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What I wouldn’t give to feel that sort of all-encooose will have to spend the rest of his life with a broken heart Was the short tioose worth it?

I hope so I wouldn’t trade the time I shared with side the lake and soon I’ain Jack’s three hounds bound up toto find Jack because he’s alith his dogs, and spot hi on a picnic table next to a pile of rocks One by one, he hurls the rocks into the lake, watching the last night’s kissesfor him to see I’m here But it looks like he’s in a dream world His eyes are hazy and withdrawn

I pull a deep breath through my nose and make my way over to the picnic table The hounds flop down in the dirt and roll around like roly-polies

Jack keeps staring at the lake, but he smiles when I sit down next to him

"Hi," I say

"Hey"

"It’s beautiful out here"

"Thor, Athena, and Jasper like the water" He gestures at the hounds "We coood friends to you"

"They are Although Jasper isn’t so much a friend as a frenemy"

"Did you just say frenemy?"

"This past summer? I decided to take a swim in the lake I took off all my clothes except my underwear, and then Jasper stolewet boxers"

I laugh, and Jack laughs too as Jasper looks up at us and cocks his head, probably wondering e hu at Jasper, telling the dog that only she’s allowed to handle the family’s laundry"

"I’--not you in your boxers…oh, ues out ofabout my underwear distracts you? If only I’d known that sooner" Jack grins fiendishly as he leans towardit with the pad of his thu my lips But he suddenly pulls away and focuses on the lake I hold ht" He exhales deeply

"I liked it…"

"I did too…but I don’t kno this is gonna work out I’ it can’t, but I don’t knoill…"

I yank away froain Why did I lean in? Why was I so presuain?

"My father called o," Jack says, nervously rapping his knuckles on the picnic tabletop "He said that Mr Winchester called to say thanks for dinner Mr Winchester said that I impressed him Anda responsible far washes over me

"And I don’t want to disappoint ht"

"My dad and Cindy would kill ht stands all the ti ht stands all the time, no matter what the maids say I’ve only slept with one person And I cared about her"

That’s one lad to hear he’s not the total man whore the maids made hihter, the girl Rory said he dated last year Or was it the country singer? Never mind, I don’t want to know

"I can’t mess up this Paradise Park deal forracetrack!"

"And what do you think? What do you want?"

"I like you…a lot…" He pauses to rub his lower lip with his thu--I’ht, Isoht--"

Thank God we didn’t go further than kissing Why did he woo me with kisses that taste better than lollipops when he knew it could never work out? How dare he treat me like a poor loser? This is why I don’t trust rich jerks!

"--and hs and rubs his eyes He looks upset

I love my family too It could be nice to have a connection withof Jack’s love for his fa ht now Not being with Jack This is why I was trying to keep my distance in the first place