"What do you want, Landon?"
"I need advice," he said. "I know you probably don't want to talk to me, but I don't know who else to ask."
I didn't invite him to tell me everything immediately. I asked whether there was an emergency. He said no. Then he explained that Minerva had moved into the apartment he shared with two roommates and was refusing to leave after an argument. She said the engagement entitled her to stay, that he owed her stability, and that if he made her uncomfortable she would tell the police he'd mistreated her.
"You proposed to her," I said before I could stop myself.
"I know. You don't have to remind me."
"Actually, I think you might need reminding."
There was a long silence. Then he said, "You're right. I thought she was leaving a relationship that had been over for months. She told me you were only roommates. I should have asked more questions. I definitely shouldn't have gone to your house."
The apology was clumsy and late. I didn't feel obligated to make him feel better about it. I asked whether his roommates knew what was happening and whether anyone was being threatened or hurt. He said there had been shouting, but no physical violence. I told him not to take legal advice from someone who had recently been served with papers because he'd assumed he knew how housing rights worked.
"Talk to your landlord, review the lease, and speak with an attorney about whatever rights she may have established," I said. "Don't threaten her, don't touch her belongings, and don't start recording her in private places where that may be illegal. Preserve the communications you already have. If somebody threatens violence or you think anyone's in immediate danger, call for help. Otherwise, get proper advice before trying to force her out."
He was quiet for a moment. "That sounds less exciting than what you did."
"What I did turned into months of legal bills. You missed that part."
"Yeah," he said. "I guess I did."
I could hear another person talking in the background, then a door closing. Landon returned to the phone. "She keeps saying you were crazy. But some of the things she says about you are the same things she's starting to say about me. I don't even know which arguments are real anymore."
"You don't have to decide whether she's a good person before deciding what boundaries you need," I said. It surprised me to hear myself give advice I'd needed to hear months earlier. "You just need to take responsibility for your part and make sure you don't create another problem trying to escape the first."