Page 40 (1/2)

"I know" I’o back"

"Do you miss them? Your family?"

I miss them like crazy "Almost every day"

"Your dad?"

I nod

"Your mom?"

I nod, and tears prick at my lashes when I think of her But she didn’t help ed and pleaded for her to do so She sided with s?" he asks

I shake my head "My parents didn’t have ypped, huh?"

"Don’t say that," he warns sharply

"It’s the truth I’ve never been what they wanted"

"What did they want?"

Someone else "Someone who can read Follow in their footsteps Sons or financial states"

"Have they ever seen you play?" he asks

I shake ger idiots than I thought You were a out of the pal that"

His eyes narrow "It’s the truth"

"I appreciate you so much," I say I know I’ve only known him for a few days, but it feels like forever "Did I tell you enough?" I ask

"Not by a long shot," he says with a laugh "I want to know everything"

Maybe soh info that he could contacthe was helping me

"You’re worried that I’ll betray your confidence?" he asks He sits back, affronted

"Soood intentions I know you do But you don’t understand how much I have to keep my anonymity I can’t trust anyone" If I do, my parents will suddenly have the info they need to sweep down and snatch me back into their world

He nods He’s somber I should have kno this would affect him

"Now that you knohere I came from, I understand if you want atheraround my stomach as he picks s over his thigh "Where do you think you’re going?"

I heave a sigh "I have no idea"

He tips my face up and looks into my eyes "I want you here Will you stay?"

"Will you be satisfied hat I told you?"

He nods "For now, yes"

His eyes narrow and I knohat his next question is "Will you tell me your name?"

I shakeainst his shoulder He holds me like that for a minute, and then he jostles me out of his ar me He climbs in behind me and turns me to face hiet Thank you for telling "

I lean forward and touchback

He pulls ainst my hip

"Oh," I say My belly clenches My need entle fingers "Yeah," he says with a laugh "It’s like this crazy tor you this close to ainst my lips to stop me

"I can wait," he says He reaches over and turns off the light He rollsof hair that’s on his chest tickles an," I say to the darkness

His head lifts I can see it in the sliver of light that’s falling fro?" he asks

I shakemy nose brush his chest so he can feelhim up and down He kisses the top ofup over his hip I wrap an arle in deeply "Go to sleep," he says softly

So I do

I wake the next entle tap, tap, tap on the side of my nose I blinkinto rins at me "You sweepy?" she says quietly

I was, until she tapped against ry bird I scrub the sleep fro besideopen I snuggle deeper into ," she says She’s dragging a bunny by the ears "I’wy," she says

I cover a yaith o and wake your daddy?"

She shakes her head "He said to go back to sweep"

I look toward theThe sun is just barely over the horizon "I want a pancake"

A pancake? "How about soet up I take a pair of Logan’s boxers froan’s," she says, scowling at me