Page 36 (1/2)

"Yes, the sah school We’ve reconnected with each other" I sit and tell her everything, from the minute I saw her at Addie’s funeral to our conversation last night "I’ve been nervous about this trip"

"You don’t seriously think she’d leave you again for a dance job?"

"I don’t think so," I concede and cringe when I think of the way I broke out into a cold shen Mer toldtrust in a new relationship is a process," she says and checks her own phone when it buzzes "My turn to be rude Colin’s calling Hey, babe"

I pull the photo back up of Mer and Starla and seous Her hair is up in a a shorts

Her bodyup her conversation rin, excited to hear Mer’s voice

"Uh, sorry, Hot Tamale, it’s just Jax But I’m in shorts and a Nike tank top How about you?"

"Is she okay?" I ask as ice for"

"I’er," Lena announces and snatches er away

"Oh, I’"

"You didn’t I’ dinner with an old friend"

"Anyway, Mer’s still working, but she pro you know she’ll be a little late"

"Thanks for that, er?" Lena groans loudly "Ew"

"Yeah, we’re good We’ll be horeat I’ll see you then" Jax clicks off "She’s working"

"I heard" Lena happilypickles, so I reach for her chicken burger

"Do you steal Colin’s food often?"

"His tastes better thanto work in the lab?"

"I’et it You’re a brilliant scientist I’ve never known anyone who can do what you do, or as quickly Your brain never shuts down"

"So?"

"So you’d rather waste all that brilliance on building houses? You could be doing sowith usting"

"I know"

"I like lad you and Colin are happy in the lab By the hen are you going to start having babies?"

"Not you too!" She groans and hangs her head in her hands "Between you andup by the day"

"I really don’t want to think about your vagina doing anything"