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"I wanted you to have everything To be everything To never wonder what if like I did"

"That’s why I had to go to college" Serena felt as though her heart was finally starting to beat again "Because if I didn’t, I’d never stop wondering what I had missed"

Her mother finally looked at her Really, truly looked Mascara was running in black streaks down Genevieve’s cheeks, but for the first time in Serena’s memory, she didn’t try to fix it

"I don’t understand," her ain, but it sounded a little different now "I never wanted to go to college I never liked books, wanted to run screairl, you had to have a book with you all the tie That you would change That you’d become more like me" She brushed the back of her hand over her cheeks, s mascara "But ould you want that when I was never anything? Never anything that mattered to anyone"

"Yes, you were You are"

"What?" Her mom had never looked so lost Or so afraid "What am I?"

"You’re my mom And you matter to me So, so much"

And this time, when she reached for her, Genevieve leaned all the way into Serena’s arms

Thank God, thought Sean as they got out of his car behind his frat house a couple of hours later, Serena was sain Ever since they’d left S

"I feel so free," she told him "For the very first ti at all And wasn’t it a when Smith offered to introduce me to his sister Sophie? She’s a librarian in San Francisco and also went to Stanford How cool is that?"

Standing in thelot, Serena fit into his arms so perfectly and her lips tasted so sweet as she kissed him that he could hardly remember what his life had been like before he’d reat, parts had been terrible, but none of it had ever been this real This powerful Or, he thought as she pressed the full length of her curves against him and made a little sound of pleasure into his mouth, this hot It wasn’t until when one of his frat brothers whistled that they finally remembered they were in public and headed for his rooht’s events, Sean was happy, too Happier, at least, knowing that Serena definitely wasn’t going to be leaving to film the movie Unfortunately, her academic status on ca his brain all night trying to think of the best way to deal with her lecherous professor Plus, he couldn’t help but worry about Serena’s iant step forward tonight, what if Serena put all her hopes into having a great new relationship with her h never cah, Sean knew he couldn’t protect her fro, even if he wanted to Besides, Serena had proved that she wascare of herself Still, he silently vowed to always be there as backup

He’d planned on picking up where their kiss had left off once they were in his room, but once they were inside and the door was closed, the box of photos was suddenly all he could see