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“How onna shoo off? Five h the whole population of that nightclub before you were satisfied hatever guy showed interest in ht to choose for me?” Bobby’s eyes are on fire as he rises froht to o home hoever the hell I want You aren’t the boss of ”

Standing overtank, his crotch is just a foot or two from my face I only notice it because suddenly I have this overwhel ressively, or tackle hie that unhappy look in his eyes

I hate it when Bobby Parker’s unhappy

And I hate it even worse when I’m the cause of it

This sure as shit isn’t our first fight It isn’t the first time I’ve pissed him off, or vice versa But for some reason or another, it’s the first time it hurts me so deeply that all I want to do is squeeze ain

“I do knohat it’s like,” I tell hi the minor character or whatever”

His eyes soften He doesn’t say anything, but he’s listening

I look down at ’s lil’ bro …” I let out half a sigh and half a laugh “Wasn’t always easy Being coe football star Tan the Man Sobrother,” I add quickly, peering back up at Bobby, “but it gets to you after a while Hoas I ever gonna clie shadow? Dude, you reot it wasBilly and Tanner’s wedding? It was my sixteenth”

“I remember”

Good, I’ve got hiain “Everyone’s always fussin’ about my brother, my whole life I wasn’t Jimmy back then I was just the Spruce Juice’s lil’ bro I was Tanner’s little brother So yeah, I think I have an idea of what that’s like” I eye him importantly “And I don’t want you feelin’ like second to anything, Bobby Parker”

His mouth crinkles up with frustration “Yeah, well, rowin’ up, but it sure as hell isn’t like that anymore”

“No, it isn’t And do you knohen it changed?” I stand up, bringing my eyes level with his “The day I asked you to prom”

Bobby’s eyes cast doard, a look of self-consciousness reddening his face suddenly

I put a finger under his chin and lift it, bringing his eyes back to ht in those warm, muddy brown eyes of his, “you’re the reason I’m someone now, Bobby Parker”