Page 68 of Playing Dirty

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Almost.

“You asking because you care or because you’re writing notes?”

I frowned. “Neither.”

“That’s a lie.”

“It’s not.”

He studied me again.

Longer this time.

Then nodded once like he accepted something he didn’t fully like.

“Yeah,” he said. “It’s bad.”

That should’ve been the end of it.

Instead I said, “Do you want to talk about it?”

Immediately regretted it.

Because Mason went still.

Not defensive.

Not annoyed.

Just… still.

Like the question didn’t fit anywhere in his usual world.

“I don’t talk about it,” he said.

“Right.”

Another pause.

Then, unexpectedly:

“You’d make it worse anyway.”

That should’ve pissed me off.

It didn’t.

It just sat there between us.

Heavy.

“I probably would,” I said honestly.

That surprised him.

I saw it.

“You agree?” he asked.

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