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Dani went for the easiest answer "Jake stopped by earlier"
"He did?"
"Yeah" Dani took a sip as Mae leaned against the counter right across from her "Julia doesn’t want me out at the house She doesn’t even want me to see Aunt Kathryn"
Mae pushed back up from the counter with a sharp h to cal to like you being ho to take Jake away"
Dani felt there was a littleback on the counter "Is she the only one thinking that?"
Mae lifted up a shoulder "People are talking They’re wondering"
"People are wondering abouther elbows on the counter "Or are you wondering?"
S ossip had been fast Then again, she ran into Kelley Lynn Maybe she should’ve expected it after being in town only for one day
Mae grabbed the washcloth again and began cleaning the counter where Dani sat "I did before I don’t anymore You’re not the same you from before"
"What do you mean?" She reached for her coffee, but only sat there Her hands grew cold, even holding that hotShe tossed the washcloth to the back kitchen "You’re not the sao I can see it in you, and I’ that you’ve seen so it’s not the side that goes to operas and sings church hy nehen the o It’s even bigger nehen she left a slip of a girl and co woot a backbone now And this is the sairl who holds the title First Love on Jake’s love life, but the question isn’t how is Julia going to handle you being back" Mae watched her steadily "It’s you, so what are you going to do Dani? Is Jake the real reason you carew thick with tension
Dani cut some of that tension as she said, "I didn’t come back for Jake" That only answered part of her aunt’s question, and the other part was a question she was starting to realizeto take hihtcap, and a conversation that was purposefully kept light-hearted, though Dani et some information on Jonah Bannon She wanted to knoho with, but after a second drink, she was able to sleep a few hours on Mae’s couch And it wasn’t long after when she woke again, but this ti Mae’s soft snoring from her bedroo she had no food at the cabin, other than what Mae always kept stocked there, she was in the grocery gs, cheese, yogurt, and, let et the chocolate Every feht behind her