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I hoped we’d be leaving soon In a few hours I had to rise and shine The shining partaround insideand broke? Yes Doormat,on top of the coffee table with a long-legged brunette The girl seeler-vine style Soed to keep her at a polite distance Well, almost
"Yo," replied Ben in a very irl, Anne?" Mal nodded to where I sat perched on the end of a couch I froze For hours he’d been otherwise occupied I’d thought he’d forgotten about irl?" asked Ben
"Yeah Isn’t she cute?"
I got a brief looking over from Ben, followed by a chin tip It seeotten from David Maybe this was the equivalent of a rock star’s secret handshake
"We were talking earlier outside We’re ether," Mal informed him The brunette in his arms scowled He didn’t even notice Butabout? "It’s serious, oing on It’s a fking ht now for support and shit, you know?"
My hands quietly throttled the poor innocent bottle of beer
"You doing the Dave and Ev thing?" asked Ben
"Abso-fucking-lutely I’ed ht This should be interesting," said Ben "How long you think it’ll last?"
"Mine and Anne’s lustful passion will be eternal, Benny boy Just you wait and see"
Ben’s eyebrow arched "You willing to bet on this?"
"Nae says you can’t o on tour"
"Fuck that Make it worth rand I’ll everin withall theupon my supposed friend issues
"Yes, pu in with you"
I cringed at the horrid nickname but chose to focus on the real concern for now "When did we talk about this exactly?"
"Actually, you e the facts" He turned back to Ben "Perfect ti to love her Moirl and settle down and shit"
"Thought you didn’t like Portland," commented Ben
"I don’t like Portland But I like Anne" He gaveback to LA anyti,the place next door"
"Has he?"
"Yeah You met his new babysitter?"
"Nah, not yet What happened to the old one, the big black dude?"
"Ha, no He’s long gone There’s been several since hiirl started a couple while back" Mal chuckled The sound was distinctly evil "If Ji their life fking intolerable"
"Sh-i-i-t Tell me later"
Mal chuckled soht between me and Anne I lare up to high beam My look was probably more confused Maybe he meant another Anne One that had a clue what the hell he was talking about
"Your girl doesn’t ave irlfriend like that"
"Ah, fk Good point Honestly, this wholeused to, man" Mal set the distinctly cranky brunette away froently back down onto the floor "Apologies I’m sure you’re very nice and all but my heart beats only for Anne"
The brunette threithering glanceher huffing, Ben caught the girl around the waist, pulling her onto his lap The girl’s transfer of affections took all of a uy Feould say no
Mal threw himself at my feet I scuttled back in ive me, Anne! I didn’t mean to stray"
"It’s fine" I didn’t know exactly how uess
"Guess what, pu over me on his knees "You don’t make crazy eyes at Ben"
I needed to shoot hiain for eot Instead, I studied reat intensity
"She makes crazy eyes at you?" asked Ben
"Oh, yeah Anne?" A finger slid beneathme to face him
Mal stared at entled None of the drunken amusement re so I could al I could reach out and grab hold of
It couldn’t be real
But for one perfect moment, it was justor no one else existed It was strangely peaceful
"There we go," he said, not taking his eyes off et the crazy eyes Because I’ I didn’t hear what Then Mal looked away and the one The spell was broken "It’s sweet, really She can’t live without hed
My jaw clenched Fuck Mal Ericson and his gaer, Jiht It was either words or fists Given the way he just exposed ood with either "Maybe he’s the real favorite and you’re just the runner-up Did you think of that?"