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I shrugged

"Is this a girl friend or a guy friend?" he asked, just as though he had the right

I cleareddeal Like I said, we’re just going out to dinner"

He nodded, rubbing his jaw and looking at his feet "It’s not your ex, is it?" he asked quietly, his voice low

"It’s not," I rushed to answer, a little defensive because I had considered that idea, albeit briefly

"Just a friend, huh?" he asked blandly

"Yep"

"So why does it have to be just the two of you? That seems more like a date to me"

I felt my temper rise a bit "What if it was a date? Would there be so with that?"

Hehis face close I was sitting cross-legged, and his hand found oing to date for a while? Didn’t Lucy tell you that you should avoid that for now, and didn’t you agree with her?"

"I thought we agreed eren’t going to nag each other? Wasn’t that on our stupid list?"

"There’s a difference between nagging, and expressing concern"

"Now you sound like Lucy," I said dryly

"Who is this guy you’re going out with tonight? Why have I never heard about these plans until today?"

I hated, absolutely despised, that he sounded like a concerned parent just then "How about we add this to our list? I don’t get to ask you about who you fucked last night, and you don’t get to ask o out with"

He looked around, eyes wide "Watch the language The kids"

The boys had rown up talk They were currently wrestling with Pupcake in the sandbox by the fence

"You should fucking talk," I pointed out sharply

"I’ve gotten better, haven’t I?"

He had a point He’d ie around the kids faster than anyone could have predicted

"Fine, I’ll drop it," he said, his tone dark "What ti him somewhere at nine"

"That seems late And he can’t even be bothered to pick you up? You can do better, boo"

"You’re an ass," I told hi exception to the bite in his tone "It washim from me? You worried I’ll scare hihto throttle hi, I don’t know…overprotective? The thought of you being alone with souy makes me…worry"

"Well, don’t Where I’e has already been done There’s nothing left to protect un to back off, but atwar "What on earth does that mean?"

I blinked rapidly I couldn’t believe I’d said so like that, and to hih sy back tears I hated syly affected by it "It’s nothing Certainly nothing you want to hear about"

"I certainly do Please I want to know just what you e has already been done?"

All of it, I thought "Nothing," I said

He didn’t buy that for a second "We’re friends You can tell "

I mulled that over Was that true? I was in a mood to find out "Promise you won’t feel sorry forsure they were out of trouble, and out of earshot

"I pro into the tree house opening and pulling atwhen he had ainst ri, really It’s old news, and not even that big of a deal It’s just…you never have to be protective of me I can take care of myself, and even if I can’t, I know from experience that I’ll survive it, whatever it is"

"I don’t like the sound of that," he said softly, one of his handsinto my hair

Gently, he turned my head to look at him "What the hell does itabout your ex? Do I need to go and hurt him?"

I shook my head "He was a mistake, and a royal asshole, but no, that’s not what I h you can’t protect me from assholes, either That’s my choice to make What I mean is that I’m not so tih I am"

"Is that really what you think? That only innocents deserve protection?"

The bastard had pulled a Lucy on ht? As I considered the question, I realized that I did, at least as it pertained to me

I was ee rained for that

I shrugged, turninghis other hand to tip my chin up