Page 38 (1/2)

I was completely unprepared

Even worse, I couldn’t think of anything to do that didn’t involve throwing ratitude I had a feeling that wouldn’t go over too ith Kona, though

In the end, I settled for saying, "Hi, Mark," and leaning into hi between Mark and me had ever been casual, and the way he wrapped his ar ainst mine, it was like I had never left In a flash, I reether

It was like co up as energy huh me

Kona cleared his throat and I pulled back reluctantly, a little unsure of how many seconds--or minutes--had passed while Mark just heldMoku For watching out for him when I couldn’t" From the time he was born, it had been otten that?

"No sweat, Teround, shuffled his feet a little "I just wish I could have found hi to come out of this He’ll be okay" I blinked my eyes a bunch of times in a useless atteain "I’o wait in the hall Give you a couple of estion, and I glanced at Kona incredulously It was obvious, frohtly locked jaw to his white-knuckled fists, that he had no desire to leave estion That unselfishness, that determination to put my needs above his oas just one of the reasons I’d fallen so hard for him

Which was also why I couldn’t take hias I had a voice, but it wasn’t right It wouldn’t be fair--to either of theet going Rio’s probably starved"

Mark stepped back "I didn’t id, and I could tell I had hurt hi Kona’s offer--as h they were being total gentleht between two opposing sides Belonging equally to both of them It made my head throb

"Don’t be stupid," I told Mark "We owe Moku’s life to you"

"Logan helped He’s going to try to stop by later, after he gets off work"

"I’ll come back then After I spend a little time with Rio--"

"And take a nap," Kona interjected "You’re exhausted"

The proprietary way he said it irritated me to no end Probably because I knew it had a lot more to do with Mark than with h Just stepped farther back and said, "Don’t letto stop in and see Moku for a few an to look for you later"

"Yeah, please I want to thank hi you wouldn’t have done for us" His phone beeped and he pulled it out, glanced down "That’s your dad now I guess I’ll catch you around, huh, Teain I don’t knoould have happened if you hadn’t been there" Though I meant every word, they came out stilted, which drove me nuts For years, Mark had been a lot more than my boyfriend He’d been my best friend, the person I wanted to spend more time with than anyone else besides Moku And noe could barely look each other in the eye It ful