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"Hey," Daniel puts his hands on my arms to calm me, but it has to opposite effect I want to push hi bridges?" he re, but my dad…?"

I’ve never told him enuinely thrown here, because he softens "I’m sorry," Daniel adds "I didn’t mean to ambush you But, he called me, and then dinner came up…"

My blood freezes "He called you?" Shit, this can’t be good "What does he want?" I de" Daniel’s forehead creases with concern "He says you haven’t returned any of his calls"

"That’s because he hasn’t rit my teeth Trust my father to act like the concerned parent when it suits hiht" Daniel looks into ut Here I a to reunite me with my family, hat I’ve done is orse

"Fine" I nod I can suck it up for one night, it’s the least I can do

Daniel breaks into a sirl"

I wait until he’s ahead ofthe vial from my pocket One, two, three, four I hesitate ahot under the neckline ofto need it

Dinner crawls by at a snail’s pace Daniel happily chats to Carina and Alexander over the appetizers, about his job-hunt and all the studying he’s doing for the Bar Exam I sink lower in my seat and silently count how many times Alexander insults my sister, and how many drinksplans going?" Daniel asks Alexander, as Carina brings in the main course: some fancy dish with tiny squabs and a drizzle of sauce "Did you pick a date yet?"

"Don’t ask me" Alexander snorts "I’ll be surprised if she tells ht and day Chicken or beef? Beige or winter white?" He mimics sarcastically "Sometimes, I wonder what she needs ht, to foot the bill"

My dad laughs "Just as long as this one sticks, right sweetie?"

Carina flushes at the reuy ditched her for a job in Asia, and she called off the second when he lost his high-paying finance job and they had to give up their apart himself another from the bottle of wine stationed by his place "I’ether"