,itssuer.iget

ajobthere.”jacksaid,”yourenotdoingthat.”

”ioingtoneedyour

help,andbesides,ivinghere.i

likeithere.

illbuyoingosay

that.theideahelwas

againstit.heresentedhisdaughterftheissue.this

santhasbusiness.ithopesbusiness.ithel

andhithat.

thefactthatkatherineandinginthedoordidnt

help.

annoyed,hestalkedpasther,rightoutoftheroothenrealizedit

herhingtodo.heshouldhavetoldkatheriotake

hisdaughtersathelast

fe.heellherithad

beenlikeforhi

butheuldnttuaroundandgoback.fettalking.rachelwas

barelylookingathiheghthavestartedseeingthingsdifferently

ifeshesurehadnt.

disgusted,hedohehalltothebankoftelephowas

friday.hehadtoldronelliottthatheherewasno

pointindelaying.regardlessofthe

job.

,”ethingsanthaasked.

”helovesyou,y,”hopesaid.

katherinehadapproaoguys”

”sooer,”santharerkedand,halookofdisgustat

raandhauledheroutoftheroo

rachelgo.”thatoon.”

”you”katherineasked.

rachelseyesfleoherface.shedidntuandtheedgein

katherinesvoice.”iethingtojack.”

”about.hisvinghere.”racheltried

toreplaytheionhoutopeningherselftohurt.”didhe

askopinion””doyouneedaforlinvitationeon,

rachel.

theguyhasyourside.helphiutalittlehere.”

”helphioving

here.

fihegirlsareatta,butybeidonttohaveto

seehilltheti.bigsurisne.hinkhejust

bargerightin””helovesyou,rahelclosedhereyesand

tuedaway.

”tellhioulovehiack,”katherinesaid.

rachelsheartcgill

knoan,”shesaid.shehadprecious

littleenergyached.ithadbeenagsolong.

”andbeingabandoned

again.”

”youdratherlivetherestofyourlifehout”rachelopenedher

eyesandlookedatkatherinehard.sheulduandthather

daughtersingloyalties,butherbestfriendshould

beonherside.”hehasntsaidheloveseither,ykno

sayhesshoe.ifheloves,lethibr>

sayit.lethiooutonaliandtakeariskthatillsayno.

youdothat,ifyouethingbadenough”katherine

lookedatheranutelohenheadedforthedoor.

racheledtoaskdidnthavethe

strength.

katheriherheaddooasangry

atrachelforbeingstubbo,angryatsteveforbeingpersistent,

angryatherselfforbeingafraidtotakethekindofriskshejust

toldherbestfriendtotake.shejadthen,there

hethebankofphones.

jackhaddehiscallanddidntknotodo.hislifewas

inalioprofessionally,personally.thephohseedasgood

aationasany.

”areyoudoing”katherineasked,lookingandsoundingagain

liketheanlohanlowseveralweeks

before.

heher.pushingaway

frohebooth,heheldupahandaofffortheelevator.”not

noherine.”

”ifnotnohhisstrideeasily.

”youtoldyoulovedherandarriage.why

dontyoutellher”heputahandoverhisear.”notnow,

katherihenshyouandsilehis

ejesus,jack,

haventyouleaedanythioppedshortandputhisfa

hers.”haveyou”thatgotherfast.sheswallowed,blinked,pulled

back.shefrohedireoftheation,then

loweredhereyes.

”yeah,”shesaid,suddenlyhule,”itothinkihave.itooka

goodlookatself,andyou.ihaveisntsobad.”

flatteningahandonheroreto

herselfthantohi”apleasedhtheseno.butilive

.ilive.”shedroppedherhand,straightened

herspine,raisedhereyestohis,andsaidination,”ibr>

gonnagiveitashot,riskthatolerejeaybetheres

sothingthatsiled,beingthefriendheed,

needed.”soade

itsoundeasy.hestartedalkingapplesand

es.”

”ialkingtrust,”shesaid,besidehitill.

”christ,katherine,done.

sheknodonehsanfrancis.sheknoaking

careofher.”hestoppedattheelevatorandfacedher.”shehasnt

saidagoddaed,

stareddeep.hefeltgenuinehihea

handonhisar”threeweeksago,idhavesaidyuy

thtoughandthrough.guysdontthink,theydontanalyze,theydont

uand.theyjustdowhatever,yoube

rethanaguy,jack.”shesqueezedhisar

”shetalking”shetappedherhead.”think.”shelooked

athinuteloookadeepbreaththatheuldhaveswo

reverberatedhurage,didanaboutfadstartedbackdohe

hall.

bythetishereachedtheation,katheriingto

trele.shenslohenshe

askedifsteveenfusionandnsultingof

oherbehindthedesk.katheriingtowonderifher

bravadedfrodoorfar

doiledandclosedin

fast.

theshakinginsideherdeeper.

heilinghedher.hishandswereinhis

pockets,pushingbackthelapelsofhislabat.hera

...