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Her ex ignored her, staet it--I hurt you But you can’t go around telling every studio in town not to hire ood! You can’t--"

"I haven’t done a da," she interrupted coldly "I know you tried to apply at our new place, but you’re cuckoo-frickin’-crazy if you think my dad would ever hire you As for the other studios in Boston, did you ever stop to think thatyou is because they knohat a pathetic screwup you are?"

Troy’s entire face collapsed "I got fired from Razor’s, Brett I need this job"

"There is no job Not at my shop, and clearly nowhere else, either" She inhaled slowly "You need to go now"

"Or what?" He cast a petulant look at AJ "You’ll sic this crazy ain?"

"No" She set her jaw "I’ll beat the crap out of you myself"

AJ’s faint snicker made Troy’s nostrils flare

"You knohat?" he muttered "Screw you, Brett Screw both of you I’ up with your BS anymore" His whole body swayed as he stumbled toward the staircase "Have a nice life"

Unsteady footsteps echoed down the stairs, followed by the deafening slaain walked out of her life, Brett looked over at AJ, unsure of what to say

She wanted to apologize to hi hi up for her

But then she glimpsed the swollen red mark beneath his cheekbone, and all she wanted to do was take care of him

"Come on, we should put some ice on that"

Neither of therabbed a bag of frozen peas from the freezer, then pressed it to AJ’s cheek

God, she hated that he’d gotten hurt defending her, but she knew she’d never forget the lightning speed hich he’d er that had rippled in his roped muscles

And yet she wasn’t surprised when he voiced a quick, shay

"I’m sorry I shouldn’t have wailed on him like that"

Frustration claized for who he was As he once again ducked behind the mask and hid another part of himself from the world

He’d done it earlier too, when they’d been around his friends Darcy’s coldness had been annoying, but that wasn’t the sole reason Brett had been upset when they’d gotten home She hadn’t liked the way AJ had acted at the club Mr Good Guy, pouring drinks for everyone, bending over backward toback the raunchy re to her