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Jared opened my door and helped me in "Oh, now it’s hi around with both"

Jared shut the door and in the next ear and then pul ed away, a residual sed his artiave us all a bit of hope

My cel phone rang, and I fished it fro the display "Hi, Beth," I said

"How long have you been in town?"

"A few hours I know I said I would come over We had to see Lil ian and Cynthia, first"

"Okay, I get that, but you could have at least cal ed!"

I frowned I was failing right and left at friendship "Okay Let me make it up to you I’ll meet you at the pub in twenty minutes"

"The pub? Real y?"

"Yes I’m sure you need a drink I’ll cal Ryan and Claire They can meet us there"

"Just like old times!" Beth squealed "I’ll tel Chad!"

I dropped the phone intoup on me"

Jared frowned "Do you think it’s wise to meet in a public place after the day we just had?"

I looked out the"This is my town I dare the ers "You’re very attractive when you’re feisty"

I grinned over his compliment, and watched Providence pass by as we lances at hied much since we met He was stil the tal , blond, movie-star-handsome man that sat next to me on the bench alht ray eyes stil made me pause

Life couldn’t have spiraled out of control anymore than it had, but I wouldn’t trade it A different life didn’t even appeal to me at that point Despite that ere about to run for our lives, I had everything I’d ever wanted, with a er, stress, and fear worth it? Dahborhood around the pub had deteriorated since my freshe students congregating outside the front door, those loitering weresad stories on their faces Jared pul ed into the parking lot across the street Nearly hopscotching nored the stares of those standing outside, and led Jared into the pub Tozzi was no longer behind the bar In his place was a large woreet us e ca," Jared said as we found a table "I guess Beth hasn’t been here lately, either, or she would have said so"

"It’s a shame Some of my favorite Brown memories are of this place"

Jared put his elbows on the table and settled in, sht we danced?"

I resteda flirtatious s to, yes"

TheBeth to see if she wanted to meet elsewhere I felt safe anywhere if I ith Jared Although Chad was no pipsqueak, I couldn’t iine she would be comfortable here

Seconds after I sent the text, Beth and Chad pushed through the door Beth’s eyes ide as she looked around, and only slightly relieved when she recognized Jared and me She waved at us, and then pul ed Chad hastily across the room to our little corner

"What in the hel happened to this place?" she said

I leaned into the table "Do you want to leave?"

"Why?" Chad said, puffing up his chest "I’m ready for a beer"

We ordered, then Claire appeared, with Ryan right behind her

One of the men whistled, and then slapped Claire’s backside She jerked to a stop, and with her stiletto boots, kicked the leg of the chair the round Neither Claire nor Ryan glanced behind the had happened

One of the misfits at the man’s table stood, and then Jared pushed hi until his six feet, two inches towered over his chal enger Even fro When the friend promptly took his seat, Jared did the sarureasy fingerprints out of this fabric"

"That’s what you get for wearing pleather," Ryan joked

"This is not pleather," Claire seethed She jerked her head, shaking her bangs froainst her nearly white hair, and I silently hoped that Bean looked just like her A little nicer, of course, but physical y, Claire was the perfect fenitude of e it allThe longer Beth talked, the hotter the pub becah the door Hearing Beth over the noise became more difficult for Chad, but Jared and I only pretended to struggle Todirectly into ht broke out, and Jared stood He was on high alert, waiting for the crowd around us to shelI watched the scuffle until they were thrown outside, and then I breathed Jared was right I was too confident Even with the added security of Claire and Ryan, Chad and Beth could easily be hurt if the rowdy crowd inside shel ed and we had to fight our way out

"Maybe we should find soree," Beth juet the tab," Jared said

Claire rol ed her eyes "You guys are babies"

Beth and I left Claire and Ryan sitting at the table, walking together toward the door Just a few feet aaited for Chad and Jared to pay the bilChad was laughing at so so satisfying about Jared socializing with someone other than our inner circle Itti for me, and it seemed to be that way for Jared, too In that moment, I accepted my choice to keep the truth from Beth Not only was it for her own safety, but I could rationalize that it was for my own sanity as wel

"You’ve real y popped!" Beth said, gesturing to my stomach

Instinctively I put my hand on my rounded bel y "Crazy, isn’t it? It seeht"

Just then another fight broke out People were punching and shoving, their bodies bouncing against each other like pinbal s I desperately tried to find Jared in the chaos, but when a line of sight final y opened up, he was no longer beside the bar

Knowing the safest place for us was outside, I hurriedly opened the door and pushed Beth into the night air The fighting spil ed out onto the sidewalk, forcing Beth and ing on her until we found ourselves in the all ey

"Oddly enough, I feel safer in the dark," Beth whispered

Yel ing and breaking glass sounded just around the corner, and I decided to stay put We waited for Jared and Chad, but the ined they were fighting their way out of the pub in that moment, and at any second they would come around the corner