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"For the record," Harlow said, speaking up to break the silence that had fallen between us, "I think Charlie is a very sweet girl, and I think her quiet would be the perfect balance for a guy like you"

I sent her a thankful smile, but it fell when Grahairl you screw once or twice, then never talk to again"

"I don’t knohy people keep saying that, like I’m not already co look "Because I kno you are, just as you kno I aure out what to tell Graha on between Charlie and me at all "This is different," I finally said

My phone chi, I pulled it out to look at who had ed me

My body locked up when I saw her name with a picture below, too small to make out on the lock screen

Words

I ies on my phone, and stood from the chair to head for my room, but stopped when Graham’s voice ricocheted off the walls

"Deacon, what the fuck?" He was pointing at the phone in e I’d felt all too often when I’d seen him lately "This is exactly what I just meant! I know you, man! Is that Charlie?"

"No, she has my real number," I said automatically, defensively

Froht answer "I told you that Charlie isn’t the kind of girl you screw and then leave, but she also isn’t the girl that you keep screwing around on, either You co , and all the while you still have Candy? You get up and leave the second it goes off? I mean, thank Christ you didn’t put Charlie’s nu me?"

I didn’t kno to defend myself or Words to them, when I knew they wouldn’t understand I wouldn’t even kno to explain it Like everything else in ure it out One day, onekiss at a time

"You wouldn’t understand"

"Deac," Knox said warily "I’ht it did just a couple o But this?"

"No, this isn’t okay," Graham finished "You can’t do this to her"

"Even if I could explain it, you wouldn’t understand Just trustaround on Charlie"

"Deacon--"

"I gotta go" I ignored Graha to call me back as I headed towith anticipation as I hurried to pull up the picture Words sent

It was another shot of her journal, like I’d gotten a week ago My eyes skimmed quickly over the top that was scratched out, then to ritten below