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My brain has basically desertedas he srown, practically doubling in size and volunext to Dylan, hassling hi to shoot the seven ball into a corner pocket, when I see a girl slide into the space next to him

Old habits are hard to break, and I can’t see it to what I think it means Old habits are obviously hard for hi down at his phone, or pulling it out of his pocket to read a text

It pokes at a bruise insideunder the surface

I’ve been in sort of a spiral, pretending not to watch Luke, pretending not to care how often he still looks at his da if it’s even possible for that girl to get any closer without actually sitting on his lap, when Fred tosses a towel on the bar in front of me

"Why don’t you head out early?" he says "Luke’s still here and I can handle the rest Take your boy home and show Miss Tube Top back there that he’s taken"

I feel irritation flare sout I look back in his direction and see he has his phone out again, reading through a ain Does Luke ever contact the woiving his nuo boost? I re off on occasion and he’d answer it, slipping out to the garage or backyard to talk, and now I feel vulnerable and gross Will there ever be a ti doesn’t set me off?

"He’s not taken," I say

Fred looks at me, surprised "Funny, he sure looked taken when he was sitting up here He follows you around like he’s a puppy and you’ve got his favorite treat in your pocket"

I ignore hi to pull a couple of Coronas out of the beer cooler

Fred gives h, and thenthe cooler and deciding that staying behind the bar and staying busy is an excellent idea

At soot Don’t forget to text when you’re leaving

I pocketas the bar slowly ehts, and I text Luke a quick, Leaving in about ten You still up?

I check five lass is washed and the bar lights are turned out, there’s nothing left to do but make my way to my car Luke still hasn’t answered, and I know that I’ but silence, I’ll think too much about what it means I wave to Fred and wait another five , Headed home Exhausted Let’s talk tomorrow

Chapter SIXTEEN

Luke

I WAKE WITH A start, still in last night’s jeans and with the reht, the other side of the bed is untouched, and there’s no sign of London anywhere The clock shows it’s al at the screen, wondering why London isn’t here and why she didn’t text when she got off like she said she would I do a quick scroll throughfor, and it occurs tocould have happened to her, like maybe she didn’t make it out of Fred’s or even to her car

I’ve never called sos three tih the line

"Are you okay?" I practically shout

"What? Yeah, I’m fine I’, "Are you okay?"

I fall back againsthow fast"Yeah, I just--you said you’d text when you left and I must have fallen asleep I woke up and"

London is silent for a ulls overhead "I did text you--twice, actually--but you didn’t answer," she says "You didn’t get them?"

I roll to "

"Did you actually read yourher on speaker so I can take a closer look There’swell, there’s a few