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"I’m fine," I say into his shirt as he holdshim back I like Nick And I think he likes me too, but not the way I like hi me makes me jittery in a way that freaks me out

"Sasha" He holds my face in his hands and I have a es to regret when he doesn’t "You look good, kid A lot better than I iined all these rasp, uy who’s been on the run for a year"

He s But then he pats his front pocket and pulls out a handful of suckers Those little tiny ones they give away free in the old-lady booths here in the htthem out a little "They’re all butterscotch Your favorite"

A I ht melt a little He knows rabs one for himself and then bites off the wrapper and spits it out on the floor

I just stare at his lips as he puts the sucker in hisabout how he stopped off at a truck stop on his way into town and picked through the canister until he found… oh, fuck I have no idea what he’s saying I’ at his mouth

He’s looking at me expectantly "What?" I ask

He pops that sucker out of his mouth and holds it out for me "Here, I don’t want it"

"Then why did you take it?" I ask, laughing I take the sucker, not really sure what I’ll do with it

And then he leans into my space and slides his hands up into un cocks off to the side of us and we both turn our heads slowly

"You’re gonna take your hands off hs but Ja In fact, Jaain, only louder this tis to anyone, it’s ht, Sash?"

God, I’ sides So I hesitate But that’s OK, because James steps forward into Nick’s space and looks down at him James is an inch or so taller, so he can do that "She’s thirteen years old, Tate If you touch her aballs off"

Nick sun away and huffs "Don’t be stupid She’s a kid" And then, as if that wasn’t a kill shot through ht be interested in"

I stop listening I just toss that butterscotch sucker into the trash and walk off Merc stretches out an arm to clothesline rabs again and gets a hold of my shirt "Stay here, Sasha You’re not allowed to be alone anyirl?" James asks

Nick looks over at me and winks I’nal that Nick and I are sharing secrets But before I can deny it, Nick continues talking "I’d love to tell you about it, but first, where the fuck isfroht