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Once the lights stopped flickering, I sensed silent co inary bottle

"So … Yeah," she said Michael, presuestured for her to sit She looked down at her skirt and shook her head "Kaleba little too far You know With the ruued "It was bourbon I found it in love compartment"

Michael slid into the booth across fro and driving and an open container?"

"Listen, Clark Gable, I didn’t drink and drive because I didn’t drink until I got here There isn’t an open container anymore, because I drank it all And also, I recycled the bottle"

A telltale vein pulsed in Michael’s forehead I could feel his anger, too, ripe and unyielding, whichoff

E in her throat "Don’t , and I don’t want to upset Dru"

Thomas, dressed as Gomez Addams, stood with his wife, dressed as Morticia, next to the bar Probably double-checking IDs Enant She didn’t have a baby bump yet, but her hand always rested on her belly Her enized Mama Warrior You don’t mess with that My mom had been just like her

My fingers flexed, itching for a bottle

"Kaleb, hand over your keys right now, and we’ll give you one free pass But if it happens again, I’ to your dad myself," Em said

At least Em cared Just not in the way I wanted

"You’re vicious" I met her eyes and slid my keys across the table Michael pulled the them to her

"I’m also short Which means it’s that much easier for me to take you out at the knees" She tossed the keys up in the air with one hand and caught theht "I’ll hide these puppies Try not to kill each other while I’et under the table to do it" I watched her walk away, her hoop skirt swinging fros I didn’t look at Michael

"I’m sorry," he said

I snapped y co "What?"

"About this afternoon" He frowned before he ran his hand through his hair and slouched back against the booth "Em told me"

"Oh That"

I didn’t want to think about the unifor for a picture on my hundred-and-fifty-year-old porch A porch that had suddenly appeared to be so new I could smell sawdust

"If Tholass school…," I trailed off "I don’t kno I’d have handled the ripple ondissolved"

"I’lad she was there for you," Michael said I could hear the underlying "don’t get used to it"

Leaning back, I crossed my arms over my chest "She said it was the saht she went back to save you from the explosion in the lab A whole scene"

"Like you stepped into a painting"

I nodded

"I can’t explain it, Kaleb I can’t explain the ones I’ve seen lihtelse to drink, but the next best distraction washer way to the dance floor "You aren’t responsible"