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"Uh-huh, I know exactly what you need tiuy you’ve landed Go back to Texas for a few days and you run the risk of hi away"

"That’s not it at all," I insisted, looking through the office doorway to the lab, where Owen stood in front of the whiteboard, thoughtfully chewing on the end of a dry-eraseto his parents’ house for the holiday, anyway" It occurred to me that if Gemma and Marcia went home for Christone, and Connie’d said her in-laere co over For a et done in the next couple of days? But for all I knew, that hen Idris and Ari would wreak havoc

"Thanks for letting me know," I said firmly, more to convince myself than to convince her, "but I really don’t think I can make it"

"You don’t mind if we leave you alone, do you?"

"Are you kidding? It’ll be the longest I’ve had the place to e the locks while you’re gone"

She laughed "Okay, then I guess I’ll see you tonight"

In spite of my assurances to Marcia, I couldn’t help but feel a little lost and lonely as I walked back out into the lab "Is so?" Owen asked

"No It was one of o back ho oing?"

I shook et that fare, so I’d have to leave here tomorrow, then come back on Christmas itself It’s several hours to the airport from my parents’ house, so I wouldn’t even be able to stay for Christmas dinner My roommates are from around Dallas, so it’s a lot easier for the to be stuck by yourself for Christmas?"

"Yeah, but it won’t be so bad It’ll be nice to have some peaceful alone time"

"You could come with me" He said it casually as he uncapped hison it

"With you? You and your foster parents are just starting to work things out You don’t need an outsider there"