Page 14 (1/2)

"So what does she think? Did she want you to do the filo, here we go, here we go I pick at a fingernail, staring at my hands "She died when I was six" The words spill out quickly, but softly, and I want to tell hih I can’t say any more because I can’t quite face the bits and pieces I always fold away and shove under the surface My father and the e haven’t connected since we lost her My inability to have a normal childhood because I’ve been in front of a caone Chloe and the way she always expects to be the center of every universe near her And I’m okay, I really am, most of the time But sometimes, I’m just not

Graham doesn’t speak until I look at him His eyes hold mine, and they don’t slide away, unco with tears "I’m sorry, Emma," he says

I nod, take a breath, and pull a napkin fro it under er, eventually talking about other e’ve done I tell hirape juice co star of an art house filo who showed up at his trailer door wearing a robe and nothing else

"Do I want to kno you found out about the ‘nothing else’?"

He gri"

"E… so did you--?"

"Uet up early, and she said, ‘you don’t have to be scared, Graha like, ‘oh, no it’s not that, I’m just really tired’ And then I didn’t answer ot the idea eventually"

"Wow"

"Yeah," he says, laughing "Iona h it When I wake up just after 4 aone The chairs are back inside, the balcony door closed and locked The comforter is folded over htstand

Thanks for helping with the mountain of cake

I’ll be downstairs at 6 if you want to run

Graham

I set the alarm on my phone for 5:40

Chapter 16

REID

I should be asleep until noon Instead, I’ how pissed I should be

Between the late dinner and the ht, we drove past Brooke, Meredith, MiShaun and Jenna going into a club Tadd pointed theirls--small world, huh?"

"I didn’t see E back at theh the rear"Yeah, I talked to Meredith earlier, on the way to the elevator She said Eht Apparently she had aGraham and Emma both ditched

"Son of a bitch," I swore

"What?" Quinton asked as Tadd grinned at irl who gets underthe annoyance so There was a bachelorette party at the bar--nine girls and three guys, and all of them looked hot Quinton was ready to lead the offensive, but Tadd cautioned that when encountering a group like that, you have to watch out for the Cheerleader Effect: the inexplicable consequence of a few extre less attractive friends up to par Possible hazardous situation As a roup surreptitiously "Okay, look At first glance, all three of those guys are candidates But in reality, only one of thehter material"

Quinton and I checked them out "I don’t see it," Quinton said

"Easy--it’s the blond guy," I said

Tadd sighed "Reid, you obviously have a blonde predilection--"

My palold standard"