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[toabsolution]

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[stand_unshaken]

Lotta nagging you to wear better clothes?

[toabsolution]

Was in their head the whole time. Practiced walkin' in heels.

Ain't as easy as they make it look, you know.

[He takes a drink.]

You, uh...get stuck with Tess?

[He does not look at Arthur, cursing himself instead for not thinking that this was a possibility.]

[stand_unshaken]

Is that what you'd describe it as? 'Stuck with Tess'?

[Yeah, buddy, he's not going to be nice about this.]

[toabsolution]

[He is really, really interested in his drink.]

Somethin' you wanna say, Morgan?

[stand_unshaken]

No, I think this is probably a conversation where you are going to want to say some things to me.

[toabsolution]

[He just finishes off that drink and pours himself another.]

Don't really know what you want me to say. You already fuckin' know what you need to know.

[stand_unshaken]

Only she don't know what she needs to know. [He hasn't touched his drink yet, but he leans forward now.]

You think I care who she's fucking? I ain't her daddy. But she don't know you got a wife back home. And she would care.

[toabsolution]

[Jake tenses.]

I don't have a wife back home, Morgan. She's dead. And of course she knows. I...told her.

[Didn't he? Suddenly he isn't so sure.]

[stand_unshaken]

You might want to check with her on that.

Why didn't you tell me?

[toabsolution]

Fuck.

[He taps the table once.]

Almost did. At the port. But...ain't just my story to tell, is it? And what the fuck was I supposed to say?

[Not good excuses and he knows it.]

[stand_unshaken]

[He bares his teeth at him in lieu of telling him just that.]

You're part of it. She wanted it to stay a secret for some damn reason, but you still went along with that.

[toabsolution]

[He sits back.]

Because of this goddamn reason right here, Morgan. This ain't exactly what I want to talk to you about. And after that goddamn breach-

And fuckin' Misty-

[He throws his hands up slightly.]

[stand_unshaken]

What about Misty?

[toabsolution]

Nothin' about Misty. She just said some shit. This ain't about her anyway.

[He shakes his head.]

I shoulda said somethin' to you. I didn't. I even...Fuck, I even said somethin' to Tess about it.

[But that's not Arthur's business.]

[stand_unshaken]

It ain't about the fact that you two are doin' - whatever the hell you're doin'. You know it ain't.

But I lied a lot in my life, and I been lied to just as much. I'm tryin' to break that habit. Especially with people I considered to be friends.

[toabsolution]

[That takes the wind out of his sails almost completely. He clenches his teeth a bit, considering. Quiet.]

I-

I was a fuckin' coward. And I didn't want to tell you because of it. You happy?

[It helps that he's already had to do this song and dance with DT. It doesn't feel good and he really wants to get up and walk out but, well, it's his cabin and that just seems ridiculous.]

[stand_unshaken]

[Arthur sits back and sips his whiskey while Jake thinks about it. He can take his time - Arthur usually does.

And when he finally comes out with it, Arthur's answer is simple: he nods and takes another drink.]

Believe it or not, I am.

[toabsolution]

[He raises his glass a bit to him.]

So now I gotta talk to her.

[He downs his glass with a bit of a laugh.

Shouldn't be a big deal.

They talk all the time.]

[stand_unshaken]

She knows something's comin', since I brought the relationship up with her to begin with. Just - be her friend, first and foremost?

[toabsolution]

Yeah, that's what we've always been. That's what I was tryin' to be.

Then it got...fuckin' complicated.

[He stares at the table a moment.]

[stand_unshaken]

[He pauses a moment, then carefully asks him:]

What's so complicated about it?

[toabsolution]

This. The lyin' part.

Not something I like.

[stand_unshaken]

Hmm. Ask you a question, and don't lie to me?

[toabsolution]

[He nods.]

Course.

[stand_unshaken]

You got feelings for her? I ain't talkin' marriage, but more'n friendship?