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Rival Penelope Douglas 27290K 2023-08-31

I laughed bitterly and finished tying my shoes "Say what you have to say, and make it quick"

"You can’t have a relationship with Fallon It’s just not possible"

His bluntness threw ain Did I want a relationship with her?

I stood up, ready to leave "You’ve had two failed ive me advice about this kind of stuff"

He reached behind hi it into hed but opened the folder anyway

Jesus

My heartbeat echoed in h picture after picture ofhis apart in front of his , hi her out of cars

"You’re having an affair with Jared’s mom?"

He nodded and headed around his desk to sit down "Off and on for eighteen years now There’s nothing you can tellyou can’t have that I don’t understand, Madoc Katherine and I have had a lot of history, a lot of struggles, and bad ti to asped and laughed at the same ti Hey, I’ettingon the weather That’sfather for you He does what he wants, and you roll with it, or you don’t He was just like

"Wait" My gut knotted up "Eighteen years? You’re not Jared’s dad, are you?"

He looked at me like I was insane "Of course not She’d just had Jared e ed the subject "I got this envelope fros, because for all intents and purposes, she’s black me, Madoc"

The file folder cru"

"I’m not" He consoled me with his flat voice "This is all so much more complicated than you realize, but I want you to know that although Fallon came back here with ulterior one to the media hat she has on me It would’ve hurt this fa shallower, faster, and ry," he continued softly as if thinking out loud "But she didn’t go to the media, Madoc She didn’t want to cause you any pain"

"Stop trying to protect ain

If she ca else was a lie, too

"So what does she have on you?" I asked "Besides this?" I held up the folder

He hooded his eyes and spoke hesitantly "It was a payoff I negotiated It was illegal and I could lose my license, to say the least But it wasn’t a decision I ht atfor much And I didn’t tell you any of this to hurt you I told you so you could move forward I didn’t force Fallon to leave She texted ht"

He tossed h, the first text was froht for you" His voice was like a distant echo as I stared at the words on his screen "Her father, for starters" He trailed off

And then I lost him My stomach sank, I dropped the phone on the floor, and then laidIt’s what I felt years ago when they’d told one all of a sudden When I saw her eether And when I couldn’t sleep, and I’d storain I’d never wanted to feel that again I inhaled a deep breath until ht they would burst

"Stop talking," I cut hi Eighteen years?" I asked "ThatKatherine Trent when you were aze dropped to his desk, and then back up to uilt in his eyes

For Christ’s sake What the hell was theyou to Notre Daned voice

What?

He must’ve seen the confused scowl on et sticky here With the divorce, Patricia will have no choice but to come home You’ll stay at the house in South Bend until the dor back up

As usual, o see your mother in New Orleans for the rest of the suet perspective, and you need space"

I ran ? I didn’t want to go to Indiana for the rest of the summer I barely knew anyone, other than some faculty my father had introducedand aluoing to New Orleans, either My friends were here

"Madoc" He shook his head ato, you will find a job or soht now I’ to protect you from yourself I will pull ht Distance is what you need right now Do it, or you’re going to force my hand"

• • •

In the span of a few short hours, I’d gone fro for a fight

Fallon hadn’t even taken anything she’d brought with her except the clothes on her back

It was all a lie, but then what did I expect? We screwed It’s not like we talked about shit or had a date or had anything in coive ain Just like before The clouds hung too low, the house was too eood tiht