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"Hey, man, Eric is a wizard Whatever you pay him he’s orth it," Beck announces as he enters the rooed ineer carab et out of here I’ll talk to you later"

I head to et some work done But after an hour or so I head back home When I arrive home at two pm, Caleb’s car is here, so I can ask him about the flash drive that looks suspiciously like the one I gave to hiins to pull in, but then he sla to park off to the side of the road rather than in the driveway He rushes out of what used to be iven it to him and there was no way I could take it back

"Hey, Uncle Ben, I need to talk to you," he huffs, bending down to catch his breath

I raise an eyebrow "What’s so i, kid?"

The wind shifts direction as he swipes the back of his hand over his forehead "I had lunch with Dahlia today"

"Yeah, so you told me in your note" I motion toward the house and walk toward the door

When we reach the garage I turn toward him

"Now, don’t be pissed," he says

My eyes narrow on hio in"

I open the unlocked door and we both walk in As we enter the family room, my attention turns to Caleb sacked out on the couch with a few containers of Chinese food scattered on the floor and the coffee table, but I quickly turn my attention back to Trent "Go on"

"Well, I irl you like is fking someone else"

I stare openht uard "You did what?"

He repeats hiht

I flop down on the couch and rub my palms on my jeans "I heard you"

Trent picks up one of the take-out boxes and a pair of chopsticks and slurps some noodles in his mouth

"First of all, why the fk didn’t you tellto Dahlia?"

He shrugs and settles into one of the oversized chairs across fro to Uncle Caleb and I heard you telling him about Dahlia’s sister-in-law You sounded a little desperate"

I squeeze ?"

I chance a glance at Caleb, who’s sitting there with a blank look on his face--red eyes, over

"Hey, Trent, what you heard, I’hs "I know that And, Uncle Ben, I’et we all et that"

"He’s a pretty sers his way

"So, do you want to hear what I have to tell you or lecturea smart-ass and I’ll call your mother," I threaten

"I’ll take the lecture," he jokes, biting into an eggroll

I run h rins "That the guy you were talking about is a co"

My eyes widen in disbelief "Dahlia called him that?"

"Well, no, she called hi still has the hots for her I guess she dated hio Dahlia thinks he keeps co on to her And don’t worry, I didn’t tell Dahlia you were heartbroken or anything"

I ignore his smart-ass comment I already knew Bell had dated Tate Fuck er about the baby iuess because I was being just as big a douche as her assle boss Wanting to hear her voice, to talk to her, I pull my phone from my pocket When she doesn’t answer I send her a text

Where are you?

Her reply is immediate

I’m at work

I need to talk to you

She doesn’t reply this time

"Well?" Caleb and Trent say at the saet her," Trent says

I look at hiht you were Danny Zukko," he says, laughing

Caleb laughs too and they both are al in ahere and stride into the kitchen Today is the day after Thanksgiving and I re about where she’d be

"You know, I think you’re actually over her?" Caleb says as he’s tossing a few containers in the trash

Distracted by trying to remember where Bell had said she’d be, I look at hiet over her But you call her Dahlia now And there’s no spark in your eyes when her name is otten over everything as best I could a while ago

"Hey, Uncle Ben, I’irl," Trent chiree with the kid," Caleb says

I open the refrigerator and grab a water bottle and toss one to him "Here, ers through his already disheveled hair "I feel like it too"