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Even with the slump she’s hit this pasther paintings at galleries I agree she could finance us, but the only thing I have left is my pride, and I’ll eat shit before anyone rips that from me

“I’ my way,” I say “If you don’t coain”

She wrinkles her nose but has yet to open her eyes “It’s a large country, Noah We can live without seeing Kansas again”

“If you wake up and come with me, we’ll have plenty of time to plan a new route”

“Knohat I haven’t had plenty of in two years? Sleep Now—shhhh I’ my streak”

Echo’s been night milestone, for both of us “Echo”

“Please,” she whispers in this sensual Southern drawl full of the cracked grogginess that drives me crazy “Pretty please?”

Everything insidethis past spring how fucked I am because of it “Five minutes”

“An hour”

“TenColorado Springs for the next two days before we drive to Denver It’s our last sightseeing trip before going home Until this point, I’ve been adamant we camp

Accepting her silence as consent to the deal, I hook an ar her head on my bare chest, and I don’t miss the unrepentant s her creeps back into my brain I shove the impulse away I made a deal and I’m a man of my word

With the soft sound of her even breaths and her body e to sleep along with her This suht a sense of peace I haven’t experienced since I was fourteen, since the night before my parents died

A herd of footsteps race past the tent, and seconds later a small kid’s voice yells, “Hey, wait up”

I force my eyes open “Come on, baby It’s time”

“You’re mean, Noah”

The blanket falls off her arer down her shoulder Goose bu her skin at

“A deal’s a deal,” I remind her