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Denny gave a long, drawn-out sigh of disgust "You’re not too good at this whole relationship thing, are you?" When Mark started to protest, Denny held up a hand, stopping hirant you, it does sound a touchbad But coel You have sleepovers with her You flitter with Mae West quotes You took care of her for two days while she was barfing all over your house For the love of God,there with your tail tucked between your legs after fleeing town? Shit, co? You should have gone straight to her place last night and had aso your phone in the sand to avoid speaking to her"

"I don’t kno to do this," Mark et involved o like this I need space to figure everything out, and that’s e’re doing here now"

"All right" Denny surprised hi "I can see how this would be difficult with you being a dating newborn Possibly, it’s even better that you decided on distance rather than saying soret later But you do need to let her knohere you are Taking off like that without any explanation, regardless of the circu at Denny in bewilder happily ever after with her ex and I’ the et married and stay that way?"

Denny rubbed his te tone "That’s not what I’, cousin Let her know that you’re alive and out of town Then, when you’re ready, go hoers, he added, "Gray and Suzy’s party is this weekend Were you two planning to go together?"

"Yeah, of course" Mark shrugged, not understanding where this was going Denny had picked up his phone and was typing out a text as if their conversation was over "Were yousome kind of point that I missed?"

Denny looked up after a fewthe pilot knoe’re flying out Friday night You’ll go home and take Crystal to the party You’ll be polite and cordial to everyone--and not drain the positive energy from the event Then afterward, you’ll take her back to your place and have a rational conversation about what you’ve learned She’ll probably be pissed that you were checking up on her, and you’ll have to deal with that"

By this point, his head was spinning Rubbing the bridge of his nose, he snapped, "Don’t you think ht plan? Plus, I’ht now And last, Angel’s going to be the one pissed and not me?" The twitch of Denny’s lips let hione back to Crystal’s nicknaot to his feet and clapped Mark on the back "Welco--where no matter what they do, it’s always your fault"

"Fuck ht in the ht about now

Chapter Nineteen

Mark was due home today after his unexpected business trip, and she was beyond anxious to see hi his departure, telling her briefly that Jacob needed his help in Boston and it had been a last-, which hy he hadn’t called When she’d tried questioning him about his parents’ visit, he’d simply said that it was fine

The whole call had sounded stiff and for to blow her off, so she’d been surprised when he’d confir he would iven brief responses when she texted, but she had been too uncertain about as going on between theain She spent the rest of the week in a depressed funk, avoiding her friends and heran hour earlier to badger her about another counseling session and she’d let him have it She’d told hih she wished him well, she had moved on and he needed to do the same

Of course, less than half an hour after that, herThere was no way that was a coincidence Bill, the bastard,her phone off, she’d texted Mark just to make sure he knew that Suzy’s party had been moved to Ella’s house There had been sohts and both Suzy and Claire had been dealing with so to get everything cleaned up in time, Ella had volunteered her house since she and Declan had escaped the worst part of it

She took one last look in the mirror and decided that she needed another coat of concealer The dark circles under her eyes gave testament to the fact that she hadn’t slept hile Mark had been away Funny how she would often sneak away to the sofa or spare bedrooe to Bill, but with Mark, she’d slept practically wrapped around his hard body and had loved it She’d done nothing but toss and turn without him