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"Sky!" I drop to ainst me I can’t let her run She needs to know the rest of the truth before she leaves here

"Outside," she breathes "I just need outside Please, Holder"

I kno it feels to need air this badly I release my hold and look her in the eyes "Don’t run, Sky Go outside, but please don’t leave We need to talk"

She nods and I help her stand up She walks outside and into the front yard where she tilts her head back and stares up at the stars

Up at the sky

I watch her the whole tishe wants right now She knows I’ve been lying to her and she has every right to hate me

After a while, she finally turns and heads back inside She brushes past ht into the kitchen She takes a bottle of water out of the fridge and opens it, downing several gulps before finallyeye contact with et her out of the house, but I’ her home

We’re at the airport now I couldn’t think of anywhere else quiet enough to take her and I refused to take her ho she needs to askshe asked otI told her last time she asked me about it; only this time I think she actually understood

"Are you ready for answers?" I ask her We’ve been silently watching the stars for several ive her a chance to calm down To clear her head

"I’ honest this ti her voice

I turn to face her and the hurt in her eyes is as prominent as the stars in the sky I lift up onto o I was looking down at her this sa about her When ere in thatat her with so much hope I felt like she waswould last forever But now, looking down at herI feel like it’s all about to end

I lower my hand to her face and touch her "I need to kiss you"

She shakes her head "No," she says resolutely

I feel like tonight is the end of us and if she doesn’t let me kiss her one ain "Please, Sky I’m scared that after I tell you what I’ain" I grasp her face harder and pull her closer "Please"

Her eyes are desperately searching mine, possibly to see if there’s any shred of truth behindShe just barely nods, but it’s enough I lower raspsme to kiss her more intimately

We continue to kiss for several minutes, because I don’t know that either of us wants to face the truth just yet I lift up ontoaway froh ainst ins to clench my shirt with her fists as a cry breaks free from her throat I move my lips to her cheek and kiss her softly, then loweron to her with my free hand "I’m so sorry I didn’t want you to know"

She pushes me off her, then sits up She pulls her knees to her chest and buries her face in them

"I just want you to talk, Holder I asked you everything I could ever ask you on the way here I need you to answertired and exhausted I stroke her hair and give her the answers she needs

"I wasn’t sure if you were Hope the first tile stranger our age, I had given up trying to find her a few years ago But when I saw you at the store and looked into your eyesI had a feeling you really were her When you showed me your ID and I realized you weren’t, I felt ridiculous It was like the wake-up call I needed to finally just let the o

"We lived next door to you and your dad for a year You and me and Lesere all best friends It’s so hard to reht you were Hope, but I also thought that if you really were her, I wouldn’t be doubting it I thought if I ever saw her again, I’d know for sure

"When I left the grocery store that day, I iaveabout you, not even on Facebook I searched for an hour straight and became so frustrated that I went for a run to cool down When I rounded the corner and saw you standing in front ofthere, worn out and exhausted fro andJesus, Sky You were so beautiful I still wasn’t sure if you were Hope or not, but at that point it wasn’t even going through my mind I didn’t care who you were; I just needed to know you