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She looks both regretful and embarrassed that she suddenly asked ly

My eyes scroll over her features, taking in her nervous deht happen between us I can see on her face and in the way she’s looking at me that she’s just as scared as I am Whatever this is between us, neither one of us was searching for it Neither one of us knew it even existed Neither one of us is even remotely prepared for it, but I knoe both want it She wants this to iththe look in her eyes right nowlike I believe in the possibility of the two of us

I can tell by the way she’s looking at ain, she’d let irl she used to be and the girl she is now and she’s afraid if I try to kiss her again, she’ll cave

And I’et up and walk away, I’ll let her

We don’t even have to speak She doesn’t even have to ask me to leave, because I know that’s what I need to do I nod, silently answering the question I don’t want her to have to ask I begin to ease off her bed and a silent thank you flashes in her eyes I stand up, back away from her and climb out her ithout a word I walk a few feet until I reach the edge of her house, then I lean against it and slide down to the ground

I lean ure out where I went right in my life to deserve her

"What the hell are you doing?" Holder asks I look up and he’s halfway out Sky’sOnce he makes it all the way out, he turns and pulls hershut

"Recovering," I say "I just needed a minute"

He walks toward round across fros up and rests his elbows on his knees

"You’re already leaving?" I ask him "It’s not even nine o’clock yet"

He reaches down to the ground and rips up a few blades of grass, then spins theht Karen walked in and my hand was up Sky’s shirt She didn’t like that too lancing back up at me "You and Six, huh?"

Despite my effort not to smile, I do it anyway I smile pathetically and nod "I don’t knohat it is about her, Holder Ishe justyeah"

"I knohat you rass between his fingers

Neither one of us says anything else for several rass and wipes his hands on his jeans, preparing to stand up "WellI’lad we had this talk, Daniel, but the fact that we already professed ourme a little overwhel toward his car

"I love you, Holder!" I yell after hi forward, but lifts his hand in the air and flips me off

It’s almost as cool as a fist bu," she says

We’re standing in ainst the counter and I’ in front of her with my arms on either side of her I catch her lips withbecause she pushes my face away

"I’m serious," she whispers "I don’t think they likea hand up and wrap it around the nape of her neck and look her directly in the eyes "They like you I promise"

"No we don’t," my dad says as he makes his way into the kitchen "We can’t stand her In fact, we hope you never bring her back" He refills his cup with ice, then walks back to the living room

Six’s eyes follow him as he exits the room, then she looks back up at me, wide-eyed

"See?" I say with a smile "They love you"

She points toward the living room "But he just"

My father’s voice cuts her off when he walks back into the kitchen "Kidding, Six," he says, laughing "Inside joke We actually like you a lot I tried to give Danny-boy Grand earlier but he says it’s still too soon to hs at the sah of relief "Yeah, maybe so It’s only been a month I think we should wait at least two more weeks before we talk proposals"

My dad walks farther into the kitchen and leans against the counter across fro so close to Six now, so I ainst the bar

"Did you cos to say that would e here I can see the glihs, then takes a drink of his tea He scrunches his nose up "Nah," he says "I would never do that, Danny-boy I’irlfriend how he talks about her incessantly I would also never tellsex with hiroan and slap myself in the forehead I should have known better than to bring her here

"You talk to him about the fact that we haven’t had sex?" Six says, completely embarrassed

My father shakes his head "No, he doesn’t have to I know because every night he coht to his bedroohteen once"

Six covers her face with her hands "Oh, uess I knoho Daniel gets his personality from"

My father nods "Tell me about it His ht on cue, h the front door with dinner I glare at rab the pizza boxes out of her hands She sets her purse down and walks over to Six and gives her a quick hug

"I’m sorry I didn’t cook for you Busy day today," she says