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I retreat froarettes fro five o’clock, whichup soon I decide to s ret the trip, though, as I puff onexcept bills Water Power My tuition is also due Not that it’s high because I qualify for grants, but a few hundred bucks equals a e back up the driveway, I frown at the envelopes in my hand I really need to find a new, better job Need to find Mason a daycare Need to stop thinking about irl who says she’swhen I reach the pavement of the ay, I take ato tell h the stars aren’t out "With the bills Conner Taylor Tristan Is that why I ran into hi hi he needs is a mess in his life" Silence isanswers from you I would have if you wouldn’t have showed up when I died"
As someone clears their throat frohbor, Mrs Felish, is standing at the fence line, staring at ive her a small s into her house and probably locking the door
Great Now the neighbors think I’er near the drivehile finishing off arette, stuck in my own head I eventually take outof the last phone nuh ould she when I made it clear I don’t want to talk to her?
A few seconds later, I hear the booht red Chevy Nova driving up the road It’s a rare enough car that I knoho it belongs to It pulls into e next toout lyrics at the top of her lungs as she flails her ar at her I can’t see into the backseat, so I have no idea if Tristan is in there
Just chill out Everything will be okay It’s probably better if he doesn’t show up
The ets out of the car, enthusiastically waving "Hey!" She raises a plastic bag that she’s holding "We brought snacks"
"Awesoarette in a flowerpot near the garage "You can take the, and he’s super weird about people being in the kitchen with him"
Nova nods as she rounds the back of the Jeep and Quinton hurries up to her and takes her hand I’m about to head in the house because it doesn’t look like anyone else is getting out of the car, but ht of him makes me acutely aware that not only am I a liar to other people, but I lie to myself all the time Because it is better that he showed up, nomyself
I want him here
With me
Want to let hiaze drifts across the lines of my home before his eyes automatically find rin forms as heso the same black T-shirt he had on at the store, but the over shirt is gone Faded jeans ride low on his hps and a collection of leather bands is on his wrist Even with the dark and punkish attire, his bright blue eyes, and blond hair scream sexy, pretty boy charmer
"Hey" I wave at him, hyperaware that Nova and Quinton have scurried into the house and left us alone outside
"So…" He stops in front ofuncomfortable
"So…" I say, equally as uncohter at the aardness
"Wow, I think this is one of the s we’ve had" He scratches the back of his neck, glancing over at a little yapping dog in Mrs Felish’s yard
"Sorry," I tell hi for
Apparently he’s confused by the apology too, because when his blue eyes return to me, his forehead is creased with puzzle about Jax and Mason"
"No, it’s okay" He frees a breath as he lowers his aret why you didn’t tell me"
My brows shoot up "You do? Really?"
He hesitantly nods "Yeah, thanks to a very long explanation from Quinton, of all people"
"Really?" I ask incredulously "Quinton explained it to you?"
"I guess his aunt’s a singlestiff and tense "And is super protective of letting people in"
"That’s not really what I meant I was just shocked Quinton talked to you because I’m pretty sure all I’ve ever heard hiet a few Red Bulls in hile and somehow the noise breaks the tension and Tristan’s shoulders loosen
"I feel like you’re telling all his secrets to er
"I kind of ah about Quinton This day is about you" He extends his arers around an object "Happy birthday, Avery"
I stare down at the candy necklace in his palesture "It’s the prettiest necklace I’ve ever seen"
"I don’t know about that, but it is ar, and we both kno much you like that I still can’t believe you ate that entire box of cupcakes in a day and still look like you do" His gaze flows over the curve of my hips, lines ofmy body temperature to jolt up a notch
"Hey, you ate sorins, I realize just how dirty it sounded "I didn’t mean it like that"