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“Fuck you,” Nic said aloud, but the old deot his wallet and pulled out the photo of Pop Jiical parents, Jim and Gayle had loved him They were his foster parents for two years and had even started the paperwork to adopt him God, he missed them

“What should I do?”

The two loving people just smiled back at him from the photo

Ashley deserved to be happy If he couldn’t give it to her and Sylas could…

I knohat I oing to be the hardest thing he’d ever have to face, and he’d faced the devil in the eyes and lived to tell about it

Sylas sat across from Patrick and Saing the their orders

“So, Sylas, how did the date go last night?” Patrick asked

“It appeared to go extre the food The conversation was great And to all appearances, Nic see himself But I know him too well It was all a façade”

Sam sat down his cup “Are you sure?”

“Oh yes, I’ether Not a as spoken Not even a good night Coe I don’t believe Ashley knew Nic was putting on a front”

“Why do you suppose he was acting like that?” Sam said

“You rerew up in foster care?”

“Yes”

“It goes deeper than that, I’ood His dad was sent to the pen for life when Nic was only five years old Homicide”