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Me: Shit WHEN?

Brooke: Saturday Can you be here? They need to see both of us interact with hi course?

Me: Yes and yes I’ll figure so a visit with River on Saturday , so I can’t come to Berkeley this weekend – I have to fly in and out Friday-Saturday So sorry

Me: Dori, ANSWER me Please

Dori: That’s ok Shay for local ho to text you

Me: Were you?

Me: If I call you tonight, will you answer?

Me: I miss you

Dori: I miss you too

‘Hello’

I didn’t realize how ain until I don’t How much I missed the sound of her hello until I hear her say it

‘Hey You answered’ Right behind the relief is anger I didn’t expect that, either, and I start o away quickly But it doesn’t work that way; the aggravation is fillingit, like a rainy day in a water-laden rowing boat, and nothing to bail it out with but a tin can

‘I’m sorry I’ve been so busy,’ she says, and I’ my jaw shut on the words that want out

I breathe through my nose and count One Two Three Until I can trust myself to speak ‘Can we talk, please? Are you still upset?’

‘I’m not upset, Reid I just don’t think we should rush into anything –’

‘What do you– do you mean us? Dori … is this about River?’

‘No … Maybe It’s not about hi on with the movie, and River, and Brooke –’

‘Dori, the stuff about Brooke and me in the tabloids is all speculation or make-believe – you remember all the fabricated crap they printed when you fell ona secret relationship –’

‘We did have a secret relationship –’

‘But eren’t having one then’

‘That’s your arguuess right soument?’

She doesn’t answer The silence is thick and solid I want to reach through this phone and pull her to me

‘Dori?’

‘You shouldn’t have to explain yourself, Reid You’re right I just want you to be free to do what you need to do –’

‘And I’m not? I’ain I’ her into corners, because that’s what I do But if she goes ht? So I retreat to what I kno I’ve been raised to handle conflict It’s si worse, then we’ll just stop talking about it

‘Your spring break is in three weeks, right? We’ll be done fil work days at Universal – but at least we’ll both be in LA We’ll spend aswill be fine I proh this question isn’t at the core of everything, and I haven’t just circled back around to it, as unintentional as it was

‘You’re doing the right thing, Reid, and I’m proud of you for it’ That’s the second time I’ve heard that sentiment in asunwanted ‘Spring recess is in three weeks, yes’

Everything is off The cadence of her voice isn’t quite right – it’s … flat, stilted, but I can’t see how to fix this Plus she didn’t answer my question

‘I’ll … call you, after we meet him?’

For the beat of several seconds, I think she’s not going to answer Maybe she’s already gone And then she says, ‘Sure That would be fine’

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BROOKE