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Clutching hissill with ers, my nails chipped the white paint as my muscles strained to work theup

Yes! It’s unlocked

Pushing h theRising to my feet, I let my eyes adjust to the near pitch darkness of the rooht they’d bleed, and I was shaking with nervousness I left theopen just in case I needed a quick escape

Taking a survey of the rooed the furniture around since I’d last been in here The room seemed clean, but it was messy Clothes were strewn across the floor and on the bed The top of his dresser o inches deep in random junk, ht blue, though

When he was younger, his mom had decorated the room in a nautical thehthouse décor Now, the walls boasted so up in the area

I started tiptoeing around, but stopped short Why auiltyThe little angel inBut the little devil screa!

I walked to his closet, and threw open the wooden doors Anything of interest would probably be hidden in here I still wasn’t sure what I was looking for, but at this point, I was interested in anything that would give ht into his life now

I closed my eyes at the sudden rush of Jared’s scent Wind, rain, and ers over his shirt sleeves and sweatshirts before bending down to look for anything of consequence on the floor

Shoes cluttered the bottom of the closest and a couple of shoe boxes filled with pictures As I sifted through the boxes, running into pictures of Jared as a child, I realized not a single picture of ht Jared and I were joined at the hip for four years before our fallout, and there had been pictures Lots of the everything back the way I found it, I closed the closet with more force than needed and spun around Jared’s chest of drawers sat across the rooas station receipts crumpled up on top I noticed several were froo Crest Hill? What would he be doing there?

A search of the drawers revealed nothing, so I walked to his bed and knelt down to peer underneath

Jackpot! I drew out a shallow box with no lid that was stuffed with file folders and papers Heaving it into my arms, I placed it on my lap as I sat down on his bed

His bed

Once upon a time, it wasn’t at all weird to be in Jared’s roo inside a the

Inside the box, I picked through several things, each al docurandfather He left Jared a lake house in Wisconsin, a piece of shit from the looks of the pictures, too But the land was beautiful Severalthe past year A court order for Jared to appear in municipal court for assault was dated shortly after I’d left for France More receipts for meals and hotel roo deeper, rasped a thick, smooth folder at the botto when I heard a door open from the hallway

Oh, shit!

I stuffed the box of papers back under the bed and leapt to a s space between the closet and Jared’s bed I couldn’t hear anything noith the way ht in just enough ti one towel around his waist and drying his hair with another

Why is he home?! I saw his car leave, and I hadn’t heard it return So as going on?

He switched on a table lalow in the roo body ainst the fra what the hell I was going to do Any minute he’d turn around, and I’d be discovered

His torapped around his waist and covered him down to his knees My stomach felt like it was on a roller coaster, and ht washing over his skin seelow I had to blink away the desire to just sit here and wait for hi out of here without hi It was either let him catch me and be cornered or come up with some story Before he turned around, I stood up from the corner and took a deep, painful breath

"Jared" My voice was low

His head whipped around, and his gaze narrowed on me "Tate?" He paused for ain , so I locked theht about what you said about trying to be friends, and I wanted to start by wishing you a happy birthday"

Sht as he turned over what I said, and I knew he didn’t believe me I wouldn’t believe me either It was a lame excuse

"So you broke into my room to tell me "Happy Birthday" a week afterin it and fighting for air

Shit

"I clih the tree, just like we used to do," I pointed out, but ine how red it was

"And your birthday’s tomorrow Can I clily "What are you really doing in here?" I helda hole into ht for words but held his stare What would get him to shut up?