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Dad nodded his head.

Everyone knew Eve could cook.

Tyson muttered something under his breath which I don’t think anyone caught.

I sat in between Tyson and Eve and placed Tyson’s beer in front of him.

“Thanks, Nice,” Tyson said, reaching for it right away.

I wasn’t like the rest of my family who all drank and smoked. I guess I was the odd one out. I felt like the odd one out as everyone laughed and ate and I just sat there trying to not let the fear of cancer scare me.

But it was scaring me. To the core.

I glanced up and Brad happened to be looking at me with concern in his eyes, as if he could see how upset I was. I looked down at the meat and I knew I should be filling my plate and pretending to eat.

“Was that the doorbell?” Tyson’s words snapped me out of my thoughts.

“Yeah,” Mum said and got up.

I didn’t care who it was. I didn’t even give it a second thought. I needed to put on a front. Smile, Hannah. Just smile.

“Hannah, are you going to eat or what?” Dad said to me, clearly noticing I wasn’t filling my plate up like everyone else.

Dad wasn’t the only one watching. Brad was watching too.

“Actually, Dad, I’m not feeling well.” I wasn’t lying. I felt like shit. And I think Dad could tell by one glance at me.

“What’s wrong?” He was concerned. He was always concerned when I got sick. When I was little, he wasn’t like the typical Dad that didn’t come near you when you’re sick. Nope, Dad was hands-on. Always had been. His concern for me, well, it was the main reason I didn’t want to tell him I had cancer.

“I don’t know,” I lied. “Just not hungry.”

He put his knife and fork down, and it looked like he wasn’t letting me go. “When was the last time you ate?”

“Yesterday.”

“What did you have?”

“Um, chips.” I looked at Brad, not even surprised to see him staring at me. “I had them with Brad.”

Andrea knew Brad and I were together last night. And now I was counting on him to confirm what I’d eaten.

He shook his head, knowing what I wanted. “She had, like, one chip, Reaper. She didn’t eat.”

I crossed my arms. I didn’t know why he was bothering to still care about me not eating. Why didn’t he just take that concern and direct it as his girlfriend.

As soon as I thought that thought, I knew it was wrong. Brad was still going to look at me as a friend in a way. So this was him looking out for me. I wouldn’t be jealous of his relationship.

Mum walked outside and I glanced at her and then did a double take at the person who was walking out behind her.

“Tatz?” I couldn’t believe he’d come here to my house while knowing very well Dad would be here. I quickly glanced at Dad, hoping he wasn’t already charging at Tatz for even coming here.

Dad wasn’t though, but he was glaring at Tatz.

“Found this in my car.” He held up a textbook.

Immediately a grin spread across my face, a real grin, and I moved around the table. “How did you know it wasn’t Layla’s?”

“I know Layla and not even she would tackleThe Biology of Chemistry Advanced Edition.” Tatz stood dominating and tall in front of me with a smile on his face. “Thought you would want it for tomorrow.”

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