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“Hey, don’t go getting any ideas She’s still my little sister,” Ryan chuckled

It was all I could do not to shift uncomfortably in my seat I knew precisely how Ryan felt about any interest I could have in Sarah Jo She was his little sister, his to protect That to make any advance to her would insult hiht I was a threat to her well-being, but because she should be off-limits for the simple fact that she was his little sister I was never sure if he was possessive of her because it disgusted hiether or because he just didn’t want her to be distracted by dating and romance from her role as family caretaker It wasn’t like I could ask him to elaborate His chuckle said it all, both sharp and hollow, not open to discussion

The truth was, our lifelong friendship hat heldI had more than a friendly interest in Sarah Jo In a way, I blaeonholed as his baby sister when she was h some hard times, and I owed hi on s for Sarah Jo, then that was s, it would be as o to hell He had his flaws, but he was a decent guy, and we’d been friends too long to throw that away Not toout of control in slowthe worst version of himself

“So you’ll never guess who I ran into at the gas station this er to tell the story

“Who did you run into?”

“Whitney With Winston Charles They caas station coffee in Styrofoam cups, arm in arm like a white trash Tiffany’s ad Can you believe that?” he said, shaking his head

“That had to be really hard, seeing her unexpectedly like that, running into her with him”

“She’s trash, Luke I didn’t see it before I thought she was different But she’s just as ignorant and low class as everyone else in this shit town,” Ryan said I didn’t respond I didn’t comment that I, not to mention his blood relatives, lived in this shit town That we didn’t deserve his conte

“Life can be crazy,” I said

“Life? That bitch is crazy She had er at the bank noas already pulling six figures before the pro for her birthday She had her nails done every week Cleaning lady, keto ives that up for a dipshit sheriff’s deputy with pecs bigger than his brain? A crazy one, that’s what kind,” he said, shoving the bowl across the table in disgust andfor another drink

“Maybe it’s for the best I mean, it’s obvious she didn’t want the same kind of life you do, so now the way is clear for you to find somebody new”