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"I can’t help you with that Sorry"

"She’s…totally de I mean, I never actually asked her toI know, she’s trying on rings--and I’ the one she wanted It’s this dia around it Whatever that is" Oskar resu to erase his life by scrubbing off what Sophy had no doubt ot us this apartment I can’t afford it She says she can’t work because of the cere, I mean There’s crap everywhere--party favors, napkin rolls, centerpieces She starts one thing, stops, yells at htmare, but what’s worse--"

Novo put her hand up "Stop Just…stop"

As he looked at her, she slid out of the booth with her duffel "This is none of my concern And really, it’s not cool for you to ask me to come here just so you can bitch about my sister Mate her or don’t Work on the relationship or not This is your shit to deal with, not mine"

"I know I’m sorry I just don’t knohat else to do"

In that moment, the essential weakness of him was so obvious, she wondered how in the hell she had ever found hi to happen He was going to walk down that aisle, or whatever the hu toto squeeze out a kid, maybe two And after that, he would spend his entire life wondering how it had come to pass that he had ended up with a shellan he couldn’t stand, kids he didn’t like, and a house he couldn’t afford It would be a mystery that would never be solved, even as he walked into his grave on a path he had set hiun to your head"

"What?"

"You’re choosing this You’re picking all of this--and that ht, you don’t have to do it" She shook her head at him "But that’s on you All of this…it’s on you"

"Don’t hate me Please"

"You know…I don’t I don’t hate you at all…I feel sorry for you" She gave hiood luck I really doout of the pub, the bartender called out, "Come back and see us sometime"

Over her shoulder, she said, "Thanks He’ll definitely be back, I’ll tell you thatinto aAs he answered, he didn’t bother to see who it was because he was paranoid that Novo nized the female voice, he closed his eyes for a e of the tub "Romina Wassup?"

There was a pause "Listen, I don’t know if you’re aware of this, but our fathers are "

He popped right back onto his feet "What? Why?"

"I think a pay"

"No Absolutely not" As it dawned on him that that was a colossal insult, he quickly said, "Listen, it’s not about you--"

"Of course it is And I don’t bla soe and wonderful to say that And also like he was tes were really thaith Novo over the last couple of nights, but he wasn’t a fool She was still on a hair trigger for trust, and co

They weren’t even technically together

"I’m happy for you," Ro to stop this"

"They can’t force us to consent"

"If your father accepts the payh"

He frowned "I’m sorry--what?"

"Your father established a price, and if what I understand is true, es hands, the deed is done It is the Old Way"

So he was being sold? Like a head of cattle?