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I liftdevelopain Instead, she bolts upright, springing awake

“Holy fuck, Nikki,” she screeches “What the hell are you doing?”

I shrug “Wanna take a walk on the beach?”

Fortunately, Jaood ets dressed We’re down at the beach within fifteen minutes

“So, do you have anything to tell me?” I ask

She stares at reen cheese Masturbation doesn’t uy How do those work for you?”

“Not bad,” I say “I was thinkingthe lines of Ryan”

She slows her step “What about him?”

“Ever since Da”

I expect her to deny it Instead, she shrugs “So?”

“So there really is a thing?”

“Not as far as he’s concerned,” she says, her tone frustrated “As far as I can tell, I’m invisible to him”

I hookinvisible to anyone”

“I know, right? I mean, what’s up with that?”

I laugh “So what are you going to do?”

“About Ryan?”

“About you”

She slows her pace “I don’t know I didn’t get that co the audition thing again But I don’t want to get back on the salances at me, then clams up

“What?”

“Nothing”

“James”

“Fine Whatever It’s just that everything changes with you getting married”

“I’ her to a stop, too

“Well, duh,” she says, in a way that sends a shock of relief running throughby myself In case you hadn’t noticed, I have a tendency to run a little wild And you’re off the rooht be weird”

“Ya think?”