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We sat there staring at one another in some bizarre sort of standoff Neither of us spoke The way he looked at… I couldn’t take it Waiting to drag this whole sorryeither of us Tiet on with our respective lives No more hurt and heartache "You wanted to tellether a long time You probably already know, she was the one who cheated on me The one we talked about"

I nodded

"We started the band when I was fourteen, Mal and Ji around too They were like family," he said, brow puckered "They are fas went bad I couldn’t just turn hed "No, she kissedshe doesn’t know that, since she’s still calling you and all"

"She’sfor the band I don’t knohat the phone call was about, but I didn’t return it"

I nodded, only slightly appeased Our problems weren’t that clear-cut "Does your heart understand you’re finished with her? I guess I mean your head, don’t I? The heart’s just another "

"Martha and I are finished We have been for a long time I promise"

"Even if that’s true, doesn’t that just make me the consolation prize? Your attempt at a normal life?"

"Ev, no That’s not the way it is"

"Are you sure about that?" I asked, disbelief thick indown the bitter, dark ale and crea over you," I said, ht back where they belonged, way down "A h Then I knew you weren’t co I kneas over then Because if I’d been so iht? I mean, you kneas in love with you So you’d have put

"You’re all secrets and lies, David I asked you about the earring, remember?"

He nodded

"You lied"

"Yeah I’m sorry"

"Did you do that before or after our honesty rule? I can’t reht?" Talking was a hts and eht up with n to reply

"What’s the story behind the earrings, anyway?"

"I brought thened us"

"Wow And you both wore the"

"It was Jimmy," he said "She cheated on s fell into place with that piece of infor hi to o, but … Jimmy flew back for an appearance on a TV show We were in theSpain at the time The second albu in the crowds"

"So you forgave theot on with things Even back then Jied" He licked his lips, studied the table "I’ sorry than I can say What you walked in on … I kno itto you about the earring, for still wearing it in Monterey"

He flicked at his ear in annoyance There was still a visible wound there with shiny, pink, nearly healed skin around it It didn’t look like a fading earring hole at all

"What did you do there?" I asked

"Cut across it with a knife" He shrugged "An earring hole takes years to grow over Made a new cut when you left so it could heal properly"

"Oh"