Our Secret Love

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king around, keeping our r

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loped a taste for it a

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confronted me in front of my

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are you going to

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rty when Brody pulled me into the stairwell,

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ot a birthday p

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urmu

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eaned in

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minty scent hit me, and before I knew

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used, resting his forehead agains

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at?" he aske

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I made the next mo

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t the stair rail, g

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ake a chanc

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tea

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ut your g

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g my palm, trying to shake

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o radiated danger – wild, ruthle

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the start he

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ouldn't get

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s a way of dr

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e I'd just said the funniest thing. "I

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really

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pretendi

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ond, but quickly

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me, but I hadn't realized he'd sunk thi

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s pocket. He lit it, exhaling a cloud of smoke t

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ickered in his dark eyes, like a bri

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nna be

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ked a

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d an octave, huskier now, blending into the nig

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er, meeting hi

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know what y

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my cheek. "Of course I do

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to get back at

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ask

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ere kids. And now, his best friend had slept with Brody's

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n game against the

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ound his waist, givi

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t's

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rody to take me st

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to a hotel?" I asked,

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ugging at

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ound his room

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sweetheart and chang

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An hour passed before Brody suddenly slammed a vase ont

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is so borin

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our preci

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n was my

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ther right after graduation. Though we went to

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ect – attentive and al

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d he would always be

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up competition and got busy, pulling a

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ion and, wanting to support h

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household together, building our relatio

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were the couple destined to

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along the way,

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king at my heart. I moved closer to Brody, kne

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made the

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make thin

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ng, I woke up

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curled up together on a cramped sofa, our

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I took the chance to trace the lines of his

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ut of the moment. I quickly withdrew

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re aw

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opened his ey

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r the

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hone to see it w

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n urgent work issue to attend to. I wonde

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e the guts to bring som

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what

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nsw

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shifted, almost as if he were trying to sou

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et that I l

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ask

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ly. Did he really expect me to i

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re busy. When are

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as

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k today. I've g

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of yours

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ck at Brody

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rry, I'll

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Brody stretched l

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ough. How about w

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edule, feeling a

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s all day. Maybe

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H

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r boyfriend c

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, giving me a

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ot b

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u're any

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girlfriend d

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m behind, the warmth of his chest pressing against my back. I

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you going

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ho

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icular, lost in thought for

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was going

1

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at home, I dro

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ran into Cole and

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alk, kissing goodbye after what

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gus

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ar and, in a panic, pushed

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driving, pretending I

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after, Co

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aky, but he trie

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Did you ea

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t. I'm

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grab breakf

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ng by you

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ed nonc

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h. "Nah, don't worry abou

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it'll be delivered to your off

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e so s

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sa

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co

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oyfriend,

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u

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ost g

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inished organizing my plans and st

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issed call and three

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ed to respond

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er hand, had sent

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un

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re

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with

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the s

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er to

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the t

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?

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ano

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e to sneak around wh

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the f

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sent just three mi

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our office. Come dow

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moment before typing a si

1

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ing cozy in the car when a video c

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down on Brody's leg h

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s, I stepped out of the c

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e so red? You're not f

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, sounding

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hed my

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rom the wind,

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ng at me with a tho

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eat, worried that I

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hen h

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ght a cold. Your vo

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w perc

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work early and was heading home to spend ti

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ld Brody the news. He leaned

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bit longer, maybe

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ok my

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, got

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unging on the couch, watchin

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your spirits like

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u've had a

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ng up to grab my b

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itated, his nose twitching.

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friend's post-h

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g my thoughts,

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I can quit if

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arms around me,

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uit your job. Let m

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ot daring to move, feeling wa

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nce, Cole squee

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I'm not doing e

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and forced a gentl

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k yourself, Cole. I'm really tire

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h some work, Cole suddenly came up behin

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ively push

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d at me,

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ou being s

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st

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always bee

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e evening without exchanging a word. And even if we did talk, i

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thing. He lifted my ha

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th the red

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d in my mind – his lips pressed against my

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from the

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cing at the mirror to

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rther, just asking

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ly lay back on the bed,

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zed something – he was only tr

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already been compensated, c

1

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third anniversary party, and

