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"Sounds like a fourteen-year-old’s birthday dream come true," I blurt out, followed by a "sorry" Those are the kinds of thoughts I’m supposed to keep inside my head

Cain snorts "It wasuntil she droppeddown her cheeks I couldn’t figure it out She see rind together "I had no clue what my mom was involved in at that time A year later, a few buddies andbusiness--randmother’s old house I hadn’t been in it in years It was the ht, ere drunk, and we just wanted a place to hang Turns out that the bookkeeping business wason inside that house I found Kara in a roouy After I chased hi up, that night ere together She wanted to h with paid sex

"That’s how I lost ed for ainst the couch "Kara ended up ODing a few years later," he offers vacantly

"Oh htens So s, death, or a devastating co, Ihihts But he quickly shifts out fros out there" Without another look back, he leaves

A prickly lump settles in my throat Is this about his birthday? Or is Cain upset with ht Maybe I shouldn’t have prodded I never prod I shouldn’t start now, slurring and dizzy from those stupid drinks When he comes back, I’ll shut up, wrap ht

Until then, I’ll just rest ood to closedisaster--e on the stage with his back against the dancer pole, hunched over Focusing in on higles from the VIP room tell me that Mercy and ­others--likely Ben included--are still there, defiling the space Aside frorab some more water, then check the doors to ensure they’re locked and security is set

Charlie’s snoring quietly when I return I pull a blanket over her body and spend a longthe woman I’ve come to care so deeply about

And then I pull her file from my cabinet I check the birth date to confirm that it’s September 23 I’ve never been to Indianapolis, but I have a hard tian on in September That’s h Maybe they celebrated a few months late Maybe they went to the North Pole for her birthday

More ihwho the fk is Sam?

I know she’s awake before she makes a sound or id against ed to slide in beneath her corab a few hours of sleep with her in my arms "Do you knohat time it is?" she asks in a croaky voice and I feel her s several tirab ht, I flip it open to check "Eleven"

She lets out a cute little groan "God, I drank a lot last night I’ve never drunk that ?"

"I n of ain and I reach back for a bottle of water "Here, drink this"

She roin "Seriously, Cain?" She shakes her head

"Sorry," Ion me"

"H position I haven’t forgotten what she said last night I was drunk, but I wasn’t that drunk I know I told her that I don’t care about her past And I don’t But we’ve been together for weeks now I’d like to knoho the fk Sa to hie Rourke