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I can’t stop s as we sit down to eat Dad leads us in the Lord’s Prayer, then we put our napkins in our laps and dig in

"This looks really yu up some casserole

"Thanks," I reply

"I haven’t had a home-cooked meal since I left New York"

"Is your fa his casserole

"My parents, randmother And two nieces"

"You’re a nurse?" Ryan asks her

"Yep," she says, chewing

"Did you always know that’s what you wanted to do?"

She s "I wanted to be an astronaut more, but I stink at math"

"It’s o toabout?"

"Vanderbilt is one of the best, but I’rad classes there"

She nurses her iced tea "I didn’t like lish courses And don’t even get me started on art But it’s all a et that," Ryan says This is the most I’ve heard ether for coffee this week sometime and talk more Or you can come by the hospital and talk to sorad experiences were like"

"That sounds good," Ryan replies, tapping his fork on his placeer

It almost feels like a fa serious, yet it’s staying the saht this week I’ve , obviously, so it’s no problem for me to sneak out of my room and dart across the street to Brian’s parked truck tucked behind the Duht, we just kissed

On Tuesday night, he went up my shirt

On Wednesday at school, I stopped by Coach Lynn’s office during study hall Brian’s squatting there until he gets his own office next year

"What are you doing here?" Brian asked, slipping a pen behind his ear He leaned back in his seat and wrapped his hands behind his head, s at me

I waved a hall pass "I nicked this from Mrs Perkins I wanted to see what you’re up to"

He jumped to his feet, closed the door behindat Coach Lynn’s things: silk roses in a vase, pictures of her family, the cat calendar on the wall

"Love what you’ve done with the place"

"S er across the desk, pretending to check for dust

I knerong All of it Kissing hiain But when his arood I feel safe and cared for And the kissing is very, very okay

"So why did you stop by again?" He scratched the back of his neck and squinted

I smiledabout last night"

He closed the blinds He breathed heavily He ran a hand through his hair He loosened his Best Buy Geek Squad tie Then his lips were on mine and he lifted me onto the desk He pulled my hips to his and kissed an to grind against me and I was so drunk on him, I couldn’t think at all

Then someone knocked on the door and Brian rushed to answer it, but stopped for a second to control his breathing He motioned at me to fix my shirt I leaped into the chair across from his desk He opened the door to find Sam, who had dropped by to say he wouldn’t be at practice that day because his mom was sick and his dad was out of town

As soon as Sarinned Helike crazy He swept ave me a quick kiss

"That was insanely hot," he said

"Yeah," I said with a tiny voice, tre Honestly? It was fun, but it filledthe other way

He went on, "But it can’t happen again at school"

"I agree" Goose bumps popped up on my arms I shuddered

"We’re okay" He pressed his forehead to et back to study hall before I give you detention"

Brian tried to joke it off, but I had seen the change on his face What happened freaked hi red, but Sa when I saw hiht, Brian went up ain and unsnappedhis calloused fingers overused to because I couldn’t stop tre But when I cal faster and faster until our shirts and my bra ended up on the floorboard of the truck I touched his abs, which I’m fairly certain are asp I discovered he has a tattoo on his shoulder blade A symbol, but when I asked what itit’s private