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Tealey’s silence on the ? Are we done before we’ve begun? Talk about having the worst tiain, but instead, I’ on her through a one-inch crack of the door with panic rising like bile as Marlow feeds her bits and pieces of the story

Tell her it’s a favor

Tell her it’s pretend

Tell her we aren’t really dating

Tell her the truth, dammit!

If I hadit out for dramatic effect like Marlow loves to do

Tealey says, “You hate dinners with your dad, so I’ to understand how this is different? You had a date with Rad, or he was there for moral support?” Thank God This will finally be cleared up

“What’s wrong with your chin, Teals? You’re all red” I lean forward to see Marlow leaning close to Tealey

“It’s nothing” Tealey touches her chin, but then says, “Iout Tell me about Rad” Come on, Tealey Don’t doubt me Please don’t doubt us

“He was there for moral support” Phew! I sink back and take a deep breath “My dad has always loved him, so I felt he could temper the fires between us”

“I’ Is there more to the story or was all that just for dramatic effect?”

Marlow sits back down on the bed next to her “My dad adores him Thinks of him like the son he wished he had instead of me”

“I’m sure that’s not true Your father dotes on you”

“Maybe” Sadness drips froh Go on“He’s really come around, but it’s sort of, kind of come at a cost”

“Which is?”

“He toldhis divorce but was thrilled to hear Rad and I were together”

“Why would he think you and Rad are dating?”

Thank you, Tealey

“I don’t know” Marlow shrugs “He just did, and neither of us rushed to correct him”

“Rad didn’t?”

“No”

“Why not?”

“Because Rad gets so unless there’s soain”