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She looked like a kid who’d had her favorite toy taken away "But-"

"Ellie"

"Fine" She sighed

In an effort to take her ainst the counter with a concerned quirk of ht?"

"I’ht "Ellie…"

Her pale eyes narrowed unhappily "Okay, so I want to talk about it Das to yourself thing?" she pouted "It’s really hard"

I grinned and shook ue out at me and sluht was exhausting"

"Hence the crabby?"

"I’m not crabby"

"You’re a little crabby"

"Well you would be too if you’d had to put up with Ada if I should hit the gy Adathat we’re just friends but he acts like we’re not Braden’s so wrapped up in you he didn’t even notice Adae"

"I did notice hi you down beside him and all that"

"Possessive? The harder I tried to be cool towards hiot in my space And then when Braden ith you, I called hi so weird…"

"And what did he say?"

"That Nicholas wasn’t good enough forlike a petulant child he’d stop being overbearing"

Guy was good I laughed hu the actual question, huh?"

"Well you’d know all about that," she gruroaned "Oh, God, Joss, I’ Really"

She giggled and shook her head, her eyes drooping tiredly "You’re crazy" She stood up "But I love you" She yawned as I froze in place at her words "I need , try to make sense of Adam’s nonsense, yeah?"

But I love you "Uh… yeah," I replied, dazed

"Night"

"Night"

But I love you…

"Coed Dru "It’ll be fun Kyle will be there"

Dru eyed er, Joss, and that didn’t involve having to wear a bikini"

I rolled er That’s kind of the point Co out with hied

"Joss,to a lot of parties lately"

Grinning, I hooked an arm around her neck and drew her to my side "We’re kids We’re supposed to party" I need to party I need to forget "And I don’t want to party without you I’ll tell you what? I’ll even upchuck on a JV cheerleader for you That way, no matter what you do, I’ll still have cohed, hugging me close "You’re crazy… but I love you"

…The walls closed in onto draw breath

I was dying

The panic attack lasted longer this ti to allow h to reality, pushing themy body to breathe

When it was over, I wanted to crywould only s and tread the ed and slid into bed I pretended it was all forgotten

"You had another panic attack?" the good doctor asked softly

Why had I ood could come of it She’d never be able to put a spin on what happened "Yeah, it doesn’t ered this one?"

I stared at my feet "My friend"