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I graband suitcase, shove them in the back of Hailey’s car, close it up, and slide in

“What a heap of shit” I laugh to s

I takeback to Rock City so as not to push Hailey’s car too hard My head is throbbing, , and I don’t wanna shoith a black eye and stitches

The only thing I tell my brothers and Hailey, who only calls once a day, is that I a my road trip

When I arrive back horease towel “Get a new car?” He laughs at me

“Hailey’s ride Got rid of the—”

“What the hell happened to your eye?”

“Fell down the stairs when I was leaving Vegas’s final kick to ht direction”

“Is that the story?”

“Yes, it is”

“The pretty boy car?”

“Got rid of it”

“Another lost bet?”

“I didn’t lose shit” I look at the stairs leading up to the apartment “She up there?”

“Nah She went to work Sally’s kid has a fever”

“The youngest?”

“Yeah”

“Kid’s sick a lot, isn’t she?” Hendrix nods his reply, and I ask, “The little chick?”

“Upstairs with your sister-in-law”

“My sister-in-law, huh? You two on the outs?”

“Fuck no! Why would you say shit like that?” Hendrix clinches his fists

“’Cause you said ‘your sister-in-law,’ not ‘my wife’ or ‘Livi’ or—” I shakeme

“She is your sister-in-law She’s fa to feel, and just like your ‘friend’ is, too”