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“They do, but sometimes, for my sake, they pretend not to because it’s easier for me.”
“Beck told me they’re pushing you to figure out what you really want to do.”
“The little shit doesn’t need to be talking about me so much.”
“He cares about you,” Laurie said. “And he needs you.”
“Yeah, and that’s the only reason I promised him I wouldn’t touch you again. Otherwise, I’d….”
“We’re just…things are…the flames will die down. If not now, then once I go back home.”
I wasn’t sure about that, and I hated the idea of not seeing him anymore. “Maybe we could make a deal.”
“What kind of deal?”
“A deal where I agree to start my own adventure, and you let me fund your return to school and use my contacts to help you move into the job of your dreams.”
Laurie shook his head. “I can’t accept that.”
“You’d get to encourage me, push me, tell me off when I wasn’t following through.”
“If you decide you want to do something, you’ll follow through.”
I huffed. “I doubt you’d find anyone else who would agree with that.”
“You’re very determined once you know what you want.”
“I guess I am once I decide to do something.” Or someone.
Laurie nodded. “You took charge of shopping like it was the most important project you’d ever worked on.”
“Sure, but that’s fun.”
“Then find something you think is fun.”
“Running the art auctions is mostly fun.”
He nodded. “That’s a good start. Nothing is going to be fun all the time.”
“People keep telling me that. I think I’m finally ready to stop striving for non-stop fun.”
“Searching for perfection like that must be exhausting.”
I squeezed his hand. “Why does it seem like you’re the one who’s ten years older?”
Laurie started to speak, then hesitated.
“Go ahead and say it. I promise you won’t offend me, and it won’t be worse than anything my friends say to me.”
“I’ve had to live in the real world, and you’ve lived a life where it could seem like everything should be fun and easy.”
That hit hard. He was right, though. I needed to try to see things from outside my bubble occasionally. “You really are spot on today.”
18
LAURIE
Ismiled at Worth, glad he didn’t seem offended by my reality check. “I guess I’m better at reading emotions than I am at shopping.”
