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Her words dropped like tiny bo brought on by the alcohol he’d consuo The kids…" Judith trailed off He sensed the conversation had been too ing in his head He’d never expected or even wanted for her to absolve hi a sense of peace for the first tier, but he felt slightly lighter than before

I loved him for it, not in spite of it

Troy stood and looked out the ard Brooklyn He’d known from the second Ruby walked into O’Hanlon’s that there was nothing safe about her

It hadn’t stopped hione after her like aany other choice but the one that kept her in his arain after he’d spent sothat made him feel

Troy’s head dropped forward as if a cord holding it upright had been cut, a sickening pit for in his stootten out of his car After he’d told her he couldn’t be with her Jesus, he’d fallen hard for a girl with abandonment issues, and he’d already proven to her that he was no different than anyone who’d done the sairl who’d proive him the time of day

He’d well and truly screwed up this time Too bad he could be just as stubborn and deter In no world did there exist the possibility where he accepted her decision and let her walk As of right now, he only had one advantage working in his favor

She’d fallen for hi her, he’d have realized her risky stunt today had been Ruby’s unique way of telling him Tomorroould need to reasp after a twelve solid hours of sleep As if her brain had shut off out of necessity, she’d slept in a black, dreamless void Noever, the events of the day before rushed back in a blast of clarity, catapulting her back down onto her pillow Troy’s parting words floated over her, slaying her all over again He’d been on his knees, kissing her and apologizing So she’d thrown him out Did that make her insane or stupid?

Twice in her life she’d felt the sting of abandonment

First, with her father and yesterday with Troy She’d opened herself up for a wealth of pain, and she’d been rewarded in spades for letting her guard down He said he’d left for her own good, but he’d broken her heart in the process, and for the first time since she could reth When she’d sat in the chair, waiting for Lenny to pull his gun, a tiny part of her had been too tired to fight That kind of erous for someone like her She’d always been a survivor, and in the space of fivehad robbed her of that She couldn’t forgive hiive herself

Every dull beat of her heart echoed in her ears as if it had literally been daed It hurt to think or izing for her rash actions, and forgiving hi He’d take away all the pain Until the next ti her knees by bending thes over the side of the bed and went to shower Not wanting any rees and threw the over her daht the numbness This wouldn’t beat her She had too many plans and had come too far Yesterday, she’d been broken, so today, she would begin to fix herself

Sort through the ashes and build on whatever parts of her had survived Adding new parts as she went

Brazening it out as usual

Ruby had a lot of experience blocking painful thoughts It hurt to think of Troy, so she si remained so fresh, the feat proved iet the man who’d stormed into her life, commanded the possession of her body, her heart After all, she didn’t have any other option, did she?

Knowing how ied on her jeans and jammed her feet into her leather boots Her pool stick sat in the corner, catching her eye, but she didn’t grab it and sling it over her shoulder as she normally would At the bottom of the stairs, she pushed open the door and caainst his car, ar for her He looked terrible, eyes red-ri up in every direction When he saw her exit, he pushed off his car and took a step toward her