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Grabbing the edge of the love seat, they both grunted as they got it stabilized between the across the Smithsonian foyer and out onto the ramp that led into the truck’s belly

"Where do you want this?" she asked

"Right here is fine I’ht, she said, "So…you’re leaving"

"Yeah" He slapped his palms on the seat of his jeans "It’s about tio"

He refused to look at her Not because he seeh More like he was finished with drah her like a toxin "Where are you going?"

"A buddy ofto stay with him for a while until I find a place ofin Caldwell What about the training program?"

"Oh, I’ that Why would I I as Then focused on her "So What can I do you for"

His affect was calm and centered, not hostile or eer on the street: polite but not wrapped up in anything

Her heart pounded And not froize"

"It’s cool You don’t have to" He turned away "I’"

She reached out and took his arm "Please Let me talk"

With a deliberate move, he took himself out of her reach--and she was reminded of all the tiuratively

"Actually," he intoned, "s I didn’t ht--"

"You sounded very lucid to me, FYI And listen, you’re not the first person to calla flaker" Suddenly, his face got serious "You will be the last one, though I promise you that"

"I didn’t mean it I was hurt and I jumped to conclusions after I--"

"Oh By the way, I am sorry for what my father said to you When I came back here after you and I had our little--discussion, shall we call it--he told me what he’d done and we had it out I broke his favorite Tiffany lamp, but at least it wasn’t over the ed "Incidentally, not that you care, that’s the reason I’ anybody, and I a under the saoddamn prostitute to your face"

"So it was all a lie?"

"About the feiving you a chance to explain--"

"No, why ask me a question when you won’t believe the answer? I am very sure I could talk until I’m blue in the face, and you will do what you ith the words" He pivoted away and headed back into the house "You know, recast theaet the answer you’ve pre-decided is the truth--"

She caught up with him on the fancy stairs "I went to see Serenity"

At that, he stopped

"That’s what I named her I spent the day at the house In the kitchen"

It seemed like a lifetime before Peyton slowly turned back around