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She turned et a better look at Nolan--as now sitting on her knees in theher shirt off, while those pig-headed assles stood around her hollering, and waiving dollar bills

"Shit!" I said, quickly stepping away froh the seven or eight guys who had gathered to watch Nolan’s little strip tease, and put my knee up on the table to reach for Nolan’s hand She recoiled ather hair back froh to show the hate in her eyes

"Fuck you, Reed Don’t touch me," she slurred

Great I wonder how

"Okay, Princess Ti coh over ht that dangled above "You wanna stop that now? I’ a scene And you’re about to bust a light bulb"

She huffed, and finally went limp over my shoulder, as I stepped down from the pool table and walked past Jason, Dylan and Jenny I paused for a ht in the face "You breathe a word of this to anyone, and I swear to God, Jason…I will fking kill you," I said, no hint of hesitation in my voice at all I turned at that, and continued out the door, which Sarah, Becky and Sienna were now holding for me

"Thanks," I said as they followed er seat and forced her to buckle up, sla the door on her while she sat there and pouted "I’ her to my house Her parents don’t need to see this Can everyone fit in your car, Sarah?"

She just nodded and waved ot in the driver’s side and peeled out a little, the energy frohout the , her chin balanced aardly on her hand I just sighed heavily and kept on driving

"Don’t sigh at nized this; we’d done this before But not since ere kids I thought it was better not to engage, but so told me she wouldn’t let that slide

"Oh, more silent treatment, huh? Like when you didn’t call me for six weeks, and I locked rily, and I winced a little at thery withwhat I kno I kept ed between us tonight didn’t count Nolan just huffed again, and we drove the rest of the way in silence

When I pulled in the driveway tosoftly in the passenger’s seat When I opened her door, I took her in for a ht about kissing them for a second when she lurched forward and sprayed vo back She looked up atShe was crying again God, I felt like such an assle

"I’ their way to her face so she could hide

I shooka little and reached over to unbuckle her "It’s okay; I’ll shower," I said softly, not wanting to wake anyone and not wanting to scare her She was so fragile, and it was killing ot you"

I lifted her in my arms, and her body went limp into me I carried her up the stairs and into ht Nolan clearly needed to be near a bathrooht decision when she rolled from my bed almost the instant I’d set her down and stu an arm across her ’s booze to escape her body I’d never seen anyone throw up soher hair into a ponytail when she finally seeht next to the toilet, her ar on the lip of the bowl I stood and leaned back into the wall, away froht to stay open I was exhausted fro, but I couldn’t take my eyes fro in theo away It both captivated and crushed aze up th, and then finally caht on my eyes We stared into each other for several seconds when her lip started to quiver a little and the tears, the same ones I’d seen in the kitchen, started to slide down her cheek again