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What did I just get myself into?

He dips his ainst my skin "Because he doesn’t kno to use the table saw"

Okay, he has to knohat he’s doing to rip the table for support before my knees buckle out on me "But can you do me a favor?"

Another war you want, Avery" His voice is hoarse like his words are affecting him just as much as they arein every way iht tone "Can you lay off on the flirting while we do this? Or I ht have to take one of your brownie points away"

He hesitates then leans away His face is still hovering near one of ful tattoos branded on ht above the scars It’s of a half dead, half thriving tree and is the one he wrote about on the cupboard, the tattoo he never got to fully see Right now, his lips are close enough he could taste the words and I swear he’s going to kiss the ink Or h so he can see the tip of uys thing?" he asks, his voice coled whisper "Even after all the brownie points I earned?"

I’ And I have to take several breaths before I can speak in an even tone "Of course Why would I ever break that awesoht of ht, fair deal" He gives o of one of my hands to turn on the saw "But can I ask, how oing out without on a date God, it’s been so many years I wouldn’t even knohat to do with reed to a date led to years of pain and abuse

"A hundred," I tell him

He pauses for what feels like an eternity

"Two a day," he finally muses

"Two a day? Huh?"

"I’d have to earn two points a day while I’ out withto be here for a couple ofall ravelly "Besides,else"

His words reverberate through ly even "Like what?"

He shifts nearer "I’ll have to think about it for a while, but I’ maybe I could see that tattoo on your back"

"No one sees the tattoo onand breathing on the back of et hiht because I like the sound of his voice and the feel of his breath

I open et to find out because he starts in on a short instructional on how to cut a board After he’s done explaining, we get to work, guiding the long piece of wood through the saw blade By the ti better than I did thisdrowned out by the loud hu of the saw

We cut about five boards before Tristan shuts off the saw and steps back to add the cut boards into a pile As the silence sets in, I find

"So why are you here this late?" Tristan asks casually as he drops a board onto the stack "Is it because you had to leave early that day and you’re stillup the hours?"

I nod as I adjustthat up I have a hard ti very much sleep the last few days"

"You shouldn’t work yourself so hard" He dusts sawdust off his hands "And Wilson’s not so hardcore that you have to make up the time"

"I’m fine and I need to make it up--it’s important," I tell him and he shoots s then bends over to scoop up another board "It’s just that I saw you sleeping in your Jeep earlier… and you looked really out of it, so I asked Nova to go wake you up before anyone else found you"

I grow uneasy again at his kindness and end up cracking a joke to break the tension because things are soEasy even "Wow, pretty boy’s got a sweet side to his at his lips "You’re one interesting person, Avery…" He trails off as he stands back upright with another board "What is your last nas, which isn’t my name anymore, but it was for four years and it’s hard to break that kind of habit--to break any habit "What’s yours?"

"Morganson" He deliberatively pauses "So can I ask why you haven’t been sleeping very well?"

"I had finals online the last couple of weeks but they’re over now, so I should be good" I wait for hi at it

"So you’re tiredness has nothing to do with Conner?" He finally looks up at aze directed on the board "Your ex-husband?"

And there it is

Broken

Silence

"No, it’s not hiht unco happened at the bar"

"And that’s a good thing, right?" He probably wantsto--can’t

"Yeah, it’s a good thing I promise"

He relaxes his hold on the board "Good You shouldn’t be hanging out with a guy like that" He drops the board onto the table and lines it up with the blade "So school, huh? I thought I was the only one crazy enough to do classes online"

"Yeah, well, I kind of have to, otherwise I’d never have tilad when it’s over"

He glances over his shoulder atridiculously boring What about you?"

"I asked you first"

"Yeah, but I don’t want to tell you because you’ll probably think I’ wounded by my words "I’m kind offended that you think that way of "

I roll my eyes "Oh whatever You’re flattered by the conversation we’ve been having"

"Why would you think that?" Aerated eye roll "Because I’ve been flirting with you and you know it" The truth escapes under no control of my own