Page 28 (1/2)

Sighing, I just take it with nac It starts ringing again andever going after his phone, I quickly squat and open the cabinet, counting the rings until they go silent Then and only then do I stare at a dozen bottles of wine, shifting one here and there to stare at labels, concerned I’ll pick thea new bottle of wine every Friday night, had been She never had a glass again after he died

"Having trouble?"

I jump at the sound of Shane’s voice to look up and find hi towhite T-shirt and a pair of navy sweats and stillon the wine"

"I was thinking of--" His phone begins to ring where it sits on top of the rabbed it for you," I explain quickly "It keeps ringing and I was going to bring it to you but I felt weird about it Then I felt weird about calling out to you or ever touching your phone" It stops ringing again "Then I felt even weirder when I saw the caller ID like I was snooping I should have just left it where it was I’m sorry"

He studiesin which I wonder what he’s thinking, before he says, "You’re fine Did you pick a bottle?"

"I don’t know eously expensive bottle" I go back to what seems important "Shouldn’t you deal with those phone calls? It’s late What if so?"

"For the first ti calls"

"Don’t you want to knoho it is?"

"I knoho it is You want a sine, I assume?"

"I want a cheap wine"

"I don’t have any cheap wine"

"Then I don’t want any"

He squats down, grabs a bottle, and stands again "This one it is" His phone starts to ring and he ignores it,toward the kitchen "Let’s sit at the bar," he says, alreadythat direction

"I don’t drink much," I call after him, his shoulders especially impressive under the stretch of the cotton tee, a hint of the dreaded tattoo peeking from one shoulder "I’ll waste the bottle"