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“Okay,” Dary said hoarsely “All right So, I would like soht now, and this place doesn’t sell them”

A watery laugh escaped me “French fries sound perfect”

Abbi shook her head, causing the two thick braids to swing at the sides of her neck “You just drank an entire smoothie and you want fries?”

“I need salt right now I need tons of salt”

Abbi rolled her eyes

“You know,” Dary said, lifting her head off my shoulder, “I still love you I just want you to know that”

Tears raced up my throat and I beat them back but didn’t trust myself to talk, so all I could do was nod

The subject at the table changed, and by the time alked out of the smoothie shop, it was almost normal Almost like it was before

But I still needed to talk to Abbi one-on-one before they searched down the fries

I stopped by my car “Abbi, can you hold on a second”

Waving goodbye to Dary, she twisted around and faced me Like ere inside, some of that as down Not a lot But some

“I know things are still weird between us, but I wanted to ask you about your parents How is everything with them?”

Abbi opened her mouth and I braced myself for a snarky or snide response, but she said, “Mo late’” Added air quotations with the last part “And they’re not arguing nearly asor not, but I guess they’re trying to make it work”

I leaned back against ht?”

“Yeah I guess so At least we don’t have to listen to them try not to kill each other” She knocked a braid back over her shoulder

“I’lad to hear that Really”

She nodded again and then took a deep breath “I need to tell you so, okay?”

I tensed “Okay”

“I’ with Chris when he’d been drinking and it not being the saot lucky” She sed hard “And I really a that to you I shouldn’t have”

I briefly closed ht “It’s okay,” I said, because it was

“Iwasn’tin that car I mean, I was mad I think anyone would be mad at first But what pissed me off was the fact you shut me out You shut all of us out”

“I know,” I whispered “I did”

“Do you have any idea how that made us feel? I didn’t kno to help you You wouldn’t let ure it out, and that’s what really an, and it felt like I lost you, too”

“I’m sorry I didn’t mean to do it I just—”

“I get it Your head wasn’t in the right place, and II should’ve done what Dary did Given you space Given you time” She dipped her chin “So I am sorry for that”

“You don’t have to apologize” I stepped toward her “I don’t want any s to beto be okay between us”

“Me, too” Abbi then popped forward and hugged me It was quick, not like they used to be, but it was better than nothing and it was a start She stepped back “I have to get going, but I’ll text you later and you’ll answer, right?”

“Right”

Abbi gaveaway, and I kind of wanted to cry But these tears would’ve been so different from the ones from before

So different

Wednesday evening Sebastian was sitting on the bed, listening while I told hione down that afternoon with Abbi and Dary, and then I told him what Dr Perry wanted me to do

“It’s been a big week or so for you,” he said when I finished