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I drop a stack of books onto the table "About what?"

"About your feelings for her"

I shakeher on a date"

I hear him chuckle under his breath "Well, that’s norive it a try See if I like it"

"I’ rooh his hair "Okay, so since I know for a fact that you’re an idiot when it coive you some advice Take her somewhere nice and don’t try to fk her in your truck"

"I’ainst the entertainment center with his arms folded "I know you’re not a moron, but I’ve witnessed over the last year how irl that walks and how ive you exactly what you want And nors work You have to put effort into it"

I scratch the back of my neck "How much effort?"

He hitches his thumb toward the bedrooht you were so sure she was a slut," I reht have been a little overdraht to lay off her because he thinks she’s vulnerable" He raises his hands as he backs away "I don’t get why and he wouldn’t tell e" He pauses at the doorway "You should make a note of that"

I roll my eyes "Thanks"

"No problem" He leaves me alone to unpack boxes and theout of anize the house until around five o’clock, stopping at the second beer, and by the time I knock on the door to see if Violet is ready,she’ll bail on our date because I’ through ainst everything I’ve ever believed about relationships and I’irl that has proble about, the helpless side that lives underneath her toughness, and getting involved with herthat on

Can I do it?

When she opens the door, however, all thoughts of bailing out, terror, and confusion float fro to ask you if you were ready, but I think I haveready, seeing how it’s my first date and all," she s with her hair that runs down her bare shoulders in curls Her green eyes are framed with black and the short, red and black dress that she’s wearing hugs her body so tightly I seriously alht to the end of the date But that sort of defeats the purpose of keeping things simple

So instead I offer her ht you said you weren’t a gentleh uide her out into the hallway, both of us in way too cheery of ah at h harder "Put yourself out there How brave of you"

"It’s extreainst" I open the door and walk outside, steering her down the stairs with me

The sky is a pale pink as the sun sets behind the e I don’t knohat to do other than keep going forward, with her

Deciding to keep the whole gentle, I open the door for her This onlyto hold her dress down and I get a glimpse of her ass, barely covered by a thin piece of lacy fabric Clenchinght’s about I start the truck and back up as she begins going through the tape collection inherself to anization, but I let her be, and it’s complicated how easy it is

" ‘My Fuck Tape’ " She reads the label with hulances up atunder her breath

I grab the tape and toss it on the floor beneath my seat "I should probably throw that one away"

"Why?" She slouches back against the door "Are you planning never to fk again?"

I rollht now cru "That all depends"

"On what?"

Don’t say it "On how tonight goes"

"So are you saying that you’re only going to fk rin "Or that if tonight doesn’t go well, you’ll go back to fking every skank in a short dress"

I shake e to pull the truck over, throw her down on the seat, and do what I’s like that that in"

She rests her elbow on the seat back and rests her head against her hand, playing with her hair as she continues to chew on her bottoet you all riled up so I can see that intense look in your eyes"

I grip the steering wheel tighter as I turn side our aparthts shine down on the sidewalks, houses, and trees that border the road The shallow hts flicker in the heart of the town I drive in that direction as I turn up the music, unable to think of a response to her blunt reive up?" She twirls a lock of her hair around her finger with the most beautiful real s her get the upper hand worth it

"I guess I did," I say submissively "You should be proud of yourself"

Her lips turn doard "I’" I press on the brakes to slon for a stoplight