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I do know. I just love to picture your cute furrowed brow and gorgeous pouty lips when I tease you.

DANAE

I am not pouting. Besides, I had an entire semester’s worth of sub plans ready to go back in January. You never know when you’ll wake up sick or have an emergency withouttime to plan.

ME

I am not even a little surprised by that.

So??

DANAE

Fine. I’ll put in the request for the day off. On one condition.

ME

What’s that?

DANAE

I get to see you for a little bit of this day off too.

ME

I wouldn’t dream otherwise.

Chapter thirty-nine

Danae

“Are you going to tell me where we’re going?” I ask Samantha from the passenger seat. She and Griffin drove separately to my townhouse, where Griffin loaded Jason into his Jeep and I got into Samantha’s car with her.

“Nope,” Samantha replies, emphasizing the “p” sound at the end of the word.

“Not even a hint?” I plead.

Samantha shoots me a side eye, then looks back to the road. “I’m afraid you wouldn’t agree to go with me if I told you where we’re going.”

“Samantha West, if you love me as a friend at all, you will tell me where we’re going right now,” I say. “You know I can’t handle the anxiety of you making a statement like that.”

Her smile turns smug as she continues staring straight ahead. “Consider this my way of stretching you into your growth zone. It’s good for you.”

Crossing my arms over my chest, I lean back in my seat with aharrumph.

Ten minutes later, we park in front of a tattoo parlor.

“Absolutely not. I am not getting a tattoo,” I practically shriek. “What in the world would cause you to peg me as a spontaneous tattoo type of person?!”

Samantha rolls her eyes. “Not you, me! I’m getting a tattoo. I’ve been thinking about it for a long time, but I’m finally gonna do it. And I wanted you to be with me.”

As my heart rate slows, a warm feeling spreads through my chest. “Really? You wantedmeto come?”

“Yes. It’s . . . pretty meaningful to me, and there aren’t a ton of people here in KC who know about my full history, so I wanted you here with me,” Samantha says, looking almost embarrassed.

I reach to place my hand on her arm. “I’m sorry I freaked out. I’m honored that you would want me here. Why not Griffin?”

Samantha bursts out laughing. “Because he’s such a chicken about needles. When he gets shots, he has to lay down on the floor with his legs up so he doesn’t pass out. No way he could handle being in a tattoo parlor. The man would faint before they even started.”