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"You’re not fine," she insisted

He sighed "Maybe I’ll come look you up"

She latched on to that, hope taking hold "Do that, Jack Promise me It doesn’t have to be this way I’ve e now"

Jack smiled "I’m happy for you, Bethy Really But hoell do you think youraround his woman?"

"If he can’t accept you, then I don’t want to be with hiain, his breath puffing out in a visible cloud It had begun to snow again, the flakes spiraling between theh the thin, wornthe city in its relentless grasp She couldn’t bear the thought of Jack being out here, at the mercy of the elements and those ould do higed "You can’t hide from them forever"

One corner of Jack’s mouth lifted "Problem is solved They have theirto co as they have their an to shake as the cold perht her Her knees trembled and her breath stuttered over nuently "You’re cold He’ll be worried You shouldn’t be out here"

"Neither should you!"

"I’ll be fine I always have been"

She searched his gaze, looking for any indication that his eyes were dulled by drugs or alcohol But they were bright Tired and lines of fatigue etched his brow,him look older than his twenty-five years He didn’t look like a young ht of the world on his shoulders A e, alife than e

"Do this for me, Bethy Be happy Be safe I’ll look you up soet on with your life I’ve held you back far too long"

Her mouth dropped open in shock "No!" she whispered "Jack, you saved me You’ve never held me back It’s me who’s held you back You’ve always taken care of me, always looked out for ently turned her back toward the street "If you believe that, you’re a fool It’s always been you taking care ofsure we eat, have a place to sleep I’ve done you no favors"

Tears pricked her eyelids and froze on her cheeks This sounded tooher away forever

"Coot iven her cash and she felt hugely guilty about using it to escape theback, she had to hurry He’d be frantic, and she’d have to face him hat she’d done

Jack walked her to the street and she was blinded by the glare of headlights, blurry through her tears He waved at an onco to the curb

"It’ll oodwared hied her back

"I’ll miss you, Jack," she choked out

And she realized it was true Even as she knew his shortcos Even as she knew all they’d endured and the fact that she’d struggled to ensure they had food and that he had money for the demons that drove hi How much had she contributed to his addiction?

All she kneas that she couldn’t tell him no Not after all he’d done for her, all he’d suffered for her A part of her had known that if she hadn’t coerous et what he needed and she hadn’t wanted that And yet somehow it hadn’t mattered He had borrowed money Money he hadn’t been able to repay

She frowned as she started to duck into the cab "Jack?"

"Yeah"

"You said the money was taken care of How did you pay them back?"

Fear paralyzed her What had he done?

He shrugged and started to swing the door shut "I don’t know When I went to see theoing to argue with them I just want you safe and away from here"

She sat numbly as he shut the door and then he stepped back, disappearing into the darkness Her throat closed in and she nearly flung open the door and ran after him because she feared this would be the last time she saw hi her fro as she could before they ed into traffic

She bowed her head and clutched her arhtly around herself in an effort to alleviate the swelling grief

The city passed in a blur of traffic lights, Christo traffic She wasn’t aware they’d arrived until the cab driver gave her a gentle prompt

"Ma’am? We’re here"

She yanked herself fro hastily into her pocket for the fare

"Thank you," sheinto the cold

She hurried toward the apartely relieved

"Miss Willis, thank God"

She didn’t register hi else but her brow puckered in confusion at the idea that he would be relieved He ushered her toward the elevator and as the doors closed, he already had a cell phone to his ear

She dragged herself into her apartht brought ho here She didn’t fit into this world She certainly hadn’t earned this She didn’t even have a job

How long could it possibly last? Until Jace got over his current infatuation? She still wasn’t sure what it was he saw in her or why he’d bother Not when there were only tooto take her place

If there was one thing she’d learned in the past hen she and Jace went out, it was that there was no shortage of female interest And the women were understandably shocked that Jace would be with so of her circumstances, but it was very clear that she wasn’t even close to his socioecono

She winced even as she sagged onto the couch, not even bothering to take off her coat She was still cold, even within the warmth of her apartment Cold on the inside, the kind siainst the cushion and closed her eyes She should call Jace He’d probably been trying to reach her But in a really stupid otten her cell phone here at the apart away from Kaden and Trevor that she’d left it here on the counter