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"Great" He walked backward several steps before turning and o even though I was already late Staring at his back, I tried to recall whether Hunter had ever paid me a compliment before Sure, he had always been nice to me, but he’d never looked atother than his little sister’s best friend

Like he sawthe stem of a banana as I worked on a paper at ht?"

The question hit a nerve There shouldn’t be an assumption that I would be with hiether Should there?

I wanted to snap that I hadn’t heard fro hiht reveal just how ain Instead, I answered, "No Just trying to get some work done This is due Thursday, but I have to work tolanced at her

"H a bite from her banana

I leaned back in my chair and stared at her evenly "What?"

"Well, you haven’t seen hiia and E with Reece when he was sick I just never ht ia had been at Harris’s that night, and Eot in so late that Reece and I were already asleep She never heard a sound fro

I frowned "I didn’t take care of him"

E hi out involved she wasn’t sure what I was doing with him Valid confusion To be fair, I suffered frouely knowing Like she understood perfectly what I was doing with hiful little nod I didn’t need to let on just how adrift I felt

She arched an eyebrow

"I just got him some medicine," I denied lah the worst of his fever

"Oh, really?" She looked aia was sick, I stayed far away just so I wouldn’t catch it And we’re best friends" She cocked her head "What do you do for soer at ly "You skip work and nurse hied "I have strong immunities" Not much of an excuse, but it was all I could think to say

Suddenly my phone vibrated I picked it up and felt my stomach pitch Speak of the devil

Reece: Hey How are you?

What? Had I suhts?

"Who’s that?"

"Just my lab partner," I lied I’m not sure why I felt compelled to lie, but it wasain? You don’t want to go to Mulvaney’s this weekend?"

"No"

"H her gaze, I returned my attention to my , Eain Then as he texting me?

"Yeah" She sounded unconvinced "But the friends with benefits thing can get tricky"

"We’re not even that"

"Well, whatever you are" She waved a hand dismissively "You’re done with hiuess I haven’t really thought much about it--about him" Only all the tilanced again to wherefor hi that "I’"

"Okay, okay" She threw her banana peel intoon you, that’s all"

"Thanks, but everything’s fine, Mo That’s what this whole thing with Reece was about Remember?"

"Oh, I remember" She nodded "I was just curious if you still did" With that parting re door

I resu to concentrate on ave up and pushed back fro, I rubbed my hands over my face and paced the small space between my desk and bed

The conversation with E about him a lot Especially after he opened up to ht have left voluntarily, chosen addiction over ht We weren’t that different Deciding it wouldn’t be wrong to at least reply to his text, I plucked ers paused a ?

I hesitated, reading the si certain it hat I wanted to say Not toothe phone down, I sank back in raph Text sent, I was deternment

And then ood Ever since this excellent nurse took really good care of , I typed back, ood, too Like cupcake

My face flamed as I typed

Me: That’s what happens when someone feeds her cupcake

Reece: She just needed one of those sexy nurse outfits to led

Me: Your fantasy involves puke and a nasty sto???

Reece: It involves you

The sht Shit He wasn’t even here, and just like that he ers trembled over the keys, unsure how to respond Then I noticed he had started typing again I waited for the words to appear