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"You don’t like Alex looking ateye contact "I don’t knohat you’re talking about"

"Whatever" I rolled my eyes "So, how do you know them and why do they call you Atay?"

"Atay’s a nicknauys just moved to town for the suuys I told you about the day after graduation, who I hang out hen you’re at work They’re doing some work for my dad"

"What kind of work? Because, no offense, but they look like they do hard labor"

"Don’t judge a person by the color of his skin," Bridger snapped

I looked at hiet it I didn’t mean they looked like they do hard labor because they’re dark skinned I h and my cheeks started to burn "What I meant is they’re ripped--all of they"

"They’re doing some security jobs for my dad," he explained

"Even Walt?"

"No, just the Navajo boys Walt’s a banker He handles my dad’stonight? Hanging with your cousin?"

"Stuff for ht he was in France"

His dark brows drew together "That’s the probleets to sort out the local crap"

"Is everything okay? You look worried"

The expression melted from his face, replaced with nonchalance "It’s just fa deal" He smiled "You’re a fast runner I can’t believe you picked up on Ultimate so easily Katie felt pretty annoyed that you’re better than her" He reached his hand toward me, as if to pat me on the back or ruffle my hair, but it stopped halfway and dropped back to his side

"Yeah Alex seehtest bit If I hadn’t been looking for his reaction, I would have missed it

"Well, I’ll see you after work," I said We’d arrived at the restaurant Bridger stared down at , his face darkly serious The breath caught in my throat and I couldn’t h his dark hair, and thein for dinner Tell Yana and Penney that I want you to be my server"

"That drives them nuts, you know"

"Yes, I know I can feel their jealousy," he said

"So, why don’t you let us take turns serving you?"

He leaned closer to ie, the food see it to ged and got that serious look in his eyes again "I’ll see ya later" With that he was gone I watched hiot to tell ood-bye undone I shook ed my schedule with José so that I didn’t work the lunch shift on Tuesday or Thursday Bridger, Kat, and I uys on those afternoons and played Ultiether were like a secret weapon We just worked well as a two-person teas He had aility We were unbeatable Alex and Walt fought over whose teaer insisted he and I play on the sa , he never hit on ot how different I was

I spent every waking er, Kat, Naalyehe, or Mrs Carpenter, and I didn’t have the ti , I stayed alive longer than I should have

And because of this bitter irony, Bridger was the one who ended up shooting me

24

The streets were unusually empty for midafternoon and the desert sun blazed down on the top of er couldn’t drive me to work because he had to help Alex with some sort of crisis, and I didn’t want to bother Mrs Carpenter for a ride

Even though I eating like a sinner at confession when I walked into the air-conditioned restaurant, I had a sie Mae," José said as I entered the kitchen "Have you been out in the sun? You look rosy! Healthy!" He waggled his bushy eyebrows "You look like you’re in love!"

My face started to burn and it had nothing to do with the fact that I’d gotten a sunburn walking to work He chuckled and started singing in Spanish, so about amor

Naalyehe put his dishcloth down and peered at me over his shoulder His eyes focused on my wrist, on the bracelet, and he frowned "I need to talk to you," he said, voice barely audible over José’s opera I followed Naalyehe out the back door and into the rear parking lot Even standing in the shadow of the restaurant, the air was searing hot

"Everything okay?" I asked, wondering hoenty seconds ago I was blushing about an accusation of being in love, but now felt like snakes restling in my stomach