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"What tio out, or have a chef coh at the look on her face--eyes wide and ive all of this up to go to college, E daily requests for roles someone wants you to consider…"

She turns and walks into the Asian-décor seating pit, plopping onto a sofa "He is And I aders brushing the soft leather under her hand "This is teive up, even for all of this" I sit opposite her "I’ve never been able to choose my own direction My own future What I wanted was assumed, based on other peoples’ opinions My dad h, you know?"

I can’t follow her reasoning about wanting to study theatre instead of becoh to understand the motivation to direct her own destiny "There’s only one proble all of your own decisions," I say, and she waits for me to elaborate "If you make a mistake, whether career, relationship or wardrobe-related," I smile and she does, too, "it’s no one’s fault but your own You take all of the responsibility, all of the consequences"

She nods "True"

"So Dinner I vote for trying the chef Like, soon"

She laughs "How can you be hungry enough to think about food again? I’d look like a side of beef if I ate like you do"

I flex a bicep at her "Are you saying I don’t look like a side of beef?"

The text froht it would be--photos of her with Graha on the stoop at his house, sh his hair And then they go inside The acco for the three hours and fifteenthe apartment with her Cheshire cat sraham went as planned?

Brooke: His kid was there

Me: Um, what

Brooke: Shit

Me: He has a kid??? Calling you

"Does Emma know? Of course she knohat the hell, Brooke?" My head is spinning I’ to keep my voice down since Elike crazy

"Reid, you cannot say anything about this to anyone," Brooke hisses

"He knows he can’t keep this a secret right?"

"Of course, but you have to pro He knows about our secret indiscretion, after all That’s why you told him, isn’t it?" Obviously It even rapher flunky? No ould she not reveal this"

She releases a sigh "She doesn’t know and I’ her--yet I want the first public photos of Cara to be the three of us, together"

I come to a solid stop She has this ave her credit for "You are beyond frightening You realize that, right?"

"What do you " Nothing except I’e "Eo Next e do a couple of San Fran stations and Ellen, and the week after that Conan, and then the pre to throw her off balance a bit, make sure she knows I’?"

"Brooke, you know I don’t kiss and tell"

"Reid--don’t you f--"

Yeah, I don’t really need to hear that tirade

Chapter 21

Erilled ciabatta and brie, Reid asks , and that he was correct in assuht before the disastrous proo with hilasses and sets the bottle back into the ice bucket A chef arrived to ourether on the sofa and talking quietly

"I felt guilty"

His mouth turns up on one side and he lowers his chin--a look that would have , concentrating on spreading the brie evenly over the surface of the bread "It’s always hard to break things off with someone"