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“U his words carefully “We’d just finished our workout and he was playing a gaot checked and slid into the wall really hard”

She scrunched her eyebrows together and curled her top lip, clearly not liking what she’d just heard “Who checked him?” she asked

“Me,” I spoke before Brody had a chance to “It was me, Taylor”

Her eyes flashed over to mine for a quick second before she threw her hands up in the air “Oh, thank God I orried it was done on purpose, like someone was out to hurt him” She turned back to me “I’m sorry, Viper This must be really hard on you too”

“Huh?” I was confused

“This whole thing”—she waved her arm around the room—“must be hard for you too I mean, clearly you didn’t mean to do it, so this must suck for you especially I’enuine as I’d ever heard another person sound, offering up her apology to me, the person who’d put us all in this situation I was stunned I didn’t kno to answer that I quickly glanced up at Kacie, who appeared to be readingme a syizing, Taylor,” I finally said

She shrugged “I mean, if that makes you feel better, fine, but I don’t think anyone here blames you” She looked at Brody and Kacie and then back at me “I certainly don’t”

“I appreciate it, but I still feel like a giant dick” I took a deep breath “I wish I could go back in tiain”

“Well of course you do,” she saidbad happens, ish we had a do over, but that’s not how life works unfortunately Shit happens and we have to react to it Good shit, bad shit… it all happens, but I doubt anyone that has ever been around the two of you together thinks for one-half a second that you did this on purpose You love him like a brother; we all know that”

Do Not Cry

Clearing my throat, I looked down at the tile beneathmy brain for what to say next when Michelle so for her to say soed herself tightly and sat on the couch next to Taylor

“Honey,” Taylor asked slowly, “are you okay?”

Michelle didn’t say anything; she sie around his head, and he’s hooked up to all thesefor hi anything this tiot up and left the rooet last tiht, and the elevator