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"There’s the barista, and that guy over there by the door" I try to discreetly point withwe need is anotherto fil anything"

"I told you from the start I’m not into PDAs," I reet who kissed who in the hallway You literally jumped on top of me, Covey"

I blush "There was a purpose for that and you know it"

"There’s a purpose now," he pouts "The purpose is I’ you Is that a cri his nose hard "If you stay quiet and study for forty-five more minutes, I’ll let you kiss hts up "Deal" His phone buzzes, and he reaches down to check it He frowns and texts so quick

"Is everything okay?" I ask

He nods, but he looks distracted, and he keeps texting, even as we’re supposed to be studying And now I’ what it could be Or who

23

I’M PUSHING MY GROCERY CART around, looking for condensed milk for key liht up to hihbor," I say

"Hey, so guess what" Josh grins a pleased, proud sort of grin "I got into UVA early"

I let out a high-pitched shriek and let go of !" I throw my arms around him and jump up and down I shake his shoulders "Be hs and ju me "I am excited My parents are out of their heads excited because now they don’t have to pay out-of-state tuition They haven’t fought in days" Shyly he asks, "Will you tell Margot? I feel like I can’t call her myself, but she deserves to know She’s the one who helped me study all that ti"

"I’ll tell her I know she’ll be really happy for you, Josh My dad and Kitty, too" I lift h five, and he se, and soon he won’t be raduating and leaving town, et their divorce, and then they’ll sell the house and he won’t even be s have been off with us forout in agesbut I liked knowing that he was there, right next door if I needed hiin "Once we have the all clear froain like before? Everyoneto show you Ja fancy, so don’t get excited But still"

A smile spreads across his face, that slow sht," he says