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l busy, so we were greeted by h

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e woman Cole wa

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e that someone so sweet and innocent-

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hile! Your makeup skil

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arm with mine. Then, as if on c

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ut acted li

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impressive too. Those

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sweetly, batt

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e naturally l

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u

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didn't grow leg hair,

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Cole and Lillian joined the others in a round of ca

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g a limited edition LV handbag, inst

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lucky Lillian was, Brody stopped i

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get this limited editio

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you

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t second before forci

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else would it be

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hyping him up,

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it was time t

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n-existent tears. Then, with all the emotion I cou

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early on my birthday. But I know it was for y

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o make it up to me. I'm so touched. T

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ftened with guilt, a

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nough for you yet

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tain herself, leaned o

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so jealous

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her back, h

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t, I he

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an po

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uy me o

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ced at her

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see how

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se the restroom, not expe

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e inside, loc

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thank your other bo

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u're acting

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push him away, b

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wed as he toye

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doing. If you want

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yed s

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ny ways to p

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part ways – one choosing the high road,

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led, ruffli

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the convenient too

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ef

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ent, i

2

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mmediately noticed that Lillian's eyes

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was deliberately chatting with other p

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most likely, Lillian had thrown a fit out of jeal

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ually from her own boyfrien

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ing Cole's name to give me the bag, just t

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een them – a perfectly calculated mo

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ing, "Why did you suddenly spring for such an expensive bag? I could never afford somethin

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t bag, so I thought I'd mess with her a bit. Just

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, Brody return

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s, each holding a bottle of li

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fever pitch as the small

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red and appla

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Cole whispered in my

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ou settle down with. Great as a

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lip and

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're the re

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ks later, Cole, tear

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to have a dr

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ding the alcohol-laden breath h

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t. I'm

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all a d

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my shoulder, pr

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of nausea and

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, rubbing against me like a

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ou loosen up a

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really

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ed to p

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the weight

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at some point and

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s goin

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ed, nerv

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rly drunk. He shot Cole a ha

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me against the back of the couch, trapping me in a sma

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d see the anger and bitte

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ll away, but Brody just smirked, a cruel, vengeful glint i

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, everything

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unged at Brody, yanking him back by the

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ting bone marked the begin

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to break up the fight,

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he music, adding a rowdy

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l unfold. Every now and then, when the opp

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, Cole managed to push his way out of the brawl, s

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htness shattere

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k, so I'm letting it slide

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bruised, trying to act magnani

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ying to cover his guilt, I migh

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hair fell messily over his forehead, casting shadows over his eyes, making

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plessly all night, finally stopp

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re drunk. Le

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ly, his gaze briefly lockin

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y, the intensity of that gla

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o bold, too wild, com

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ea

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un

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casually, wa

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to my side, grabbing a napkin and harshly wiping

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ng his hand away, I st

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d an eyebrow at me, his eyes f

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ted, knowing he was deli

2

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t at the bar, Cole had

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after work, and would even bring me flowers. He'd

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t my wi

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n at work, and if I passed, I'd be promoted. I was busier th

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alling me for the e

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voice came through,

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etting off work

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e typing away

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wait up for me. Just have di

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together in ages. I booke

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skip the overtim

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an't. After I get promoted, I'l

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sa

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nd immediately switched my phone

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rayal, I'd come to realize ju

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ime and energy, but

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office, only to find Brody leaning against his black Range Rover, t

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ning his silhouette, giving hi

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e you do

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s I appro

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of us stubbornly waiting for th

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, snuffed it out, and pulled me into his

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ssed

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so ti

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ng myself relax

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ng his arms around me, rest

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let yours

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you been wait

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as

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Only five h

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noncha

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ess. Was this

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e, he'd rather wait

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adn't been

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. So

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m not going h

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past him and get

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y. We didn't do anything more than talk

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felt someone gently press

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yes to find Brody's gaze on me,

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re aw

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, shiftin

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ed anymo

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, but it took me a few secon

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ed last night because I

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onsidera

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me, I leaned into him, taki

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om feeling satisfied and

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up with people, and I ende

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oor, I heard a

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e gap in the crowd

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Lillian about what

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ust what

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they didn'

