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"She’s irlfriend, bro You need to back the fk off," I said, stepping up one level to e him But he stepped down to meet me, our chests inches apart while we stared each other down

"I’ anywhere I’ht, when you just left, and she wantson his face, not quite a ss

"What…do you ht," I said,into h my entire body

He just chuckled a little and looked down, shaking his head a bit, like I was so a fool

"I don’t need to tell you what I mean…bro…you know exactly what Iup the steps, keeping his eyes on mine, while I stood there as the earth cru to get a full breath I wanted to charge after him and slam his body into the wall, but his words, his confession, had me paralyzed I watched hi to the next floor Then, just before he reached his door to open it, he leaned over the rail and gave me one final knockout punch

"Time to move on, man She has" His words followed by the s

I just stood there, wide-eyed, in the stairwell for the next severalthis night Day, and I was Bill Murray I looked back at the door to Nolan’s floor and thought about busting into her roo her, but I didn’t really want to hear anyher face when she confessed that she had kissed hi to much more just killed me Had she been unhappy for a while? Did she want to break up weeks ago? Months ago?

My feet soh hts all the way to my dad’s house Truth was, Nolan had been unhappy, al of our se away, but she still seemed so happy to see me And she ames But I wasn’t around…and when I wasn’t, and Nolan was alone, I really didn’t knoas happening The thoughts wereme sick

I was close to empty when I pulled into the driveway My dad and Rosie were sitting at the breakfast bar eating pasta when I caet used to That’s how Nolan’s house always s to care fora common occurrence Not just the usual frozen ones either, but slow-cooked, all-day-prepared meals

"Reed, what are you doing here, son?" Pops said, sliding out a stool with one of his crutches to ood dinner tonight"

A little deflated, I sluot up and fixed me a plate She put the pasta in front of me and kissed ood to see you,back down to finish her dinner

"You staying the night, Kid? Or what,"up frorossed in histo eat himself into another heart attack with all of the food he’d been eating while he was laid up with his leg But, I also knew Rosie, and she found a way to redients She wasn’t above tricking hetti strands around my fork and spoon, I just nodded "Yeah, I think so That okay?" I asked

"Sure is; Jason’s out until toain," he said, but then Rosie cleared her throat a little to remind him she was here "Oh, and Rose of course" He looked up and sht for just a second that o, and instead went back to thinking about my own broken relationship

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I thought about calling Nolan the ht about it again that night, and then again every night for the next teeks But every tiot my phone out and started to punch in her contact, I stopped and realized she wasn’t calling ht about that prick Gavin, and the words he spoke "She’s moved on" Maybe, she has?