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Seth opens the door to the shower A towel his wrapped loosely around his hips "Selena is on her way"

I shut the tap off and step out He grabs a purple towel and wraps it aroundme "Seth--"

"Please just let olden honey rivers in his irises flash desperately and so I lifton my lower half I close my eyes and his lips brush over the skin ofme shiver He drops the towel and leads ht on and then di He slips into a pair of black track pants and I notice a set of clothes are laid out on the bed--the pair of drawstring pants I wore last night included

"I want you to be coht"

He slides a t-shirt bra over my arms and clips it behind my back He reaches forthem out around my feet I step into the ers through his wet hair to let hi well I don’t want to shut hihtly, preventing the down Finally, he pulls a pink t-shirt over my head and s of voices down stairs andin front of people and there’s no way I can pretend not to be completely devastated

"Darryl and Jackson are here" He points to his lip "They want to check out my cuts You don’t have to come down Stay here and I’ll be back"

I fall onto the bed, hugging a pilloeen s and my arms I feel sick and I want my mom I don’t care how childish it sounds I want her to holdet worse I should have stayed in Portland Dad wanted o to Boston and I didn’t think twice about it I called him a few times this week and every time he told me he felt fine and he was happy I don’t know much about heart attacks Do they all ‘just happen’ or are there a lot of syo off before it hits? There’s so much I should have researched about it I should have stayed

I lie on the bed for a while, thinking about Moive him time to come back for his father’s funeral? I hope so

"Where is she?" I hear a female voice ask Not a second later, heels click rapidly up the stairs Have I been laying here for two hours already? I shoot up in the bed as Selena tears through the door, her eyes glistening with tears "O?" She whispers

Seeing her brings ain She rushes over totears all over her satin t-shirt

"I can’t believe it" She cries with h one" I sob "And I don’t knohat I’et you hoe to stes and meet you downstairs"

She leaves the room and I wobble to y from my body I enter the bathroom and pick up all of my clothes I stuff them into my suitcase and zip it up as Seth’s frame appears in the door "Are you ready?"

I nod "I think so"

He steps forward and I see his eyebrow is appropriately bandaged and his lip gleams with some kind of clear cream "Can I walk you out?"

His question makes me smile, even if it is just a twitch of rabs the handle of my suitcase and pulls it from my hand I follow closely behind hihtness of the lounge I walk down the stairs one by one There is an aardness to the at hard not to look at me Are they afraid I’ll freak out and break down?

"All set?" Selena asks, as she slips out of Jackson’s embrace When I step from the stairs and onto the carpet she wraps and ars a cap in his hand and steps toward me "I’m really sorry to hear about your dad"

My throat constricts and I s hard I’ their condolences I don’t want to reat guy and I’ot to meet Rick The team won’t be the saed to force one "Thank you"

Jackson didn’t say anything Instead, he grabsWhen he steps away froht smile and turns to Selena She releases my waist and wraps her arms around him Seth and I walk to the front door and wait in the hallhile Selena and Jackson kiss, hug, talk and whatever else they’re doing

"I’ er

"You’ll call lances aardly over to the others

Selena and Jackson are locked in soues and Darryl has his back to the out theinto the city

When Jackson releases her, Selena straightens her purple satin blouse, with the ruffles on the front, and walks toward us She takesus as ers entith o to the lobby I don’t want to leave him behind

The lobby is as busy as ever--how convenient People--especially women--stare at Seth’s naked upper half Soht of his busted lip and eyebrow He looks a little rough with his cuts and his tattoos, not to mention his hard muscles, but he’s definitely a softy The same hands that clench and slam into flesh are the saed soap into my skin I stop Seth as Selena exits the hotel I want to talk to hiht"

"You’re sorry ht was ruined?" He shakes his head "Always selfless"

I step closer and reach up, pressing a kiss to his lips He runs his cool fingers underneathtohis thu is over"

I stare into his brown eyes and they glimmer with so much emotion that I can’t pinpoint what exactly I press my lips to his one s asp

He exhales heavily and , not yet, but in light of what’s happened, I feel like it’s so directly into my eyes and smiles a little "Fuck I’m such a mess I’ve never had to do this before"

Do what? I lean back a little, eyeing hih ro up for an ‘I love you’ but that’s surely not what he’s going to sa--