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I also gave him a bloody nose that day He still doesn’t knohy

"I didn’t even think twice about my actions," I continued as she remained silent "I spread that ru with Danny He was a dick They all were"

"So you thought you were protecting me?" she blurted out, unconvinced "But ould you do that? You already hated me by that point That was after you’d returned fro you," I stated, raisingher, then I wouldn’t have turned around and hurt herher safe It was about not wanting anyone else to touch her

I continued, "We got to high school, and all of a sudden, you’ve got all of these guys liking you I handled it the only way I kne"

"By bullying ed "That makes no sense Why didn’t you talk to me?"

"I couldn’t I can’t" I couldn’t trust you

"You’re doing fine so far," she pressed "I want to knohy all of this started in the first place Why did you want to hurtfrouys What was your proble to buy o there Not now Not with her

I blew out a breath and lied "Because you were there Because I couldn’t hurt who I wanted to hurt, so I hurt you"

Please just leave it at that

"I was your best friend" She spoke slowly, ust "All these years…" Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears

"Tate, I had a shitty summer with my dad that year" I inched closer "When I came back, I wasn’t the same kid Not even close I wanted to hate everybody But with you, I still needed you in a way I needed you to not forget me"

Part of it was about control, and part of it was about o I needed to be in her life I needed her to see me

"Jared, I’ve turned it over and over inwhat I could’ve done to make you act the way you did And now you tellin

"You were never clingy or a nuisance, Tate The day youI’d ever seen" My voice dropped to a near-whisper andloved you Your dad was unloading theroo your bike in the street You earing overalls with a red baseball cap Your hair was spilling down your back"

Even then, I knew Tate would be important to me

Shortly after she’d moved in, I’d found out that her mom had passed away My father wasn’t in s like music and movies in common

And the rest was out of our control We’d found each other

"When you recited your ue this week, I …" I let out a breath "I knew then that I’d really gotten to you, and instead of feeling any satisfaction, I was angry with myself I wanted to hate you all these years, I wanted to hate someone But I didn’t want to hurt you, and I didn’t really realize that until thein front of her, I felt the hairs on my arms stand on end The heat from her body--so close--radiated towardI had not to circleher up into ht only s I wanted

"You’re not telling , like she was half in and half out of the mo away a single warm tear

"No, I’m not" My voice was barely audible

Her eyes were hooded, but she tried to keep going "The scars on your back," she started "You said you had a bad summer, and that when you came back you wanted to hate everybody, but you haven’t treated anyone else as badly as--"

"Tate?" I cut her off and closed the inch left between us, our breathing in sync as we met chest to chest All I could see were her lips, full and soft "I don’t want to talk anyether or coht not like that she wanted it

Please don’t stopcool silk, smooth like butter, and I fistedup

"You don’t want to talk anys tensed, waiting for her to hitinto action when I saw her twist around to launch another key into the forest

Hell!

Circling , into ive ht away, but as she still so upset? What !

My father’s ain that suht izing was a sign of weakness

But I wanted Tate back

My heart only beat for her, and I’d rather spendher

You need to apologize, dickhead

"Shhh, Tate," I whispered into her ear "I won’t hurt you I’ll never hurt you again I’ my eyes as I sed the bitter pill

She twisted fro sorry! I hate you!"

No

Still securing her with both arers and pry out o, and she stepped forward and spun around to face rin before she had the chance to speak "If you did, you wouldn’t be this upset"

"Go screw yourself," she spat back and turned, sto?

If she thought I was going to let her traipse home, in the dark, on a deserted road, she was out of her fking round, I took off after her, spun her around and threw her over my shoulder like I wanted to do earlier She landed hard, her stoe desire to keep her there and walk home

Fuck the car

Well, almost

"Put htened ers to stay put

Her ass was next to e of her position in her short skirt