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“This is your life now?”

“Guess so”

“Huh,” I said, suo back to LA?”

Blue eyes watched me warily and he didn’t answer at first “My wife lives in Portland”

My heart stuttered The siht uard I wasn’t nearly as i this”

He studied the street, not me, his shoulders hunched over “Will you ith me, Ev?”

I nodded We walked Neither of us rushed, instead strolling past shopfronts and restaurants, peering into bars just getting going for the evening I had a bad feeling that once we stopped walking we’d have to start talking, so dawdling suited hts meant there were a fair number of people around

An Irish bar sat on a street corner about halfway ho by The White Stripes Hands still stuffed into his pockets, David gestured toward the bar with an elbow “Wanna get a drink?”

It took me a moment to find my voice “Sure”

He ledcrowd of post-work drinkers He ordered two pints of Guinness Once they arrived, we sat in silence, sipping After a moment, David took off his cap and set it on the table Shit, his poor face I could see it more clearly now and he looked like he had two black eyes

We sat there staring at one another in some bizarre sort of standoff Neither of us spoke The way he looked at… I couldn’t take it Waiting to drag this whole sorryeither of us Tiet on with our respective lives No more hurt and heartache “You wanted to tellether a long time You probably already know, she was the one who cheated on me The one we talked about”

I nodded

“We started the band when I was fourteen, Mal and Ji around too They were like family,” he said, brow puckered “They are fas went bad I couldn’t just turn hed “No, she kissedshe doesn’t know that, since she’s still calling you and all”

“She’sfor the band I don’t knohat the phone call was about, but I didn’t return it”

I nodded, only slightly appeased Our problems weren’t that clear-cut “Does your heart understand you’re finished with her? I guess I mean your head, don’t I? The heart’s just another ”

“Martha and I are finished We have been for a long time I promise”

“Even if that’s true, doesn’t that just make me the consolation prize? Your attempt at a normal life?”

“Ev, no That’s not the way it is”

“Are you sure about that?” I asked, disbelief thick indown the bitter, dark ale and crea over you,” I said, ht back where they belonged, way down “A h Then I knew you weren’t co I kneas over then Because if I’d been so iht? I mean, you kneas in love with you So you’d have put