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[bothbarrels]

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[bothbarrels]

"Nah, I was just talking." He turns to fall into step beside her.

[stackingthedeck]

She glances over at him and swings her backpack over her shoulder to put her sketchpad away. "I've got a date later tonight. I don't know when I'll be getting back. Can you cover with mom?"

[bothbarrels]

"If she asks." That wasn't a given.

[stackingthedeck]

"She might." Depending on how much the woman drank or felt like pretending to be a mom that night. "It's with Reilly."

[bothbarrels]

"Oh." Not the worst choice she could make, but not the best, either.

[stackingthedeck]

She rolls her eyes and gets her backpack on properly now that her book is away. "Why 'oh?'"

[bothbarrels]

"Because you won't listen to me if I say you shouldn't go out with him."

[stackingthedeck]

"Because you don't like anyone I date. You take it too seriously." It isn't like she's dating any of these guys because she thinks she'll get married to them or something.

[bothbarrels]

"I have reasons." It wasn't like he went out of his way to find them.

[stackingthedeck]

"Not any good ones or I wouldn't be dating any of them."

[bothbarrels]

His sister doesn't always make the best decisions, but he's not going to say that. "Once one of them gives me a reason to trust him things might be different."

[stackingthedeck]

"So you're just going to hate them until they prove otherwise?" This is why she doesn't bring her boyfriends by the house often. It's much easier to spend time out or at theirs.

[bothbarrels]

"I don't know if hate is the right word. Not in all cases, anyway."

[stackingthedeck]

"Not strong enough?" she asks flatly. "At least you don't have to see them."

[bothbarrels]

He starts to say 'apathetic,' but that's definitely not it. He cares about it a lot. "Distrustful."

[stackingthedeck]

"Of what? They haven't done anything to you." She knows that isn't the point, but she can take care of herself dammit.

[bothbarrels]

"Trust is earned, you know."

[stackingthedeck]

"Whatever. I can't wait until after graduation and I can live by myself." Then she wouldn't need to worry about him being an overbearing brother and scrutinizing every guy she decided to go out with.

[bothbarrels]

That was the first he'd heard her express that idea. "How are going to afford that?"

[stackingthedeck]

"I got that job at the department store. And maybe I'll see if Reilly wants to move in," she adds with a laugh.

[bothbarrels]

She wasn't serious about that last bit, that much he could tell. "I think it would cost more than you're thinking."

[stackingthedeck]

"I'll make it work. It's better than living at home for the rest of my life." She's young and this is the time to enjoy her life. Living with their parents was not part of that.

[bothbarrels]

He casts his gaze out to the street for a moment before answering. "Well, if you end up needing help with that, let me know."

[stackingthedeck]

"You can come look at places with me. I want to find something soon." And she wants it to be nice. Or least better than what they currently have.

[bothbarrels]

"Moving out right after graduation, huh?" Though he had to admit that sounded nice.