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"Here," I said, ia lowered her cup and leaned forward "I’m sorry What was that? It sounded like you said ‘here’ "

"I did I brought hiia both stared atanother bite ofat each of the anyone here"

"Like never," Pepper agreed, nodding, her wildaround her like some fiery niaveto beco"

"Tell ot that narrow-eyed, considering look I thought of it as her "parent" look Which was okay considering my parents didn’t really care one way or another about the co she had my back Even when I didn’t want her there

A businessus Steady as the tide, she never flip-flopped her , and ho how co it must be to be with the same boyfriend since you were sixteen To have that kind of fauard around hied "He enlisted after high school Served two tours What else do you want to know? He lives in a lake cabin his grandfather left hi in Boston"

"So what’s he do now?"

"Reece said he works in a garage," Pepper answered That he’s an aweso up to start his own custom shop"

I looked at her, unable to hold back the question even if it revealed my interest--and how little I still didn’t know about him "He is?"

"Apparently he’s really into bikes"

Maybe that’s what he was doing at Maisie’s then? Rubbing elboith a potential clientele?

"So he sounds interestingaain

I couldn’t stop annoyance froia’s approval of a prospective boyfriend Not that he was a prospective boyfriend He wasn’t a prospective anything as far as I was concerned despite his confidence that he and I weren’t finished

"Why does this feel like an intervention?" I asked before taking another sip

Pepper blinked and pressed a hand to her chest "When did best friends talking get reduced to being labeled an intervention?"

"Yeah We just want to hear about your new--"

"He’s notmy cup in one hand, I approached my closet and pulled ia asked

"I need a shower"

I felt their eyes on s When I turned to face the at ia shook her head "You’re actually running away rather than talk about a guy with us I’ve got to rinned like she had just won so I just need a shower I still set back" Pepper snuggled down into the beanbag chair like she was settling in for a good long stay

"When I get back I’ia h "Oh I know you’ve got it bad now You’re running to the library"