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"It was your goal too," I say, discounting her position

"No," she says fir her head "It wasn't Dad is always the one that pushed medical school at me, and well, I just never told him differently, that I didn't want to be a doctor"

"So you just decided not to finish the last serad?" I ask incredulously "What have you been doing for the last two and a half months?"

"Working at a bar off campus," she says

"And the ive you for living expenses?" I grit out

"The tuition's been refunded; the check was sent tosome of the es"

"They are going to fucking kill you," I eration They're not killers, but they are going to be extremely pissed at her

"Look, Lucas," Simone says as she pushes off the couch and comes to stand in front ofto school have been miserable for ine day in and day out being forced to do so you hated?"

I don't answer her because I'd have to agree with her, so instead I maintain a stony silence

"Lucas," Siot to discover the real Simone Fournier and live my life the way I want to"

Fuck, that getscareers we are over thehockey player in his own right and probably would have been professional league material, he chose to serve in the Marine Corps, as we all have dual citizenship since our mother is American But he loves what he does so much that he's a career marine

"Simone," I say as I put my hands on her shoulders "Yes, you should be able to pursue your dreams and not have to settle for the drea way, right? You should have told Moo"

"You don't think I don't know that?" she asks, tears welling up in her eyes "The last thing in the world I'd ever want to do is to disappoint them Especially Dad"

That's the God's honest truth Simone as the baby of the family was doted on by both of our parents, but she was always a daddy's girl through and through

"Okay," I say as I drop my hands from her shoulders and point at the couch She sits and looks up at s to figure out One, how you're going to tell theht with the to do with your life"

She nods with earnest eyes and then punchesvoice, "Will you help ure out this clusterfuck so I can lead the life I'm meant to?"

I blow out a huge gust of air because she's not conation over her stupidity "Yeah, sure But we need to figure out one and two, like, right now You've got to call Mo, and it has to be done now You can stay here for a bit until we figure out three"

Sio around her and I squeeze

"Thank you, Lucas I love you so much"

I squeeze her again "Love you too"

After a h As I prepare to call Stephanie, I s into my rooet it all figured out"

"Okay," she says, all perky and bouncy now that I' her out

"And stay out of Van's way," I call to her as she rolls her bags down the hall "He's grumpy"

She doesn't respond and I dial Stephanie She answers on the second ring, and even though she knows it's"Hello?"

"Hey," I say as I look at 's co back to school and she showed up on ot to stay here and handle so to be able to ht"

She's silent for a moment before she says, "Not a probleht's sleep, and you, sir, take up my sleep time"

It's a funny and lighthearted comeback, but I don't hear it in her voice I actually don't hear anything in her voice that would say she's pissed, sad, happy, angry, or indifferent, and that doesn't set ith me

"I've got a gaht," I say hesitantly "I wouldn't be able to come over to your place until pretty late"

What I'd really love is to invite her to the game and then have her co with That would be way too e that the relationship is so know it is

"Actually," she says quietly, and I note without any real disappointot an interview for a job over in Greensboro after work By the ti to be whipped"