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"Okay," he said, kicking his hands forward intoin on his s nice" He s to seeinside, full of possibility But as I watched hihtto fall too far And when Jason turned to giveto Jenny, I questioned everything all over again

Chapter 12

Reed

When I left to join Dylan and Jason at the Hyatt restaurant for our business ainst ed for an infor staff To make it all seem accidental and infor out…like a date And when Dylan suggested that Jason and Jenny join us to just retted that now

Seeing Nolan’s face in the stands broughtame started But damn if I wasn’t relieved to have her onbefore you in edy, but I had my life play before me the moment I locked eyes on Nolan I reht out her face in the crowd, just to knohere she was I’d been doing it since ere kids, really Before I was hers, and she was mine I didn’t knohat the pull was then, but I understood it now And I’ll be daht

I noticed the hurt on her face when she saw me leave with Jenny I’d have to explain what really happened, where ent, and what she was doing there I kneould But I had a lot of work to do before then I had tothat had broken onto tryat my mother’s on Thursday, and why I had to put offmy life with Nolan until Friday I had offered to take ht soften her up a little, but she was excited to see ether She had a special dinner prepared, and we ate at her house with Sam I liked Sam I did He was nice to ht But he wasn’t a fighter, like et her way And I didn’t need any extra players working against ht, so I waited to talk to my mother in private after dinner was done

Sam had retired to his office to "Take care of sorown to know that hen ars and brandy When he left, I joined mom out on her patio for coffee I didn’t really like coffee, but I’d drink it I’d drink anything to ht I was nervous, like a child asking their parent for so to them, and required trust and faith I think what scared me most was that my mom wouldn’t have either in me, not about this But I also knew that if I didn’t try, I’d regret it for the rest of my life

"Hey, Mom? I need to ask a favor of you," I started as we slid into the co pool and water features near her patio

"Of course, Reed sweetheart Anything, you know that, right?" she said, and I hoped like hell she ly

I sat up and turned sideways to face her,onfro it would reveal soh this Taking a deep breath, I looked up at my mom, the woman who raisedit took to make me happy "I need you to help Nolan," I said, ht fro ht line, not a s perhaps? She set her cup down on a table and sat up to face aze down Afraid? "Reed…what kind of trouble is Nolan in?"

"She’s had sos happen this semester…sort of a really shitty run of luck," I started,my knee at oing, taking in another deep breath before getting to the meat of my request "Anyhow, she’s been distracted--like, really distracted, Mom And her scholarships are in jeopardy And you and I both kno much those mean to her, how important they are to her…"