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"I’ll come check on you in thirtySTART on the iPad, propping it on her night table and backing out of the roo with about a million prayers that she doesn’t need it any more

"So…does that mean you have cookies?" Casey asks I stare at hi if you have cookies, then…maybe…I can have one?"

"Do you have food of your own? Iback to the stairs

"I have food, douchebag," he says, paused at the top of the steps "I just like yours better"

I take a few steps, then so halts ht catches my attention, especially since I’ve walked by it at least forty times since Leah woke e called hours ago, but it hitsdown the stairs to the charging station next to our refrigerator My phone isn’t even on It was so dead when I got off the phone with her the first tiive it a good charge and call her back when Leah was napping Only Leah never napped, and I never called "Godda to power up, but it finally does I sort through e, just an update fro in a half-day at her job at the church and will be ho and redial Paige, soo now! The phone rings twice before going right to voiceet the sa the phone into the middle of the counter I flip open the lid on the plastic container and pull out a cookie When Casey’s eyebrows light up, I hand him one too

With hishis lips, he finally talks "Gonna fill ht there?" he asks, taking another bite and leaning into the table

"I was supposed to call soot into the whole voback into the cookie tub He arches a brow and shrugs when I catch hi co athe’s always done where he waits on the verge of laughter He used to look at rade school until I finally broke out into laughter I’d always get in trouble, and that fuck nut would turn around and pretend he was doing homework I reach across the counter and puthi at ," I say

"Like what?" he says, still al

"Like…like a creepy asshole," I say

"This is about that girl you want toone chuckle out--one big, loud, punctuated chuckle

I take the rest of his cookie fro an easy three hundred a ht now That’s what this is about," I say, throwing the rest of his cookie away I know it’s a waste, but dickhead doesn’t deserve one of Moht now

"First off, dude? What the fuck?" he says, actually pulling the cookie out of the trash and inspecting it before deciding it’s still good and eating the rest whole "And second, you could rent that rooivewhat he said I don’t respond, because he ht, and that only pisses me offit back in ht," he’s already grinning "But it’s not about the girl It’s about the fact that I don’t like being an asshole I made an offer to her, and then kind of blew her off I just don’t want her to think I’ the penetrating stare of my friend I don’t care what he thinks, and I don’t care if he’s a little bit right Even though, yeah…there’s a part ofhere, because she’s a hot girl who I find interesting--but irl who I don’tnear Leah or alone with o--badly from what I could tell--is also sort of important