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My dad took over the conversation during lunch I tried to force ed, butto fix the fantastic fk-up I was pretty sure was left in the wake of Dylan’s touchy behavior towards me Seriously, what the fk was that!?

I tried to reach for Nolan’s hand under the table more than once, but she always kept it at a distance She was pleasant and smiled fondly at my dad when he spoke; she tolerated ed her, and she conversed with Dylan about her classes and working in special education But I was clearly cut out, and that was made extreoodbyes and clie

"Noles, I’ that on you like that, let me explain…" I started before she turned to look at ritted andto explain, Reed," she said flatly, almost removed froain, pulled her purse to her lap and began looking through it, avoiding me

I reached over to stop her, and she jerked to the side "It’s fine, really," she said, still looking through her purse

"Nolan, corabbed at her wrist now

"What do you wantis better than avoiding, so this was progress "Do you want me to say that Dylan is awesooing to make your life decisions with you, because she’s born into soed family and ca forehead and is just waiting for her time to run her daddy’s millions?"

"Woah," she needed to slon "Noles, that’s a little unfair…"

She stoppeddare, Reed Fair? I’ unfair? I show up forsoush over you, drape her body on you, and then treat rown-ups’ table during lunch with Millie Oh, and Millie…that’s just the icing on the cake I was fking invisible to her, which--don’t get --is usually preferable But not when she’s busy fawning over the daughter-in-law she’s clearly hoping to have in front of ht in, the one she approves of? Uhhhhg…" Nolan let it all out in one breath She finally turned her face to look back out her

We drove the rest of the way to Coolidge in silence It took alle sound She didn’t turn her head my way once, and the only movement she made was to check the time on her phone and to pull some ChapStick from her purse I started to panic when I turned to drive down her parents’ street We’d fought before Hell, ere good at fighting But since high school we never let a fight go without closure Today gave h

I pulled into her driveway and puther to bolt from my car and slam her door closed in my face But she didn’t She just sat there I leton the headrest She was just staring straight in front of her, looking lost Da, pleading now "I didn’t want it to hit you all at once, and I sure as hell didn’t expect Dylan to be…well, who she is, or do whatever the hell it was she did I just met her, and she made a lot of assumptions about how friendly ere Fuck, I’m sorry"

I reached for her hand, and she letme hope She let her head flop to the side so she could lookin the my heart I reached up to wipe away a tear just as it fell and then brought her hand to my lips to kiss it

She finally took in a deep breath and bit her lip a little, readying herself to speak "It’s not Dylan Not really," she just stopped I reached up to wipe another tear, waiting for her to continue I waited forUnable to take it, I started

"It’s the draft, I know Nolan, what do you want me to do? Iit out there like that, but I was scared I was ga to wait if she asked ain