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"I’estured around the table "No one here is an idiot I’roundwork to what? Tease irl, I’ll date her If I want to screw a girl, I’ll bang the hell out of her If I want to piss on so to do is let you steer things around so I’ to fucking happen with e of his seat His eyes ide and clear, not narrowed or cagey He placed his palms flat on the table "I kno that shit happens, and that’s not what I was doing I swear The girl was hot last night, and you seemed into her until the ride hohter I was just trying to bring it up in a nice way to see if there was so to fuck with you"

My pulse pounded in hanything back I thought he was co for me, but he wasn’t "Sorry Ito stir anything up," Nate irl up on what she was offering last night Plus, you wanted to hang out with Bruce’s daughter That’s not nor ’e the entire exchange

"Nothing’s there," I told thelanced at Sam "She reminds me of you sorowing thoughtful "Because both our dads are football coaches?"

"No Ielse--"

"There’s trauma there" Mason stood and took his plate to the sink He turned and rested his hands against the counter as he leaned his back on it "His wife died a feeeks before Christmas break last year Coach Bruce was aat his house, right?" Sam asked "We took food over there?"

He nodded "I heard ru with Sebastian then It was all around the same time"

"What do you mean he was amy arms over my chest

"He was always in the fieldhouse I didn’t notice it , but I heard ru medical"

Sa started in me I didn’t like my parents most days, but I loved theazes with ut ht about Sam Her parents weren’t dead, but they’d left her David, Garrett, Analise--all three of her parents had left her at one point or another Shit, I guess our one most of the time, but that was different One phone call and she’d be here She’d be annoying and acting all pretentious, but she’d be here Sao a step beyond that to where the mother actually offed herself?

Is that what had happened to Taylor? Did she see it?

It felt wrong to be talking about it "Let’s shelve this, can we?"

Mason and Nate nodded

"You like her?" Sa anything like Nate had been, so I nodded "Yeah I like her"

Resolve firrew serious "Then I will, too" There was one last piece of o it quickly She gave me another small smile "Sounds like she could use a few friends"

MERLOT AVOIDANCE

TAYLOR

Monday istrar’s office and switched to a different session of Sociology 101 I felt ridiculous--switching a class because of a guy? I was that girl? But I had to face facts Even if Logan and I were friends, as he’d said ere, I couldn’t be stupid I was already da my schedule, I went to my class Mr Fuller, Jeremy--I still didn’t knohat to call him--asked me to wait after class and ith hi I got whenthe weekend We stopped and stared at each other There’d been no easy words between us, orinto Logan anyain to the Honors Study Group that Thursday night, I said I’d go

The small party was at Jeremy’s apartment No professors would be there, but each student could bring a date After he said the last part, he waited, and an aard silence settled between us

I frowned, but nodded "Okay Sounds good"

"Great" He sive you the details during Wednesday’s class, here you go" He scribbled directions to his apartment on a piece of paper "Uh, just re a date I need a head count for ordering food Oh--" His smile softened "And there’ll be wine, and I know some students aren’t twenty-one yet, so if you could keep quiet about the party…yeah…"