It was in the dead of night when Arvid Svartling unlocked the door of the terrace house he and his best friend Thomas used to share, and snuck inside, already half asleep. Halfway from the airport he had dozed off in the cab. Salma had informed him on the phone about Thomas's fathers's death and also mentioned that Liv had been staying with him. However, the latter had momentarily escaped his mind and thus he immediately flung himself onto the couch in the living room. Upon doing so he discovered that someone else was already lying on it. This someone was, naturally, his very own younger sister, suddenly very much awake and very much panicked.
"What the hell!?", they both shouted simultaneously and then engaged in a tamer fistfight.
First after around 7 seconds they both realized who the other one was and the fistfight melted into an aggressive hug.
"You're back! You're not supposed to be back!?", she hit him lightly on the shoulder and struggled out of her blanket.
"How's that for a welcome?"
Their conversation was interrupted by a semi decent Thomas bursting into the room, looking as if he was about to fight someone. His tense stance softened when he saw the two siblings crumpled up on the couch.
"Tommy!"
"I thought you were a murderer or burglar. Jesus."
"Forgot I still had the key, huh?"
Arvid and Thomas hugged each other, their faces beaming giddily and Liv smiled too. Then Rasmus's taunting words crept into her mind.
You ought to be worrying about convincing Arvid you're not hot for his best friend, like some desperate...
Upon that, she also remembered that if he had walked in a couple of hours earlier he would have witnessed her and Thomas kissing and tugging at each other. Suddenly her cheeks burned and her entire body felt weak and when she looked at Thomas she thought she saw the smallest trace of a shadow fallen over his face.
"I'm only here for a few days, then I go back and finish the term. So I'm afraid you're gonna have to remain on baby sitting duty until then."
After a few seconds, Liv realized he was talking to her about Thomas and not the other way around.
"I'm all better. You can both go off duty", Thomas muttered, although smiling slightly.
All three of them went to sit around the kitchen table, drank tea and ate sandwiches and, for just a short, short time, Liv thought things felt remarkably like they always had.
"I felt too much bone on you, Tommy. You really don't look too well - and I know about your father despite you keeping it from me, we'll talk about that later. But I mean it, Liv, it's great that you've been here. Salma told me."
Another surge of guilt and she willed herself not to think about the burning hot angst she now associated with her stay. Angry lips claiming hers, trembling hands running through hair, wow, she was failing miserably.
"Sure", she looked down at the table.
The following days passed slowly. Liv perceived them like an endless series of having to watch Arvid and Thomas spend almost every waken moment together, at her and Maria's house. If things still would have been like before she would have spent all time possible with them as well, but the thought of torturing Thomas with her presence and the difficulty of masking her emotions prevented her from doing so.
One evening when she came to knock on the door of Arvid's old room, to call them for dinner, she heard them muttering in low voices and stopped outside to eavesdrop.
"Should I talk to her about it?", Arvid half-whispered.
"If you feel like it's necessary."
"How do I know? Maybe it'll just be like poking around in a healing wound."
"It's not healing if she can't talk to you about it though."
"Guess not. And you are absolutely sure you've no idea where that old perv has run off to?"
"If I did we wouldn't be here, would we?"
Liv realised what they were talking about and drew in a breath, shivers going down her spine.
"No, we'd be making up a foolproof plan to mutilate his dick."
There was a grim silence.
"Do you think she's happy? She's been kind of more distant than usual. There's something different... You have any clue?"
She exhaled shakily, realising she hadn't been as sneaky and smooth as she had thought, staying away from home as much as possible.
"She has barely been around and when she's here she's hiding away in her room", Arvid went on, "Oh god!"
"Hm?", Thomas sounded convincingly uninterested.
"Is she seeing anyone!?"
He seemed appalled.
"She can come in and tell us herself", Thomas said in a bored tone.
Liv startled and then marched inside, glaring at Thomas.
"How the hell'd'you know!?"
Arvid had gotten up from the chair he had been seated in and wiggled his eyebrows at her, looking triumphant.
"He's an abused man, remember! He has many fine gifts of the sort."
For a moment Liv glanced shocked at Thomas, who seemed completely unfazed by Arvid's words. Then she remembered that of course Arvid, and only Arvid, could make such comments about Thomas's traumatic childhood and get away with it.
"Heard you breathe", Thomas confirmed and gave her a mirthless smile.
"You eavesdropping sucker!", Arvid narrowed his eyes at her, "How much d'you hear?"
"Oh, just the part where you were discussing my love life like two old men in a Jane-Austen novel", she muttered.
"Pff, like you ever read any of those", Arvid rolled his eyes.
"I'm not seeing anyone, there you go."
Arvid looked content and Liv breathed out.
"Come on, let's eat."