Page 82 of The Chance

“I know,” I mutter back through my clenched jaw. “He … told me that much.”

“Then …” When she pauses, I let my heavy sight meet hers. “Can I give you some advice?”

I swallow, and lift a shoulder.

What other choice do I have?

“Love him back—” she grabs my arm with a reassuring squeeze. “Or let him go.”

My chest pinches painfully.

I already care about him and look where that’s gotten us. Me.Him.

So why does the idea of letting go hurt so much worse?

Eyes burning, I nod.

“I know.”

Chapter Fifty-Two

Mac

Out of respect forToby, I’ve managed to not drink away my heartache until I’m passed out in a slop of meat and bones.

Instead, I’ve eaten my weight in sugary confections and enough deep-fried carbs to stop my heart.

Maybe then it’ll stop aching.

But the one thing I refused to give up for the rest of the night is the joint I found stashed in my pocket. And the second one I found hidden under the couch cushion when Toby passed out.

Breathing smoke in deep, I hold then release it out into the freshness of the nighttime air. It’s gotta be closing in on morning at this point and after another long inhale, I finally start to feel the fuzz filling around the edges just as the grey sky begins to blend into the black horizon of night.

“Dude. Pass.”

Joint pinched between my thumb and middle finger, I offer it up to Dare.

I’m not sure when he ended up here, how long we’ve been here, in some empty parking lot but I’m glad to not be alone.It makes it easier to ignore the pressure currently crushing my sternum.

“Didn’t work out with the lady friends?”

Dare snorts on his exhale and coughs out the rest of the grey haze. “I fucked them both, bro. Duh.”

He holds the joint out in offer for me to take it back. I hesitate.

“Were they at least clean?”

“You saying you don’t want to put your mouth where mine has been? Too late for that, Thompson.”

Dare shrugs and takes another toke, holding it long enough that he’s nearly gasping when he pushes it back out.

“I definitely fucked that guy before you did. Besides.” I gesture in his general direction. “That was beforethis.”

Dare laughs, tokes, then offers it once again.

“I’m pretty sure you just said metalgod looks good on me.” His smirk is languid and smug. “I’ll take it.”

Rolling my eyes, I snatch the joint back from him before he can smoke it all. “I said that you got second rate dick from an amateur in high school andthat’swhat you’ve been bragging about all these years.”

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