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“God Jamie, that must have sucked I’m so sorry”

“Yeah, it totally sucked I mean, I know the only reason they’re so upset is because they care about me But still”

“Did they try to forbid you to see Dmitri?” Jess asked as she dumped soy creamer into her coffee

“Oh yeah As if I’d be like, ‘ok, whatever you say’ I mean, Christ, I’et to tell me what to do anymore”

“Did you see hiht?”

I grinned broadly, a donut raised partway toup, so he cooked , carby pasta dinner And he’d stocked his freezer with every flavor of Ben and Jerry’s for me – literally all of them We ate ourselves silly, and then we curled up in bed and watched Lord of the Rings He tried to convince ”

Jess raised an eyebrow at ize If I was this ether with Fernando, then I must have been truly insufferable”

“You’re still a lovesick dork, Jess, and it’s been years,” I pointed out

“Ok,lovesickness to a whole new level, my friend” She shotelse to cheer you up? Or did you have a strictly G-rated night?”

I grinned and said, “We ain, if that’s what you’re subtly asking”

“No?”

“He kneas kind of fragile last night after rinder I could tell he was holding off until I was on a little more of an even keel”

“It’s good that he’s taking care of you”

“You like Dmitri, don’t you? Despite yourself”

She took a sip of coffee, then admitted, “Yeah And , did I not want to I still don’t trust him But it’s kind of hard not to like hiether”

“He’s beautiful, isn’t he?’

“Well, yeah But what matters is that he really cares about you It’s totally obvious”

“So, spill What did he whisper to you that brought you down from DEFCON One yesterday?”

“He didn’t tell you?” she asked