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Finn snorts

"We were all so close growing up," she explains "And when they broke up, it eird how fast Luke sort ofanyone who slept with hi hiiving her a wary s an innocent guy Luke is in charge of his ga as she nods "It’s just a habit because old Luke was so loyal and committed" When she says this,else I’ve seen, that version of Luke isn’t very hard to iine "But maybe you can see why it’s weird for us? I mean, not for me," she adds quickly "Honestly, London, I think it’s kind of cool It just took Mia a beat to feel that way, too, and by then she’d called Harlow--"

"Her first ot protective," Lola finishes with an apologetic shrug "It’s her thing"

"I get it," I tell the like I’ve mis-stepped somehow, I also don’t want to feel like I have to defendbroke up withway that they’re all reassuring

"I really don’t want things to be weird," I tell them

"They’re not," Lola says, and then revises: "I mean, if they are, it’s just a blip Seriously, you wouldn’t have even known about it if you hadn’t co, because I swear Harloill be over it in a couple of hours"

She means this to make me feel better, but it doesn’t I "wouldn’t have even known about it" because no one would have bothered to tell otiated away during their breakfast UN su up I"But seriously, tellI need to say to either of them"

Everyone nods with sympathetic enthusiasm at this--they kno scary it can be to be on the receiving end of Harlow’s anger--but surely they can’t really i end of Harlow’s anger She doesn’t know roup, after all She ain I curse the bu-term boyfriend suck up all ofme isolated as hell I have a hundred acquaintances, and few true friends Is iton a dimpled smile and small talk tothey know me?

The only person I have to call and process this with is Ruby, and she’s so far away and knows this group even less well than I do The one person around here who sometimes seems to understand me best is Not-Joe--Dylan--and I didn’t even know his actual nao

But that’s not entirely true: Luke seeet me, better than I’d like to let him believe Unfortunately, he’s flaky, has douchey friends, is a wo’s drama?--is coht cut through the entryway to Fred’s as I open the door the next night I haven’t worked here that long, but after a few shifts in a row at Bliss, Fred’s feels falad to be back

Fred is behind the bar when I get there, and he looks up, s as I near him

"We missed you around here, kid," he says "The other bartenders are all scared of ive lad my insubordination tickles you"

"You have fun at your fancy new place?" he asks

"It’s fine," I say with a shrug and a little sh to leave it at that

I start s I need to bring from the back, what needs to be refreshed "Been busy today?" I ask

Fred nods and leans back against the bar "Some softball tourna, too," he adds with a grin "Better get your jar ready"

He isn’t kidding, and the first half of ht Fred has dropped seven dollar bills into the car fund and thus has started suggesting I take another couple of shifts at Bliss