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Theof the first timeline and the second as Jack, deep into her psyche, burned the first one away--long before the chaos of two realities could linger and drive her insane Peri’s darting eyes slowed in the first hint of release, and at his urging, they ran through the night again, both of the in the shadow places of her er aJack’s grip on herThere’d been someone else--a man in a suit Reasped when Jack followed her fear deep into hera chocolate, reinforcing that she’d eaten a chocolate as she sat in a chair

But she knew they hadn’t been alone, and an oily voice crying Bravo! echoed against the black edges of burnedher

Her hand throbbed as she recalled pinning a man to a chair, the disdain in his eyes, her fear at his confidence

In her es of the first-weaveit It wasn’t there It hadn’t really happened

And then it was gone

She was left with thethe files’ lack of organization, his face lit and pale in the glow It was co the night’slike a crumpled paper, the sequence choppy but structured as Jack insisted that they go over it once hts

It was only when she eased into the satiated state of a successful h the carefully stackedher An unreasonable fear that she rong, that she’d made a mistake she couldn’t come back from, took her

It was froer had er, foul, loathsome, untrustworthy…

Peri’s breath caught as Jack’s presence strengthened Not you, Jack said, his unspoken words ringing in herit with his confidence Not you, Peri You’re clean You are uncorrupt, my dove

Her chest clenched as his love soaked into her, hiding the fear behind it, and the tre her he loved her, trusted her, that anything else was a lie Slowly … she believed She had to

"I’ers find hers, both of theuard His cales of the small chunk of blue plastic Jack had been there, had seen both times, and had burned away the mistake they’d made until there was only one memory, the last

Peri’s bruises ached anew as she re Her almost-death had never happened, and she only knew of it because Jack had told her about it last night Secondhand knowledge was safe--a real one, but there ays around that, too: her diary waited at ho before her, and he s on the button’s holes, and she stopped rubbing it like the touchstone it was "Thank you," she said

Jack leaned forward and brushed the hair from her eyes "You’re welcome"

His voice was husky, and sweat had beaded on his forehead It had been a hard one Peri set the button on the scratched table, accidentally dragging it off, and it hit the carpet and rolled under the bed

Jack’s ar the scent of his hair, her ar Her eyes waredly "I did lose you I don’t know if I can do this anymore, babe"

She parted her knees and pulled hi between therew too long and the weaves too elaborate Most people would say he had the easy part, out of the line of fire as she protected hiot whatever they were after, but the truth of it was that his job was harder He saw everything, lived everything, relived it again and again until she re, and Peri tilted his head up "It’s so hard," he said "Peri, I love you"

"I love you, too" She kissed hi hio"

"But what if I hadn’t been there?" A tight anger eclipsed his grief, his fierce expression hurting her, al to anchor you? You would have lost everything" He reached up and touched her jawline "And I’d lose you"

Peri took his hands, feeling his strength There was no answer, no sure thing To agonize over it would leave the "Don’t do this, Jack It’s part of the job"

"I don’t knohat I’d do if you forgothim close so he couldn’t see her face It was a wish, not a proh draft could le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true">