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“How’s the love-life going?” he asks me with a chuckle The last ti with Calliope, including details of our sordid past When you bare your soul about a dying parent, talking about your first love is pretty easy

“It’s complicated,” I reply but don’t offer any oing through with my dad, he’s absolutely clueless about love and relationships He’s, without a doubt, the resident playboy on the Vengeance tea them—is his specialty

“I’ll give you the same advice,” he replies, amusement evident in his tone “Talk to her Don’t hold back Tell her how you feel”

“She’s not dying, though,” I reply drolly, because talking to Calliope is probably harder than talking to my dad

“She ht not be,” he says, and I can’t help but smile at the amusement I hear in his voice, “but you don’t hatever is between you two to wither away because of lack of communication Come on, dudeit’s basic communication 101”

Much later, as I’ by my father’s bed while he continues to sleep,sos I want to say to Calliope How I’d like to be able to s with her and put aside this ridiculous notion of hers that we can’t be more than e are

But fear holds ivento do the saain

She’d be wrong about that, though

The question is, how to convince her of that? That’s soure outChapter 12CalliopeI watch Rafe pick at his meal, worried over his lack of enthusiasm for Beasley’s Chicken and Waffles It was one of our favorite restaurants to go to together back in the day, and it was his suggestion to coht I’d stopped by the Sirabbed Rafe His et away for a little bit, and I was happy to oblige

A little too happy I one in Boston He called ularly, but da to feel inadequate It worriesto feel dependent on him for some of my happiness That definitely breaches the boundaries I set

Was this inevitable? Taking two for theht?

It sounds stupid when I think about it in its simplest form I also know my refusal to consider the possibilities with Rafe is rooted in fear Which doesn’t seem so stupid

Still, I’m worried about Rafe—as I am about Brenda and Jim—and I can’t hold back on him now, despite how concerned I a “Penny for your thoughts?”

He looks up, his fork stuck in the fried chicken breast sitting atop the waffle “Sorrywhat?”