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It was all crashing and colliding so loud and hard that I felt like I couldn’t see or hear anything else I actively avoided going to the new shop and even harassed Rule into taking et on top of it and as a result I was drowning in the past and running away froh I told her I would get her sos by the end of the week, I totally blew it off and noas Thursday night and I ell onabsolutely shit-faced with my friend Zeb Fuller at the Bar I also fully intended to take Dixie hoet over the idea of soet into the idea of soate lover, thenme from the end of the bar home with me and her hot, brunette friend was totally welcoood measure and saw her flush and turn to whisper to her friend

I caught Asa’s eye; he atching the shoith a sed I turned back to Zeb, who didn’t look half as impressed as the southern bartender did

"What?" My tone was a little surly and a whole lot sloppy I was chugging J&auer shots like they ater and I think they had finally caught up to ood dude He had been a client first and thenup the nasty jailhouse tattoos he had gotten over the couple of years he had spent locked up The guy was an a crafts more than some Elmer’s Glue and some toothpicks, but life hadn’t always been a picnic for hi the case, I had wanted to help hiested Nash and Rule look into hiring Zeb as the contractor on the new shop, and much to my relief it had worked like a dreadoith sexy nurses, I was on my oayZeb when I needed a drinking buddy for the night

Zeb lifted his Jack and Coke and just looked at " in a tone that clearly

I squinted my eyes a little and tossed back the newly filled shot Asa had placed in front of me with a lifted brow

"What’s with the look, then?"

Zeb was a er than Rome, which was almost unheard of as far as I was concerned He was as covered in ink as I was, and with his shaggy dark hair and scruffy face he was one inti bastard I think I was lucky ere friends or else Ia dick to him

"I don’t knohat’s arunted at rown-ass irl problems away"

I enty-five but felt like I had lived a hundred lifetimes from the moment the cops had showed up at the apartht to tell me my mom was dead They had explained that she had taken a bullet when some punk kid tried to carjack her when she hadn’t h to suit hiht and I had never escaped I had been a grown-ass ht, I should be h to face Salem and the way she had me tied up in knots

"What do you know about it?" I sounded petulant and irritable

Zeb rolled his dark green eyes and his nor mouth twitched at me in unsympathetic humor

"I know she’s about this tall" He held his hand out to about shoulder height "She has a figure that et lost in when the lights go out"

I felt a muscle tic in my jaw as I leaned on the bar and asked Asa as he walked by, "You telling stories?"

He laughed at e over the bar and choke hiood ti irl It’s notat you like you’re her favorite drink and we’re in a drought"

Oh, I could see it all right I just didn’t have the first clue as to what to do with it Well, that wasn’t entirely true After that kiss I had a pretty fking clear idea where everything I was feeling toward Saleht intoPoppy’s na her had awoken and had done et my head out of my pants than any shock of cold water ever could

Could I ever really have loved Poppy the way I thought I had if just the sight of Sale my mouth on her, did more to wind me up than Poppy ever had? I don’t think there was really any way I would’ve been able to kiss Sales I had for Poppy in the past were really as important as I had alwaysthat made no sense and picked upto navigate around I know this girl and she knows me"

Zeb choht he looked like he could be out in the woods so off the land He was the epitoht we shouldto represent us all proudly Yep, I was drunk

"That’s your problem, Rowdy You never want a chick to know you You just want to hit it and quit it so you don’t have to put any effort into it"