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"Because you’re the only one who kno" I watch hi" I put ether like in prayer "Please?"

He huffs and says, "Sure But you’re going to owe me"

Mr and Mrs Madison have a suite at one of the larger hotels in the area Henry is the one who told me that How he knew, I have no idea, but thatet this over with I have to tell the as Trip is there

The front desk calls their room, and then they write down the room number for hest floor Of course, they would be on the highest floor And in a suite

Mrs Madison opens the door and lets ht?" she asks, her eyebrows drawing together

"Everything is fine," I say "Is your husband here? I’d like to talk with him, if it’s not tooto the side as she appraises my face Finally, her mask of indifference slips back over her face But this wo but indifferent She points toward an open door

Mr Madison sits behind a desk in a room that’s more lavish than any office I’ve ever been in He looks up and disaze

"Logan," he says "What brings you here?" He doesn’t look up from his paperwork, but I need to say this anyway

"Mr Madison," I begin "I need to talk to you" I point toward the chair "May I sit down?" He looks up at lasses

"If you must" He steeples his hands on his desk I finally have his attention Good

"I wanted to come to you, as one man to another, sir," I say

"I believe we’re one man short, son," he says

I steel my spine I really can’t help it if he’s not a man "Be that as it ht"

He tosses his pen onto the desk, and I watch it flip until it settles "What are you talking about?"

"Last night, when you dropped Trip and Emily off at her apart, Logan?" he asks "They were engaged, for crying out loud There’s obviously soaze is cool "I know you love her, but let last night prove to you that what they have isn’t dead and gone It’s still very much alive"

"Alive?" I ask

"Yes, alive He still loves her, and she still cares for him" He actually looks sorry "I’m sorry it didn’t work out for you" He starts to shuffle through his papers again I’ dismissed

"Emily won’t return to the apartment until Trip is moves out" I scoot forward in oing to live with me I just wanted to be sure you’re aware"

He shakes his head "No, son," he begins

"I’hter will live exactly where I tell her to live"

"How did that work out for you last year, sir?" I ask I forcefor your peret Trip out of her aparto back there If you don’t, she’ll live with ain, not while he’s there harassing her" I narrow my eyes at hi red now, and his pupils narrow He’s angry, so angry he can barely take in a breath "Do you presuhter will and will not do, Mr Reed?"

"I don’t presu you what you need to do if you’d like to have your daughter back in her own apartet up, adjust my jeans "Always a pleasure, Mr Madison"

I walk toward the door But that’s when I seeat their party yesterday It’s by Mr Madison’s elbow

"I believe this isyour pardon," Mr Madison says "This belongs to Trip" He chuckles and taps his temple "Smart boy that one It’s a shame you don’t have any of his talent" He flips open s "That boy caood, if I do say so myself I’h ive you these?" I ask

"This ht"

Just then, Trip walks in the door His s at s I made, at the plan I cas," I say "I didn’t know you had it in you, Trip"

"It’s funny what you can do when you have a few hours alone to think, isn’t it?" Trip adjusts his suit coat, looking nervous as hell "I did it last night when I aiting up for E , and I won’t clai Not today

Trip smiles at me when I don’t respond He thinks he’s won But I can’t help it I have to do it I rear back and hit Trip in the fking face as hard as I can He falls to the floor like a stone, and Mr Madison rushes from behind his desk He calls for security, but they don’t need to come I’m done here

"Mrs Madison," I say as I walk past her I refuse to run I’ht now That fucker is stretched out on the floor not hter than I have since he caan," she says, inclining her head A smile tickles her lips, but she refuses to let it break "Thanks for dropping by" She covers her h tries to burst forward

"Anyti done

But I stick my head back in at the last ht, if you’re available"

"What tiht? I’ll have Emily send you the address"

"We’ll see you then" She nods at ain as I slip out the door I shake out my hand It hurts like a mother fucker But it was so worth it

Emily

It’s late but I can’t leave yet I haven’t finished listening to et my homework done I paid attention in class, and I even took some notes, but I have to listen to my textbooks, unlike most students I sit in the library and have ood listener, and I can re to listen to someone else read than it does for rasp on the material from today’s classes, I finally take the headphones off I look over my notes and smile I can do this I ah All of my instructors are aware ofeasy forto ith le to learn in the traditional sense--or so says one of nosed processing proble hard for him That’s why he turned to music in the first place I like Dr Ball a lot He kept me after class to talk about my limitations Or lack of limitations, as he ter he puts before ot it I want this I want it so badly I want to excel at soh I read, in a traditional sense, at a first-grade level I’ve kept h It’s ti

Dr Ball is helping each of us plan our individual pieces for the showcase I explained to hian can’t understand music He can’t understand the rise and the fall of the notes, and he can’t understand the tempo or the beat, unless there’s a heavy bass I want to translatehe can understand Dr Ball hooked me up with one of his other students who does audio-visual work, and he’s going to helpI have had in my head for years I wrote it when I used to watch my dad sleep I would wonder why I didn’t , and I know the notes Now I just need to work on the actual presentation