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“Maybe,” I said “Better question ht now she’s a little pissed off Apparently women don’t like it when you lie to them about who you are, and then fuck another bitch under their nose for weeks at a tiht I’d lose my fuckin’ mind, and that’s the truth”

Shade laughed

“No, I’d iine not,” he said “This is why I don’t have an old lady Too much work”

“Fuck off,” Pic said “You got no idea what you’re ”

That was , but for the first ti one ofa woht There was so out

With any luck, I wouldn’t be er

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

TINKER

“You’re fucking kidding me,” Carrie said over the phone

“I’ sick toabout hiuys who are liars and assholes?”

“Okay, yes—he’s a liar and an asshole,” she said “But don’t beat yourself up too much Brandon is evil, and you spent a decade of your life with him Cooper—”

“His nae”

“Whatever Gage is just a sexy asshole who got you a little hot and bothered This isn’t a federal crih I’d like to throw out my vote for eviction one ood enough reason to get rid of him”

“I can’t think about that right now,” I said “God He’s fixing the roof, Carrie How aet the roof fixed if I kick him out? And I’m supposed to take Dad to Seattle this week for his doctor’s appointment My laants to talk, too He thinks thatsome kind of bullshit on the financials Until now I haven’t pressed hithere”

“Stop,” she ordered “Just stop for a second and take a deep breath, all right?”

Closingto ten while I inhaled Slowly I let the air back out again, then repeated the process

“How’s that?” she asked

“Better,” I ad to explode inchildren”

“He told you a lot of lies,” she agreed “And it sounds like he’s full of shit on every level But I think you should consider one thing—and I aht?”

“All right What?”

“He doesn’t know you lost a baby,” she said softly “And while I absolutely think he’s an asshole who deserves to have his intestines pecked out by buzzards, he didn’t set out to hurt you when he lied about having a family”

“That doesn’t hed, and it wasn’t a nice laugh More of an evil-queen laugh, with a side of enius