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I didn’t knohat had happened tobrother He used to wear a hoodie and flip-flops year-round when he was off duty Cheerfully irresponsible, never serious besides work Noas really boring and always stressed out When our parents had died, they’d left substantial debts for us, the heirs, to pay On top of Paul’s business loans, he was always fighting to stay afloat Leaving the military had destroyed his life, but he’d done it for me
I’d tried to tell hiet a job, but it was hard to find anywhere with openings in this econo distance of our ho to hire uy
He’d had a thin pencilhim take me into the alleyway behind the restaurant, I’d so I booked it out of there I didn’t tell Paul about it, either, because he would’ve gone insane
I checked loss It was dumb for me to primp for Desmond, but I’d always had a crush on hi little sister
“I swear to God,” Paul said, “if you’re going to spend another hour in there putting on makeup, I will break down this door”
“I’lance over my shoulder, I opened the door “Why are you so impatient?”
“I’ht, that’s why”
“Ew!” I heard hih I had zero desire to do so I’d learned to put on noise-cancelling headphones when he had a lady friend over Or two
Paul just laughed at ame Do I smell okay?” Paul’s question was clearly rhetorical, because he lifted his arm and sniffed his armpit “Oh, that’s rank Gonna hit the shower for a ets here Tell him that I have whiskey in the liquor cabinet He’s supposed to bring so, too”
Paul was pulling his shirt off as he went into the bathroo how much he drank
Less than thirty seconds after I heard the water start, I heard a knock on the door
“Hey man,” I heard Dez call I smoothed my hair and yanked open the door
Inexperienced
Riley
I was breathless when I opened the door and saw hily, following the breadth of his shoulders, which were so wide that he had to get his suits tailored His suit probably cost five tiht blue eyes that were the color of a cloudless sky So tall that I had to lean back to look at him Chiseled cheekbones that you could cut yourself on