk next to me, and a slow smile spread across Austin's face. Manipulative cow, my brother. Jace snorted a laugh, before quickly and quietly apologising to my mother for his poor manners. Given her daughter had just been eating potatoes with all the grace of toddler, she did not care.

Though, my mother found anything Jace did annoyingly endearing.

Austin crossed his arms over his chest. "I meant your budding friendship, Lena. But your defensiveness is very interesting." He looked at Liv. "Don't you think it's interesting?"

Liv rested her head on her hand contemplatively. She was trying to be serious to play along with Austin's far-from-funny joke, but she couldn't hide her small smile. "Very curious. Kind of seems like she has something to hide. Your thoughts, Alec?"

Alec chewed thoughtfully on his potato in a far better display of acting than Liv had dished up. "Well," he said when he had finished. "All I'm saying is, I would've voted extra yes on Kaelin's poll. How about you, Jace?"

Jace opened his mouth to speak, but I cut him off with an easy laugh. "I hate you all!" I said cheerfully.

"Lena, stop cutting off your guest," Mum said. "Do feel free to talk, Jace. And the rest of you, stop making fun of Lena."

"Yes," said Dad. "Wait until Jace leaves before you make fun of her. It's rude. And offensive to poor Jace that you think something is going on! He could do so much better."

"Dad!" I protested.

He ignored me and looked to Hartley, who was very clearly enjoying the family dynamic and was completely unfazed by their teasing. A small smile teased the corner of his mouth, the gentle one I'd seen him wear so often lately. He probably was particularly fond of watching my suffering.

Jace shrugged. "I have no thoughts. And I would not share them if I did, because Lena knows how to break into my house and I would like to live out the rest of the night."

"I love this about our new friendship, Hartley," I said. "My favourite quality in a homie is a healthy fear of my capabilities."

Jace winked at me, and the simplicity of the gesture was almost charismatic. He had always had a complete command over his whole body, and some girls had called it charming. I'd never really seen it; never stopped to think about the easy way he carried himself, the comfort he had in his own skin. From little movements like raising an eyebrow or winking to running and jumping.

That stupid kiss had really messed with my head. It felt like I was post-lobotomy.

"She just called him a homie," Alec whispered to Liv. "It's a miracle!"

Mum glared at me. "You must stop being mean to Jace, honestly."

I threw my hands in the air. "Well, I tried. I invited him to dinner. And you all make fun of me for it."

Jace placed a hand on my arm in a revolting display of support, camaraderie and partnership. It was foul. It was the kind of move I'd seen Julian and Kaelin do, so unbearably couple-esque I almost vomited onto my plate. It was the kind of motion that suggested you were a team, would back each other up unconditionally. I would've found it cute if it were anyone else.

"Seriously, Eliza, I don't mind it when Lena is mean to me," Jace said with complete sincerity.

I lifted my glass of water to take a sip, because, really, how was I meant to respond to that?

Liv did not have the same problem. "Bottom energy," she coughed.

I choked on my water slightly, and Jace thumped my back resoundingly to help air pass back through to my lungs. Judging by his smirk, he had both heard Liv's comment and was not offended. I made a mental note to ask McKenna. Alec gave Liv a small fist bump of appreciation.

Thankfully, Mum and Dad did not hear Liv's comment. I would've promptly died, personally.

"I mean, she's quite funny about it all," Jace clarified. "Like, it's all really just a joke."

I blinked. "It's a what?"

Austin glared at me.

"Uh, I mean. Yeah, a joke." I picked up my glass of water to take another sip, though this time I was choking on lies instead of water. And I needed to take all my lies with a chaser to keep my puke down.

Jace nodded in that stupid goddamn supportive way he had adopted that made me want to rip his hair out. "I mean, Lena has always been very funny. So even though she's picking on me, it's always made me laugh more than anything." Then he took a sip of water. Yeah, Hartley, choke down your stupid lies so that you can charm my, well, apparently also stupid, mother, who ate up his words like candy.

She was so easily impressed. Had Liv, Austin and I set a low bar?

"Yeah, Mum," I said. "I'm a regular comedian."

Mum sighed uneasily. "I just don't like to think my daughter is picking on you."

Both Jace and I shook our heads vehemently. For once, I appreciated his support. Because, well, I definitely did pick on him. But he picked on me back—at least, he used to—so it was really all eye for an eye stuff.

Dinner was a lively affair. Alec and Liv regaled the table with stories from their day in Casserine and the fun they'd had with our cousin Elena and her husband Jack, plus the assortment of our other country town friends. I hadn't always been close with the Casserine folk, but since Kaelin, Alec and Harry had gone to live with Elena during their break and Kaelin had begun dating Casserine's star footballer Julian Alinksy, I now spent every spare moment hanging out with our little group.

Nothing like shamelessly leeching off my cousin's friends.

As Liv was recounting an amusing story about Jules walking in on Elena and Jack hooking up—which, ew, poor Julian—Jace nudged my arm. "Hey," he said, bending his head to whisper to me. "I know this is all super weird, but I feel like we are far better off being friends than enemies. Right?"

I looked up at him, the close proximity allowing me to see those little specks of gold in his eyes and the unruly lock of hair that had fallen just slightly over his forehead. His face was open, innocent and hopeful. And even though I hated him, I didn't hate him enough to reject his tentative offer of friendship.

What would friendship with Jace Hartley even look like? I mean, I still hated his guts. But I could refuse him nothing; not today. Austin had made me promise. Yet, somehow, it didn't feel like Austin was forcing my hand when I said, "As long as you're aware that friendship with me still involves taunts, teasing and pranks. Don't rest easy around me yet."

He smiled. "Wouldn't dream of it."

It was a beautiful smile, relief and simple joy mixed into one. Maybe our decade-long war had taken more of a toll on Hartley than I'd ever expected.

"Does you calling this truce mean that I win our whole feud?" I whispered.

Jace rolled his eyes. "Sure, Lena. Take your victory."

I grinned. I couldn't promise that I wouldn't change my mind tomorrow, once Austin had lifted my restrictions. I couldn't promise that the old burning hatred wouldn't surface.

I could promise that I would try. It was hard to be cruel to a boy who smiled at me like that.

It was really, really hard.