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A lot of background noise hit my ears first and then Claudia’s quiet voice "Merry Christnize her tone and I didn’t like it "Honey, where are you?" I frowned "What’s going on?"

"My dad and I got into a fight," her voice shook on the words "He was drunk He … he’s not my dad, Charley He told me he’s not my real father"

Shock windedassholes for parents told otan artist When I was five, Dad didn’t think I looked like hiuy did My dad got a paternity test They’ve known I’m not his for fifteen years"

"Oh God, Claudia" I closedI could just slaainst the wall

She laughed softly, the sound breaking on a sob "Dad was so callous, you know, like what he just told uess it makes sense why he’s been an indifferent asole towardguilty puppy dog eyes and I just couldn’t be there anyht leaves in half an hour"

I nodded "What’s your flight number? I’ll pick you up"

"I’m sorry, Charley, I know it’ll be late"

"It doesn’t y "I’ll be there"

She shot off the flight nu onones "Claudia just had the Christot into O’Hare, it was al I was jacked up on caffeine so I’d stay awake for the drive Rick wanted to coht it was better that I collect Claudiasoht not be helpful

Moo but I just wanted to get her home to somewhere she felt loved and wanted

When I saw her just inside the doors of the airport, I put my arms around her and she started to cry I held onto her for a long tiave me a wobbly smile "Have I ever told you you’re the bestest best friend ever?"

"You’reon her hand and leading her out tois hed softly and got in the car while I loaded her suitcase into the trunk

As we drove out of Chicago and back toward Indiana, she told ht her dad was an ass--now I thought he was scuuy really didn’t seehter He thought it no big deal that finding out the ht was your father really wasn’t

He hadn’t even called Claudia and she’d beenfor over six hours

Sculanced down to see her tearing at a piece of paper, her fingers working frantically, nervously "It’s going to be okay," I assured her

She nodded but didn’t answer

How long would it take me to drive to California? I wondered if Rick could helpmade us both ju Her expression fell a little as she said, "It’s Beck I texted hiht he’d be asleep"

"Answer it"

She did "Hey Did you have a nice Christmas?" she waited and then frowned "What? No, I’ll explain it later I’h, okay … no, I’ bloith… I’m here, actually Charley pickedback to her parents’ house … Well, because I didn’t want to disturb you … Beck, no, I’ … Okay, I promise … yeah, I promise I’ll call you next tiotme?" I felt her wide eyes on me "Yeah I’ll let her know … We’ll talk later? … Yeah … You too"

My heart was pounding as she hung up, knowing that whatever Beck had said, it had so dark hair falling in front of her face She tucked it behind her ear and I felt her eyes on etto lose patience with Beck’s behavior when it came to my best friend All the caffeine, tiredness, Claudia’s shock, and the fact that I knew so had happened probably didn’t help my irritability uys arrived back in Chicago"

As though she’d stood on ht to breathe for awheel I couldn’t speak

"Apparently he’s been trying to contact you?"

Sing hard, I nodded

"So …?"

I glanced at her expectant face and shookmy best to shove the news of Jake’s breakup and all the consequent questions to the back of oing to go home and drown your sorrows in chocolate pie Okay?"

She continued to stare at me for awhat she’d just been through Finally, my best friend let it drop She nodded and settled ood to , and coddling of h the rest of the winter vacation with me in Indiana, but the hurt and confusion in the back of her beautiful eyes never quite disappeared When she finally told Beck what happened, the guy juht on my parents’ couch To ht he’d scare theuitar pick, but it turned out Beck was a lot like Jake He could turn on the respectful charm in an instant

After Beck took her for a walk around town to talk, Claudia calim her parents as soon she returned Dad was at work and Rick and Andie had gone back to Chicago, so Beck, Monore Claudia’s raised voice as she yelled into the phone in the kitchen

Twenty ht size" She shrugged but I could see the hurt she was trying to conceal I knew by the way Beck’s fingers curled into fists that he could see that too "But he upped my credit card allowance and offered to book me and my friends on a vacation before we return for classes"