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"I know today was a bad day," I say, cautiously

"That’s a carefully weighed answer I can’t afford" Her hands go to her hips "Stick it out with hio wide "Fifty thousand dollars?" Alaro off in my head "Why would you pay me that kind of money?"

"I need someone close to him I can trust and on’t leave"

"That you can trust?"

"That’s right You’d siive me an update on hison"

"‘The projects he’s working on,’" I repeat "Why would I do that?"

"I have to tidy things up if he suddenly crashes"

"No," I say quickly, not sure whose side she’s on and not sure it h a third party "I can’t do that" I punch the elevator button again "I won’t"

"It’s fifty thousand dollars"

"It’son in this fa to pass the inforht"

"It doesn’t take ure out the obvious"

"This is for me and him"

And him That seals the deal, because Brandon Senior sure as hell doesn’t have Shane’s best interest into fire me, I’ll live with that"

She studies me several seconds, her expression unreadable, but there is a tiny quirk to her lips "To be clear Your answer is no"

"No," I repeat "So if you’re going to--"

"You’re not fired, Eood weekend" She turns away and walks toward the offices I watch her until she disappears behind the glass doors, baffled by what just happened The elevator dings and I giveforward, the steel doors shut , What just happened? Was that a test to see if I can be bought? Or did she really mean to have me spy for her? I am still clueless when I step out of the car into the lobby

At the front doors, I exit to a gust of wind laced with a chill us Texans call winter, while Coloradans seeht jacket with my first paycheck, I findthe towering building that is the Four Seasons Where Shane is and where I ith him Where I want to be now, and suddenly, every reason I have for pushing him away feels small compared to the reality cancer delivers Life can be short, a reality I’ve learned the hard way and I know he’s faced with now hi I know, I’ le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>