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"Not yet I have work to do," I whisper, rubbing the pang she just caused in od, she’s going to be the end of me "Soon, baby," I concede On your birthday When I want noho you with irl?"

"First tell uy"

She misses me

It’s in her voice, in how she speaks to irl And, Melanie?"

She’s quiet on the other end of the line, breathing hard

I add,to eat YOU UP when I get in As long as I have breath into be ," she whispers

Oh, yeah, she’ll definitely be the end of ht we said no majesty jokes"

"It wasn’t a joke," she counters Then she adds, "Grey?"

"Yeah?"

"I knew you’d call This is why I’ll never sell the necklace"

"I’ll always call, necklace or no necklace Let it go, baby, and I’ll give you sorip onto her I re for Riptide in the Underground She was bouncing up and down, claely assured, and a little voice in my head said, This one’s ot my marks in my pocket and a debt slashed--I’d been had

All of me, part of ot it all perfectly planned

Two more marksaside from princess I’ll retrieve the evidence for that second-to-last one in Denver, and I’ll take care of shit that night while the tea smoothly Then I fly to Seattle just in tiet to tell her that no, baby, I wasn’t spawned froet to roan as the first flicker of hope I’ve had in years takes root inside et some sleep even when I already knoon’t Not until I know both irls are safe and sound and with round is exactly as I remember

Crowded

Noisy

Stinky

Nervous about encountering anyPandora toward our ringside seats, and that’s when I spot her

My best friend Dark hair in a ponytail, skinny jeans, spaghetti-strap top She’s staring up at the ring as the two fighters work each other to the point of collapse

"BROOKE!" I call as I start running over, and she leaps out of her seat

She’s been h to wear halves of a locket that said "Best Friends" and broke right in the middle Naturally I still have my part in a little box under ot it back Which is fine, because our friendship itself has never broken I’ve never fought, loved, or had as irl as I’ve had withinvolved e hug today after ht squeeze, we both push each other back to h inspection I want to irl, but, holy shit, Brooke looksthere are no words for the shine in her eyes and in her hair and in her s care of her, he freaking adores the Jesus out of her