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Mindy comes by at one point to refill our drinks and tell us the rest of our food will be ready soon

“Are you gonna steal the rest ofa smile

I shrug “Depends on if it looks good or not”

I’h froher Jace is kind of … intense

Our food arrives and Mindy clears away the empty plate of cheese fries

My BLT looks delicious, and despite the fries I just ate my stomach rumbles

“So, I know Iout with I’o by yourself”

I frown, growing serious “I’ve been spending a lot of tiy to start soon, so it’s just going to get worse I get sick of being in the house by , since nobody wants to hire nant so they really don’t want to hire , Cade too, and even Nova While I’ with Rae and Cade? At least then people were running in and out of the house all the time Now that it’s only Xander and me it’s so … quiet”

Jace doesn’t co snarky like I expect Instead, he stares atme

“I get that,” he finally says

“You do?” I ask, my voice small

“Well, sure” He wipes his fingers on a napkin “Right now, Nova’s gone a lot She has work, and her and Joel are trying to start a business together, so that’s her focus I work s It’s hard to see each other The apartet it”

“I guess you do,” I sigh “I don’t know if it’s the pregnancy or what, but I feel really emotional about it, which I hate”

“Right now is a big transition for you,” he reasons “You’re not in school anymore, you don’t have a job yet, you’re in a new house, and your husband is gone It’s a lot of new and different things I think it’s perfectly reasonable for you to feel e I don’t think it’s because you’re pregnant”

“Hmm” I sit back in the booth “You know, you’re actually kind of smart”