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He blocked out the noise of the television and the buzzing neon lights and drained half of his coffeeit down precisely on the damp circle that stained the napkin

“Holy shit Jesse Filmore!”

Jesse turned his head as much as he co down on hih school, Patrick had tried, briefly, to keep up with Jesse and his best friend, Mitch Adaotten into wasn’t for the faint of heart and Patrick had definitely been faint of heart

It was probably for the best Jesse recalled the night that Patrick had gone out with the that car

“How have you been, man?” Patrick slapped a clae to shake it off It wasn’t Patrick so uy—as it was anyone and everyone getting too close Even alone in a roohosts

Jesse shrugged and the gesture apparently satisfied Patrick “We haven’t seen you in town since…?”

“My mother’s funeral,” Jesse said carefully, his throat a solid throb of pain

“God, right, three years ago I thought you were still over in Iraq” Patrick slid onto the stool next to Jesse “I heard about Mitch Terrible news Just terrible” Patrick’s belly strained against his yellow golf shirt He ran his hand over his thinning hair “Agnes and Ron are all messed up over it”

Jesse didn’t se this intrusion, but Patrick didn’t seeement

“I’d steer clear of that house if I was you She’d probably skin you alive if she saw you” He laughed, as though what he was saying wasn’t the heartbreaking reality of Jesse’s life Luckily, Jesse had grown a thick skin, fro the casually hurtful and cos people said roll off him

Billy sauntered over and threw a cardboard coaster on the bar in front of Patrick

“What can I get you, Pat?”

“Draft and whatever Jesse here is drinking—”

“No thanks,” Jesse declined “I’ood”

Billy shot Patrick a look indicating what he thought of Jesse’s et the beer