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"But you won't."
She frowns. She hates it when I'm right. "Fine. What's the condition?"
"If you feel like you're going to fall, if you feel like you're too overwhelmed, like you want to hurt yourself in any way, you call me. Okay?"
"Fine," she says. She looks away, her expression strong. "But thanks. I appreciate that you're looking out for me."
"I'd do anything for you," I say.
She nods her way through a good-bye. She's so lonely and scared on her own. I have to do more to help her. I have to do more to pull her out of this.
***
When I bought this house, I cursed its proximity to Laurie's place. She's always inviting Alyssa over, asking her to spend the night like the two of them are teenagers.
But right now I'm ecstatic that we're so damn close to Alyssa's best friend.
I get dressed and run the three blocks to Laurie's house. There's a light on in the living room and a low roar that sounds a lot like TV. She's home.
I knock on the door, but Laurie doesn't answer. A man answers. He's tall, good-looking, with classic black glasses. Exactly Laurie's type.
"Excuse me?" he asks.
"I'm a friend of Laurie's."
"I knew you had a booty call," he says. It's jovial. So they aren't an item. Just friends.
"Shit. At eleven. Only one person that could be. Does he have a lovesick look on his face? And is he just so fucking hot you want to scream?"
The friend laughs. "I wouldn't know." He turns back inside, to where Laurie must be sitting. "You describe me like that when I'm not around?"
"Come in, Luke," Laurie screams. "It is Luke, right?"
"Yeah," I say. The friend moves out of the way to let me inside and he shuts the door behind me.
It looks like it always has--a big couch, a bigger TV, a little bit of mess everywhere.
"This is Zack," Laurie says. "He's a college friend of mine."
"Nice to meet you," I say. Zack and I shake hands.
"And this is the guy I was telling you about. Alyssa's boyfriend."
"Oh, that guy," Zack says. He and Laurie share a smirk. "Sorry. Laurie is a terrible gossip."
"You begged for gossip the minute I picked you up," Laurie says. She laughs.
There's something different about her. She likes this guy.
"I'll apologize on her behalf," Zack says. "Laurie has always been rude. Ever since college."
"So what's up, Luke? I'm guessing it's about Alyssa."
"Is it inconceivable that I'd stop by to say hello?" I ask.
"At this time of night, yeah." She pats the couch and Zack sits next to her. "I don't have any in
formation if that's what you're after."
