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"Oh God, did I really just say that?" Ty asked, voice hushed

Kelly cleared his throat, looking indecisive He finally took a step for the door "I’ll go after hio talk to him"

He stood rooted to the spot for a few e to head for the door He closed it gently behind hi Zane and Kelly in the uncolanced at Zane and smiled weakly "Good times, huh?"

Zane shook his head "I hope Nick kicks his ass"

"Me too" Kelly frowned "Maybe we should"

"Follow the on the very edge of the cliff, perched on a rocky outcropping that didn’t threaten to shoot hi over the side Ty hesitated toin order to edge up to the cliff and sit He settled down beside Nick, gravity pulling at his legs, the cold rock beneath hie to the rocky sea below

"I don’t guess we could have a heart-to-heart so me off a cliff, could we?" he asked wryly

Nick didn’t answer He was gazing past his own feet at the whitecaps glowing in the htness in his chest They’d had their fights over the years, soed h, so hi about Nick had felt different since they’re returned home from deployment, and Ty didn’t knohat to do about it

"As soon as it came out of my mouth, I tried to take it back," he whispered

Nick lifted his head and sighed

"Your father doesn’t deserve for you to care I know that, Nick I know that And you’ve always been there for o fuck ain and swiped his hand over his chin

"I rong," Ty tried "I knohat you’ve done I knohat you are I wasare you even listening to me?"

"You’re an asshole, Tyler," Nick said "But I’ve known that from the start That’s the reason we’ve stayed friends"

"Because we’re both assholes?"

"Yep You really think anything you say can hurt s?"

"Well"

Nick huffed and shook his head

"I haven’t been a very good friend to you," Ty said, alood as you deserve"

Nick finally looked at him "You earned my loyalty when you sat beside me on that bus to Parris Island And every day after So the tiht, I tend to overlook it"

Ty tried hard not sh "I appreciate that"

"Shut up"

"Okay"

They sat in silence, both staring out at the water, both knowing the conversation wasn’t done When Nick spoke again, he didn’t preface it with anything, not even an audible inhalation

"You need to stop drinking in front of Zane"

Ty nodded slowly "I realized that the other night Did he say soardless, and you’re a sloppy drunk"

Ty nodded again It wasn’t anything he didn’t already know or hadn’t told hih Nick had always been good at that

The silence threatened to return when Nick chose not to expound on his advice When he spoke again, he changed tacks faster than Ty usually did

"My dad is dying"

Ty glanced at hi with his immediate reaction to the news Finally, he just ith it "Good"

Nick nodded "That wasfinally dawned on Ty "And you been feeling guilty ever since, right?"

Nick shrugged "I’ll always feel guilty"

"Is that what’s been going on with you? I know you have Kelly now, butif you need to talk about it, I’m still here I’m still here"

"He needs a new liver," Nick said, still staring off into the water "And I’ht be a match to his blood type and size"

"He wants a part of your liver?" Ty blurted "Well, fuck hie and fear "Are you going to do it?"

"I don’t know"