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"You’re as safe as I can h I hadn’t shed a tear, I felt like I’d been crying for days Raw, achy, and emotionally spent

"I want to make you happy," he murmured into my hair "Tell me how"

I whispered in his ear

Dune pulled away so he could look into my eyes

"I could disappear," I said "Not exist, except as a full-ti sucks, but right now is all we have"

"No, it’s not, Hal I’ll uarantee it, and I don’t want to lose one , he shut the bedroom door

He hadn’t fallen asleep until dawn, and even then he’d only slept in snatches This time, I was the one atched hi, I picked it up to silence it, figuring it was Dad checking in

My heart stopped cold when I saw the name on the caller ID

I shook Dune awake and answered

"Hello, Mother"

She sounded cool and well rested Wherever she’d been for the past feeeks, the living hadn’t been hard

"Where have you been?" I asked, keeping ht you were dead"

"Don’t you mean hoped?"

"What do you think?"

Dune sat up beside me The word backup had never ave me a petty aet it

"Why are you calling?" I leaned back into Dune’s chest "I know you want so You always do"

"That’s no way to talk to your mother, Little Miss"

It was her childhood nicknaressive insult Her specialty "Whatever"

"I’h for dramatic effect "I want to help you I want to lift the burden of the Infinityglass fro nothing Waiting for the bomb to drop

"I’m in New Orleans, and I need to see you"

"Could she be telling the truth?" Dune asked "What if she does have a way to help?"

"Everyone should try so new once in a while Maybe truth is her latest hobby"

Dune had insisted on neutral ground, and Audubon Park fit the bill We took Dad’s town car down Saint Charles It dropped us off across fro far away from the Fly, the side of the park next to the river Even so, I could still se of panic sneaked out from underneath his mask of cool every time the wind blew

"Are you okay?" I asked, "with the water?"

"You’re beautiful"

"Subject changer" I turned to face hiht before, but I couldn’t stop thinking about his skin, his mouth, his hands

"I am not I just wanted to say as on my mind" He pulledthe saht the back of ive up yet"