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"Tellto say," he de so hard that I have to pull my knees up West rubs my back

"Breathe," he says in a lowto death, racked with guilt over what Bridget almost revealed, and I still have a corner ofat the hotness of West I’ainst Krishna "I’"

"Tell me"

"No"

"Tell me tell me tell ht I was just going to say about this guy she uy?" Quinn asks

I’uy," I drool a little on the leather, and I have to wipe it off with the palm of my hand

I can’t look at West

"It’s too late to deny it," Krishna says "Bridget already spilled Who’s the guy?"

I don’t see any way out of telling theby Scott?"

"Yeah"

"He asked you out?"

"No! No It’s nothing It’s just … I just ht try to find out his last name From you In case"

"So you can call him?"

"Maybe?"

"He was into you," she says "You should definitely call hiby Scott?" Krishna asks

"He goes to Carson," Quinn says "You wouldn’t know him And he’s really nice And hot Well done, Caroline"

"I haven’t done anything yet"

She chucks me on the shoulder "Sure, but you should Get back out there, you know?"

I duck one blank

Krishna is looking at him, too, and I can’t make out whether he pushed West into that blank face on purpose or if he’s oblivious That’s the thing with Krishna--I can never figure out if he’s an asshole or if he’s pretending to be an asshole

Either way

He drops to the couch beside Bridget, chugs the rest of his beer, and says, "Maybe we should find soot to study"

He closes it, and then there’s just the sound of the TV and Bridget shifting unco," I say "I don’t even know his last na to

No one replies

"So when are you heading home?" West asks

"To--or Wednesday, I guess, since it’s three in the host town since lunchtime, and West has been at the bakery all day He had to come in early He’ll stay late He has an insane aet the holiday orders filled

It doesn’t ot the whole rest of break to sleep

"Early?" he asks

"Yeah"

"Can you go vent the oven for me?"

I walk over to the oven--which is lass in the door--and push the button to vent the stea the last few

"Thanks"

I hop up on the counter and study the room Since October, it’s become almost as fa hoded it is How the vented steah, raw and wet How West’s hands are always busy, the floor is always dirty, and I’m always safe, even if I’m not always comfortable

Officially we’re on break, and I should be at holy difficult concept I still talk to my dad once a week, but I’ve coirl my whole life, and now I don’t knohat to say to hih as I feared He reminds me that I should look into suht to have so to law schools in a few years

He tellsup the phone with a piercing pain in le lie

For the first tio ho, and I’ My sister Janelle and her fiancé do cranberry sauce and rolls Alison, my other sister, is in Lesotho with the Peace Corps, but if she were houess I should take over pie duty

I’et fitted for a brides up in the su at, the colors she likes, the save-the-date cards they’re having made on Etsy I know I’m supposed to be excited, so I act that way, but I can’t druuy?" West asks