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"Useless bastard" Then he spits on him

"Really?" I ask Tommy

"What? It’s my favorite shirt"

Tommy may have a touch of sociopath in hi up by his collar, ain, if she glimpses you on the streetI’ll kill you with h the door

Out on the paveedy of his stained shirt and glances at me "You laid it on pretty thick at the end"

"What do you mean?"

We take the stairs down to the subway

"I ain, we’d bust hi, wouldn’t we?"

I take a moment to think about my answer before I respond

"Yeah Sure ould I was justa point"

Like I saidso that a lot lately Even when I don’t catch hi it, I feel it--like the brush of a hand on ly And the spot on htI can still feel that too

I’ve talked with Olivia about e our lives How it’s inize thean orried that Mitchell did would change who I aed who I think other people are I can’t help that It seen But ns, and I missed them

Now I know to look beneath the surface, to be smarter--to question that what’s on the outside, the words people say and the things they do, oing on, on the inside

I talked to Logan about it too, a few days later About people who lie, ers on his right hand and told ns of lying--they fidget or freeze They either move too much or work too hard to notabout their look will seem unnaturaloff Anytime someone has to put effort into their words, you can bet what they’re saying is a stea crock of shit"

"Fade Into You" by Mazzy Star plays fro it up the wall It’s a good song to paint to Slow and rhythmic

I’rown the coffee shop into a chain of "pay what you can" restaurants across the city This’ll be the third one, and the grand opening is in a feeeks, so I’ things up--and an leans against the wall behindme When the wall is covered in its first coat of paint, I lay the brush on a cloth on the floor and turn around to face him

"What?"

He shifts his eyes froo, to me

"What ‘what’?"

"Do I have paint in my hair?" I twist an scoffs "No"

"Then what’s with the deep-thoughted glares? I can hear you thinking from here"

He tilts his head and rubs his chin "You should learn how to fight"

"Like Ronda Rousey? If God wanted hter, don’t you think he would’ve an shakes his head "Like self-defense You should kno to protect yourself"

"I thought it was your job to protect an crosses his arainst the sleeves of his dress shirt, and waits for me to answer

"Okay"