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"The bedroo you in the guest roo hiainst it Despite everything going on, she assu back Not that Nicole could ever iht now, but eventually… this," Raoul said

"You’re welcouest rooh there The towels are out There are more in the bottom drawer In here you have a TV I don’t care what you watch, but I’d appreciate you keeping the sound down after nine I’ve put a phone in I get up early, so no late calls, okay?"

He looked uncomfortable as he nodded

"This is weird," she said, which hadn’t been part of her planned speech "We don’t know each other that well I’et easier"

"I know" He shoved his hands into his front pockets "You can tell me what to do It’s okay I’ll listen"

Good to know If only her sister had listened, things would have been a lot easier

"So I can be bossy?" she asked, trying to dissipate some of the tension

"Sure"

She smiled "Come on downstairs You can tell estions"

They went into the kitchen where she wrote down his requests for cereal, soda and snacks

"You eat lunch at school?" she asked

"Uh-huh"

"That’s fine Letto be ho, just write it down and I’ll buy more" She showed him where she kept the list

"You don’t have to be this nice," he told her

"You can’t stay in that building, Raoul No one should live like that" She looked into his eyes He looked both hopeful and ashamed She wanted to tell him that none of this was his fault That he’d been failed by a lot of people--his family, the system, who knoho else

"This situationthey didn’t have to discuss it, but knowing it was going to coether"

She paused and felt herself blushing Was she going to have to spell it out for him?

His expression cleared and suddenly he looked a whole lot older than eighteen "Because I’le?"

S a s to be able to give Hawk a run for his ood problem to have," he said "I’m okay hat people say Brittany knows I love her and that I would never do anything to hurt her"

Nicole found herself envying a high school cheerleader Too bad Drew didn’t have the same loyalty in him--it would have solved a lot of proble," she said "You can park your car on the street There’s no roohborhood"

Her brain went froh o, back to his car

"Do you have car insurance?" she asked

His startled look told her what she needed to know "Bad enough to do that as a et crabby when you don’t follow the law Get some I’ll front you the htened "I’et in an accident, you could be screwed for the rest of your life Do you really want to have to deal with so settlement or someone else’s medical bills? Take the money, say thank you and pay me back when you’re a famous football player Got that?"

"Yes,fast and turned away

"Good I think that’s everything"

He cleared his throat "You didn’t have to do this"

She thought about Jesse She was trying to push her sister from her mind, but it was i to s up with her? She wasn’t sure

"I didn’t have to, but I wanted to"

"I won’t ret it"

Nicole smiled "Be careful with those pro"

That et settled, then we’ll argue about e’re having for dinner tonight"

"I’d like that"

DINNER ACTUALLY ARRIVED in the form of takeout, delivered by Brittany and Hawk Raoul lit up when his girlfriend walked into the roolowy, too, at the sight of Hawk strolling into her house

She always see he was, how tall and e of him should be burned into her brain Not that she minded the little jolt of awareness she experienced when he ht kiss on thesettled So far he hasn’t left the toilet seat up so I haven’t killed him"

"That’s a deal breaker for you?"

"It can be"

"Good to know"

He sot all hot and flustered Just hor the sensation After all she’d been through, she deserved a little fun in her life

"We brought Chinese," Brittany said, carrying the large bag into the kitchen "There’s a ton of food, so you can have leftovers"

"They’re the best part of Chinese," Nicole said

"I know" Brittany put the bag on the counter "I’ Raoul stay here It’s soIt was cold and windy in the summer I didn’t think he could stay there all winter"

Brittany stopped talking, seemed to realize what she’d said and covered her mouth with her hand

Hawk stepped toward her "You knew about Raoul being kicked out of his foster ho on the streets?"