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Chapter Eight

EVA

Daddy didn’t eat breakfast again this ht: oatry just yet and kissedto remember that Jeremy had said his pain meds probably messed with his appetite I just wished he’d eat

I sat down at the table alone with a cup of coffee The earlysun out thedidn’t cheeron

The kitchen door swung open and Jere I didn’t feel like s but it was nice to see so, sunshine," he drawled, and walked over to fix hi real chipper this o kick someone’s ass? ’Cause you knoill"

If I wasn’t so worried about everything in ottena moment to feel sorry for myself Pathetic I know"

Jere down across froain I’d hate to kick your ass"

That time I almost smiled "Thank you," I said I didn’t have all the words to say more

Jeremy however didn’t need them He understood "You’re welcome That’s why I’m here," he replied

We drank our coffee without saying much for a few minutes Finally he sat his coffee down on the table and looked at me "He didn’t call?"

I shook ot home late It was just odd It also hurt I wanted him to have fun and make friends I didn’t want to hinder his life their but I was used to being first Last night soinning of hts like that

"He’ll call and he’ll have a reason for last night’s text The dude worships the ground you walk on Don’t stress over it You got enough to worry about"

I set my coffee down and reached over and took Jeremy’s hand and squeezed it He squeezed o help your daddy He’ll be doing shit by hi"

I nodded because he was right Daddy wasn’t giving in easily to cancer He was determined to live life like he didn’t have it Each day I watched hiive him a few more months I wondered if this wasn’t a better way to spend the rest of his days Seeing hi him sick from the chemo treatments If the chemo could cure him then I would force him to take them but they couldn’t Sostartling et it off the counter It was Cage

"Hello," I said, unsure of what else to say It was six in thesorry I couldn’t find ot it back and the one I couldn’t find it anywhere Ace found it in his car and brought it in here and left it by ht I al and I didn’t want to disturb you so I’ve been waiting until I knew you’d be awake to call you"

He didn’t mention the text "It’s okay I was confused after the text you sent, but I went on to bed early Did you have fun last night?"

There was a pause on the line My stooing to tellI didn’t want to hear? Oh God Was I ready for this? "What text? I didn’t text you My phone was gone then it was dead"

He didn’t text me? Yes he did "Um, yeah you did Hold on a sec I’ll send you a screen capture" I pulled the phone back and found the text froht and quickly took a screen shot of it before texting the photo to Cage "There it’s sent"

Another pause I kneas looking at his text Maybe he’d been drinking and didn’t remember It could have been a drunk text That would e roared into the phone

Uh-oh "Cage’s what’s wrong?" I asked, trying to think of a way to calm him down over the phone

"I didn’t send this shit text, Eva I’d never send you a fucking shit text like this It had to be Ace He had e, wait It’s okay I was confused when I got it, but knowing you didn’t send it o hurt your rooet you away fro tocall yourself that, Eva Ever I’ood place at theyourself that I can’t take it"

"I was kidding I wanted todeal I swear it isn’t"

"It wasn’t funny You arelike that froet a text like that again and you know it isn’tto have to come bail my ass outta jail because I’m about to hurt a motherfucker"

Oh, crap What could I do to calht not get to come home Saturday and I really want you to come home I miss you Please don’t hurt anyone"

"Baby, ain’t nothing keepingto you Friday afternoon You got that? Nothing"

"If you get in a fight with a teammate that could be a problem What if you have to move out of your apartment?" I tried to think of reasons why he needed to keep a cal to make him chill out I wasn’t a fan of this Ace either if he’d been the one who sent the text I wasn’t sure it was e froonnawhat’smy wo to sleep last night thinking I’d sent you that dae"