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“It’s not my house Not yet, and I was serious yesterday when I said I want you to love it I want it to be for us”

“Mal, I told you I need tiht with you Now you’re talking about us living together I feel like life has been thrown into fast forward, and I’m not there yet”

Our server returned, bringing our drinks Ginger gave hi drink of her uy left our table

“That’s because you’re stuck on pause,” I countered once he’d left “I’m not dense, Calida You barely wantyou to ht away But that doesn’t stopfor the future, our future And you et you in bed I was concerned about you”

Ginger played with the place her attention on those three pieces “I’m not on pause” She le

aned forward and let out a huff of air “If it was up to you and our faas for a quickie wedding You’re busyto ask ry pointing in my direction She spoke low, but that did little to soften the bite behind them

“What the hell does thatquick retreat

“Nothing, Mal” She sat back and finished off the re her best not to look directly at me I could almost hear the click of the steel doors as they locked in place around her “What tient?”

“Don’t do that”

“Do what?”

“Shut down on me”

Our server returned with our food and a refill for Ginger without her ordering another She put her focus on her plate, leaving our conversation hanging I followed her lead, and we ate in silence Well, I ate She mostly picked at her food

“I don’t want to fight with you,” she said

“Then don’t,” I replied “Just talk to me We’ve known each other for years We’re friends above all else All you have to do is talk to me”

She nodded but said nothing This was not how I i Mostly because I’d thought once I laid it all out for her, things would be different, but they weren’t I’d thought that once she knew, once she’d heard me say the words, that she’d truly see and understand everything I’d done for the last few years had been for her That she’d see how deep s ran for her Only none of that happened If anything, she now acted more reluctant and closed than before She kept her head down, doing her best to avoid looking at me It hurt