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d on the ground floor and e

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he button to go back up

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bout to close, Cole turned a

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ol

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you doi

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ckly seizing contr

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arted into the elevator and press

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a client. Wh

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is shirt, avo

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girl with you jus

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eady knowing

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vator so quickly because he

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g

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g about. My client's a guy

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ocent look, but his fidgeting

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odd

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a couple loses trust, the

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omething like guilt, and he

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at work? Is that why you're

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easily, soft

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e. Hey, when this busy period is ove

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ormance, the elevator unexpecte

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completely confused as his ga

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two

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, his face full

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o my throat. What

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omantic. Tired of sle

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s eyelids, speak

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ith a cheeky grin, "Gotta keep things interesti

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one woman, you have

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stand with all the

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fore stepping into the elevator

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ked and

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be late for wo

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ly, placing a hand

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ht. I have something

3

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and headed to the curb to hail a taxi. I didn't want to

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would end up in such a me

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used to dream of a simple life – just the two of u

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peaceful, c

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And now, I was left picking through the wreckage, just t

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you and B

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hortly after I g

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m Brody to avoid any suspicion, and frankly, I

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ings had definitely

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disgust washed over me. Was he trying to act all lovey-dovey in front

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g to get suspicious and

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just think Brody's not a good guy. Yo

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t anothe

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kno

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ped

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im, but after editing my response a few times, t

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ted me to join him f

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esitation

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unded s

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te you, you're always too b

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the only guy without a girlf

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trying to s

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reason, Col

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pause, he ask

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when Brody kiss

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re you serious? T

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ould

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, just go pun

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ickly hung up,

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tion. Having this secret, illicit relationship to vent my frus

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the first thing I saw was Brody standing by

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n a soft, hazy glow that blurred his expression, bu

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athering has

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ng up with

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aw me, no pleasantries, jus

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or a moment befor

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Isn't that a bit

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reached out as if to touch my hair,

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then smiled faintly and said, "If I don't bre

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olved with you, I stopped car

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isn't worth the energy.

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ng inside me, trying to find some sense in the

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you want. I hav

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mmed for a moment, and he lo

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hing I feel like sayin

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before I could, he turned and got into his

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ar into the distance, I felt an

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he a

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tten upset ou

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the parking lot and

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t up with a message fr

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Wait for me to wrap things up, th

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ion marks, clearly not under

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purpose, taking his time before reply

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mean? I don't have the e

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d blu

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s Cole's going to be busy. You can just f

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lied, dea

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ily, growing

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th Cole just yet. You know wh

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norted

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s a slow burn,

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way, I'll lea

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n, I texted Cole to back ou

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to tell me he was drunk and didn't want to dis

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he found all sorts of e

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ven grab my phone and reply

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f how hard you'

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take care o

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t be with me, but don'

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take care o

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u eatin

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ping

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t me. I'll alway

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to take care

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ows how to sweet-talk a m

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ave to tack on "take care o

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t of Lillian's latest social media post. She

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xpensive than the

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at piss

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I'll get you some

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y te

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and instead di

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ger bond with Cole's family, pouring money into gifts

4

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home to grab some fresh clothes. Just a

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th dark circles under his eyes – clear

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minders to "take care of your

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ust go

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es and took off his jacket before stumbl

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alcohol. Do

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aking a s

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ulled me into a rough embrace, lower

4

my spine, but I k

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omething on

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I couldn't let it show. Not yet,

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buried his face in the crook

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I'm so

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le, I finally got the full picture – his moth

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oney had work

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was a catch, with plenty of better option

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o win her over with gifts and fla

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tle longer to tal

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hopeful. "We're both in the pr

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ps, looking at

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ace. He quickly pulled me in

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hunter's been after me lately, and I'm thinking about steppi

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xcitement,

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lented. I know you'll do gr

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made the right c

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launched into a passionate discussio

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ned pat

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om, slipping on a sanitary pad just in case.

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d within seconds

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my guard down and collapsed on the

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aming about Cole – maybe it was just my subconscious cling

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p, the sky wa

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ade it hard to tell whe

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powered back on, revealing a dozen mis

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one perso

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sent just five m

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ou trying to d