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Zach was pouring hio tell Sophie that he loved her

He always had

And he alould

Chapter Twenty-one

Sophie alking down the hallway to her aparth the mail she hadn’t picked up all week, when she heard a low voice say, "Sophie"

"You surprised me," she squeaked as she almost dropped the stack of mail "Oh my God, Jake!" The bills and advertiseed and beaten in an alley, covered with bruises and drying blood from his forehead to his chin

"It looks worse than it is" He touched his jaw "Probably should have gone home to clean up first" Even with the bruises, the cuts, all across his face, he was impossibly beautiful as he asked, "Any chance you reht?"

She knew she should unlock her door and take hiht that second She opened her arainst hiood to hold you"

She didn’t kno long they stood like that in her hallway All she kneas that she didn’t want to ever let go of hi, like et their happily-ever-after

Nother head from where it lay over Jake’s heart, she asked, "Who did this to you?"

Jake finally pulled out of her aro inside"

She frowned That wasn’t an answer

Her hands were shaking slightly as she slid her key into the lock, but she worked hard at re calm as she moved into the kitchen, found a clean hand towel, and turned on a strea Jake was hurt He was so er than she was, but she wanted to protect him, wanted to make sure he didn’t know any more pain in his life than he already had

His voice caht"