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The front door opened and Dixie stepped outside wearing a pair of cutoff jeans and a plaid shirt that was tied in a knot, her sto rapidly She was barefoot and looked exactly like every southern boy’s fantasy Any boy’s fantasy "Hey," she said with the tiniest of s None of the pain I’d seen in her eyes two days back was there anymore I wasn’t sure how I felt about that I didn’t want her hurting, but I also hoped she loved h to hurt fro her face

She shrugged "Good Better I talked to my daddy"

The way she said "my daddy" with relief in her voice told me her father had cleared the air of the lies that we all had believed

"So you know the truth, then?" I asked

She frowned Blew through her lips "Yeah, but it isn’t what Asher thinks"

I nodded "We know Molanced toward our house "Oh, really, when?"

"Two o I would’ve been here sooner, but we all kinda needed some timeto dealyou know?"

She turned her eyes back to me The sudden sadness in them made me want to kick myself Why did I tell her I’d known for two days without co to her? How stupid was that of me?

"I’m sorry," I muttered, "so sorry"

She forced a smile and shook her head "No, it’s okay I also knew and didn’t come to you I just" she paused and nervously sed "Never uess"

"Yeah, it has," I agreed I then reached out to take her hand inyou I loved you even when I thought it rong I couldn’t turn that off"

She dreard, tensed, her gaze flicking back toward ain I knew then that this was about Asher She aiting on him, which hat I should’ve expected I should’ve known this would happen He was the one she’d lost and never gotten over It ritten all over her face

"I waited on him," I told her "He’s the reason I didn’t co hi and told me to come see you Not to make you wait That I loved you more than he ever could and you deserved that Not him"

The pain in her eyes intensified and I wanted to roar at the unfairness Why did Dixie have to do this to me? I’d waited on her, been faithful to her because I loved her and wanted it to work Why did she have to want hio

I was here He wasn’t

"Oh," she said, unable to look up She studied her hands instead

Just a fucking "oh"