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Skyler’s pen flew over her notepad as she scribbled down drink orders for a table of recently graduated high schoolers celebrating the start of college School would be starting up again in a couple weeks, but not for her She’d be working in the field now, treating actual patients at the North End women’s center where the university had placed her Sure, she’d be working under the supervision of another therapist, but the thought of talking to real people and helping them with their problee walking into the restaurant As always, she’d sensed his presence, swiveling her head in tiazes to collide from across the room

It was unbelievably unfair that he could still evoke such a visceral response in her Make her heart pound and her palle from his mere proximity

They hadn’t seen or spoken to each other in teeks, and she hadn’t realized just how badly she’d missed him until this very moment She wanted to drop her order pad and sprint over to hihts out of him

But she couldn’t Nope, because he’d broken up with her

Jerk

Skyler forced herself to concentrate on her custo their order, she hurried over to the drink station and latched her hand on Megan’s ar these drinks over to table five?" she asked the other waitress, thrusting out the order pad "I need to take a five-aze drifted toward the hostess stand, a s on her lips "Take ten, if you need it"

"Thanks I owe you one" A e "What are you doing here?" she asked when she reached hileaht Let’s go somewhere private"

"No I don’t care who hears this"

Skyler raised a brow Okay, that eird A word-stingy, privateto talk in earshot of everyone? And there were a lot of ears in their vicinity Like the ones belonging to Rita, the restaurant’s nosy hostess Or the six frat boys in the booth directly to their left, ere e cleared his throat "I wanted to thank you I knohat you did, asking your stepfather to deal with O’Donnell, and…well, thank you"

"You’re welcoain "Is that all you wanted?"

He shook his head "I also wanted to say…uh…" So flashed in his eyes Determination Maybe fortitude Whatever it was, it see "Sky…I have issues"

An unwitting grin sprang to her lips "No kidding"

He sighed "Don’t be a brat I’ serious"

"Sorry Go on" But her lips continued to twitch

"Look,about it--it is what it is But I can’t deny that it screith ruff note she loved soI don’t kno to ask for help I’ve never counted on anyone before I’ve never needed anyone before" His throat bobbed as he sed "It’s hard for me to lean on anyone, because nobody has ever been there for me to lean on And the people ere there? I couldn’t trust them"