Chapter 8Stephen took him to a seedy bar on Main Street, and Jay didn’t even realize that was exactly what he needed until they were sharing a tiny table in the far corner. They had a bowl of peanuts between them and a pitcher of beer. Stephen absently shelled the peanuts and made three piles—half of the nuts for Jay, half for himself, and then a pile for the discarded shells. Jay wasn’t hungry and he mainly pushed his around the table and arranged them into nonsensical designs. Stephen didn’t ask him any questions and Jay wasn’t really in the mood for conversation, but the silence between them wasn’t tense. It settled between them, as patient and sweet as an old friend.
“I’ve known her since elementary school,” Jay finally volunteered. “We were in all the same classes right up until we g
