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“Nea, why don’t you coests, and the two ladies head off, leaving Eli androom

“Drink?” Eli offers “Beer, cider, and Kate has some wine”

“Beer sounds good, thanks” He disappears for a short while and returns with two bottles, handing me one before he settles on the sofa

“So, you two are hitting it off?”

“We are I like her She’s different, so very different fro while”

“You look it,” Eli says, tipping his beer toward me “So, have you told her about your past?”

“I guess Not tooup I’m sure she’ll have seen some information online, the bare minimum that’s there”

“That’s not the sa it froht, but it worriesopen and honest with soive a shit if I’d killed so sprees

“I know I don’t doubt that for a second, but to talk about h it Yeah, e was a sham, a stupid mistake, and I don’t want to put that on her shoulders, not yet”

“I get it, but with Kate, I knew honesty was the best policy, even if it was difficult to talk about So about the closeness you need I’, but if she knohere you’re co from, maybe it will make it easier on her to understand who you are Also, since you said Shay’s returning to NOLA, it’s best that Nea knows before she walks through the door”

“You know, Eli, sometimes you make a lot of sense Doesn’t happen often, but when you do, you sound soearns me a “Fuck off,” and we both chuckle I have to think about how to broach the subject of my crazy ex-wife and her antics

Perhaps Nea wouldn’t even care thathere But even as I think it, I know it’s a lie I don’t knohat Shay wants; perhaps she’s heard I’m happy and has decided to come and squeeze the last ounce of my soul from me