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Layton let out a long sigh "Shit, Reed, you’re going to have your hands full for three weeks"

I laughed "Nah, I already called Kevin Now that he’s ho for a job, so he said he could help out around here"

"Damn, I owe him one Tell him thanks foron with Courtney, but I think soer That night you, uh…well, when you were drunk and said all that shit, she got drunk andto me that has bothered"What was it?"

Layton took a deep breath and said in a whispered voice, "She looked at ed hiht she was talking about you until I really thought about it I think she was talking about someone from her past"

I feltto stop? And what did he do?" I whispered back

"I don’t know I’ve wanted to ask Whit so many times, but I don’t think she really knows either She has h school and that she changed For a few years, she hated all guys and wouldn’t date"

I shookback to the conversation Whitley and I’d had in the hotel "Yeah, Whitley said the sa to push Courtney, or you know, piss her off"

I let out a laugh "I already pro, Layton Just enjoy your honeyht Have a fun three weeks," Layton said with a laugh

Bastard I still couldn’t believe he and Whitley had set up Courtney and me like that I hit End on ure out what in the hell I was going to do for the next three weeks I was going to be alone with the only girl I’d ever loved, the only girl I’d ever wanted to be with, and the only girl who scared the fuck out of me

I sat back in the chair and ran h I flashed back to ed her to stop crying, and she wouldn’t

She’d just kept rocking back and forth, saying, He left us He left us He never loved us

I’d vowed right then at the age of ten that I would never fall in love and risk hurting anyone likebut bring heartache

Then, I’d , and all I’d found e not to fall in love with her The ht it, the more I’d fallen deeper in love with her Now, all I wanted to do was take away the pain that everyone else had caused her I prayed to God that I would never, ever be the cause of any of her pain

I stood up and walked over to the elk stew heating up on the stove when I heard sos jumped up and ran out of the kitchen I turned and walked into the living roo screa the way I threw the bedroo around on the bed

Courtney was crying out, "Stop! Please stop! No…please, God, no Please don’t do this again, Noah Please stop!"