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“Evening, Snake,” the facilitator, Bryan, said

He nodded at the balding man with kind brown eyes, and a face worn by the sun and ss with the others seated in the fold-up chairs, and took his custoainst the wall It offered him a view of the door, and no blind spots Old habits died hard He’d lost his fanity once because he wasn’t prepared He’d be daain He narrowed his eyes as Jason walked in He’d figured out the ame The tanned, muscular, pretty boy preyed on the women who came in at their lowest It turned his stomach, but it wasn’t any of his business

“Okay, we’ll be starting class in a few minutes I’m happy to see soh points and low points This group is here to be there each step of the way”

The door pushed open, and his jaw dropped A waif stood in the doorway looking like a fairy Dirty blonde curls fraht blue eyes, which were prominent, added a fairytale surrealness to her delicate features She worried her bottom lip with her teeth and shifted uncomfortably

“Is this the grief group?” she asked

Her voice was melodic, yet filled with sadness Her pain was fresh He remembered the overwhel process After you’d accepted the hand you’d been dealt

“Yes, it is,” Jason purred Fucking shark in the water It was clear the suit wearing businesset

Not this ti

“It is, I have an empty seat you’re welcome to,” Snake said

She blinked slowly “T-thank you” She scurried over and sat beside hi her slender hands in her lap

He liked his woman with a little meat on his bones It was all he could do not to offer her one of the cookies they had on the table against the back wall Her bones jutted out in sharp angles He could tell she hadn’t been eating properly Everyone dealt with grief in a different way, so he wasn’t judging, si He stared Jason down, pleased when the punk turned away This one’s off liht in her seat

Stop looking at her before you scare her He forced his gaze back to Bryan

“Welcome…” Bryan said

“Estelle,” she whispered

“Estelle, we’re glad to have you here tonight”