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I s "Is it soood?"

He nods and se of the bed and sits down, then pats the mattress for me to follow

I sit, but not too close I don’t really knohat’s happening

"I was bu Way the fuck out by Bighorn Lake You know it, right?"

I shoot hihs "So I was up there in thelost But there was like this park access road, so I walked up this road to the top of a hill and do you knoas up there?"

I shake my head as I stare into his eyes He’s excited to tell me this and that makes me excited with hi you were talking about last summer Remember that?"

My throat starts to sting andto Ja "I saw it" He looks over at ripsonna love seeing it"

"I’o" He says nothing to that Just lets the silence take over until I feel the need to explain "My dad was gonna take me this summer I don’t want to see it with anyone else"

"Hmmm I can see your point I mean, your dad would probably be mad if you ithout hiue "Just don’t"

"What? That’s your reason, right?"

I stare up at the ceiling

"Because I know your dad was like that All pissy about you being happy without him"

"I know it makes no sense to you, but it does to me There’s just no one else I want to see it with"

Nick turns his head to the side "Sasha," he says I turn mine too, and our faces are but a few inches apart "I love you"

I feel the tears well up

"I love you and I only hat’s best for you I want you to go to school And live in a house And never pick up a gun again I want you to wear dresses and go to dances And have dates with boys who take you to eat haers I want you to study dinosaurs and travel the world looking for clues about the past that no one else cares about"

He stops and ss Like he needs to build his courage up Another tear streaks across ertips intercepts it just as it rounds onna realize that you can loveto be there with me," I blurt as the tears pour out "You’re my promise"