Page 46 of A Favor Owed

“Siobhan.”

“Okay. She’s taking the high road here. You want her to take a very low road, I assume.”

“Siobhan.”

“I’m just picking up what you’re laying down, Brady. I say go get her. You’re a big boy, right? If she wants to be with you, and you want to be with her, her family shit can go to hell.”

“Yeah…”

“Hey, Brady.”

“Huh?”

“Is this like… I mean, is she like…a real-life, bring-her-home-to-us girl?” she says hesitantly.

“You sound like Ma.”

“Is she?”

I huff out a sigh. “She would have been, maybe,” I say. “But no. Things are too messed up. Even if I don’t let her go right away, I’ll have to let her go eventually.”

“That sucks.”

“What do you care?”

“I want a sister-in-law.”

I take my phone away from my ear and look at it like it was speaking Martian. “I’m sorry, what?” I say, putting the phone back to my ear.

“Dense much, Brady?”

“Batshit crazy much, Siobhan?”

“You just have serious commitment issues that I think you should work out. You’re a relationship dude stuck in a player’s body. It’s depressing.”

“Sorry to put you out, Shiv.”

“Oh my God, that’s freaking sick,” she says, already distracted by something else on her phone. “Look, I gotta go. My Instagram is blowing up. See you tomorrow?”

“Yep.”

I hang up with Siobhan, annoyed with myself and Angela in equal parts and still clueless about what to do. I shove Angela out of my mind and read for the classes I’m going to miss while I’m in New York. That holds my attention for a couple of hours, then I run to my gym and lift weights for a while before running back home and taking a shower. It’s close to ten o’clock. I was supposed to be hooking up with Angie right about now.

I look at her stupid text again.

I can’t come over tonight.

I should just text back,No problem, see you when I get back, then hit up a couple of buddies and go get a beer. That’s what I should do. Unfortunately, it’s not what I want to do.

Wow, standing me up, I text her.Who’s the lucky guy?

I’m having a threesome with Chen and Finkelstein, she texts back, referencing the authors of our Property case book.

That’s some kinky shit right there, Pines. I’m a little jealous. Where are you entertaining the venerable Chen and Finkelstein?

They prefer the library.

I’ll bet they do. Be careful on that bike of yours, k?

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