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“Not like she can understand me,” he replies dismissively

“Yeah, but you’ll develop a habit of lying to her as she gets older, then I’ll spend a fortune in therapy trying to deprogram her from all the crap you tell her”

Cage snorts, heading over to my tiny kitchen table that only seats two This little apartht now It’s only a one-bedrooood pull-out couch for the living room, which is where I sleep My mom still doesn’t understandat hoe step backward inin the house Jimmy and I had just rented e moved to the area after he accepted the job at Jameson

The life I was supposed to lead with him see in that little house was too painful of a re to live that particular dream

I bring Cage’s beer to hinores it, coainst the short counter, watching thehter, I love it It makes me feel more normal since I do it all the time But seriously… she’s just the cutest baby ever

The oven ti to check on htly browned and bubbly, which is just perfect I pull it out, set it on top of the stove, and turn the heat off so it can rest a bit

Nonchalantly, as I reach across the counter for my beer, I mention, “I saw Malik today”

His attention doesn’t waver from Avery “Yeah… I heard he came back today, but I didn’t see him”

“He’s staying in one of the apartments”

“He probably debriefed today,” Cage says, eyes still pinned on Avery as he sht back in the field, though Not after all that guy went through”

I know the details since I’d relentlessly grilled Cage about the weather, near-starvation conditions, and loneliness My stomach churns every time I think about it

“Did you kill the men who took Malik?” I ask, a detail I had not pressed for before