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Part I

Do You Want Me?

Prologue

Delilah

His gaze is sharp; he has theblue eyes I’ve ever seen As I freeze where I’ in the middle of the aisle, the faint noise of dullby fades into the background It all blurs together in aisle four of the grocery store asturns so clammy that the plastic slips

The pitter-patter ofin my ears is all I can hear

Nothing else matters I can feel his eyes on me Every time I blink, I see them, surrounded by shadows

I takethe iteers There are only four things seeing as how I just got here, a bag of rice being the first iteo back on the bottom shelf before I slowly and meticulously roll my cart to the end of the only aisle I’ve been down

It’s chilling, the fear that rolls down ain Is it fear, though? My heart beats wildly in response to the question, fighting and railing against the decision to act calet out of here So we can be alone

My heart isn’t afraid, not like ical side is When the shadow is just barely seen, tall and foreboding, nition It’s an undeniable feeling when you miss someone you know you shouldn’t I try to focus on the sound of wheels squeaking against the linoleu lined up in order to help ground me

“Do you need any help?” The question co o on his white shirt beneath it I recognize hirocery store I’ o