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"Yes! A cake!" I ju can cheer et it?"

"Philrabs the car keys from the hook beside the back door "They have the best cakes And we can buy stuff for your dinner there too"

"Can I have anything I want?" I ask as I pick up my purse from the counter and start for the front door

"Of course," Jax says, but he pauses in the entryway, allowing Mason to run out the door Then he turns tookay?"

I nod as I slide the handle of my purse over my shoulder "Yeah, ouldn’t it be?"

"Because I heard you crying last night," he says "And it seems like you’re upset today More than usual"

"I’m fine," I lie "Just a little tired"

"Are you worried about bills? Because I can help with that Avery, you need to start lettingpainfully reminded of the credit card debt "It’s just… stuff And I don’t want you helping with money That’s my problem"

"Avery--"

"Conner showed up at work last night" I figure that’s the best route to go, staying away from the dad situation

"What! Are you serious?"

"Shh…" I point outside to where Mason is twirling around on the front lawn "Don’t let him hear you"

"Sorry" He lowers his voice "But he seriously showed up at your work? God, he’s so fking stupid"

I nod and then, even though I don’t want to, I give him a brief rundown of what happened After I’m finished, he’s silent for what feels like an eternity before he speaks again

"We really need to get hih and I instantly regret telling hi to make that happen I call the police every time he shows up, but he always bails out" I fold in to smolder "And besides, you knoell as I do that, unless he does so to let hio back to jail" Jax steps out the door and into the waruy"

"You don’t even know him," I point out as I follow him out and close the door behind me, "so how can you like him?"

Jax finds the house key on the chain and locks the door "Because he made you feel safe, Avery And I’m pretty sure no one has ever done that for you, even me"

"Conner did once," I mutter as Mason races up to the Jeep and throws the door open "But that’s because I was stupid"

"You weren’t stupid," he says as we head down the sidewalk for the driveway Even though it’s nearing the end of Septe cri the yard beautiful I wish it could look that way forever, but I know that the petals will eventually wilt and fade as the seasons change, and life will change with it "You just wanted to get out We both wanted that"

Jax is right Drea for freedom fro for that in Tristan, though I’ for in hi tiht, only the stars really know And I’uess I’rocery store in the sa built They have the best cakes that have ever existed in the whole orld

Forty-fiveup and down the aisles of the store My cake was supposed to be ready by noon, but the baker is running behind schedule, so we gather some stuff for my birthday dinner while ait

"I want kabobs withof skewers on a shelf "With potatoes and chicken and to," Jax tellsof skewers into the cart "Kabobs it is"

Mason and I high five then Jax steers the cart toward the vegetable section so we can get etable requests That particular section of the store is right by the deli, which really doesn’t matter except for today Because today, there are people standing at that deli

At first, I think I’ the I could co into Nova, Quinton, and Tristan

"Shit," I curse under my breath as I duck behind the cart of toapes down at ?" he asks with a toe of the toaze scans the store while Mason messes around with a basket of tomatoes beside h" I liftup and point tohere I’m pretty sure the deli is "Tristan is over there"

"And?" he asks in confusion while exa deal

But it is A super huge deal Because I’m here with my family that none of theht," I lie, feeling like an ass

"Why not?"

"Because it’s e"