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Her lips tre--that , and then we’d all sit down to dinner He told terrible jokes, but Ithe other one, processing each other’s grief

A glint of understanding crossed her face "Is--is your irls away?"

I froze "Why would you say that?"

"It wouldsoes you"

The air becairl

The thing is people you love do disappear--like Father when I was a baby and Muain

I refused to give so intoher

I sucked in a breath "Yes"

"And control is how you cope," I added a few beats later, co to my own realization

She lifted clear blue eyes to mine Earnest Beautiful She nodded "Yes Plans make me feel safe"

And those feords were all we needed to understand each other perfectly

Why ere broken the ere

A few moments went by, and eventually it beca yet eren’t actually holding hands She pulled hers away, her fingers once again tracing over her wrist

I let out a heavy sigh "Don’t be sad about your bracelet I can’t stand it"

She flicked questioning eyes at ged, playing it off "Just glad you’re okay"

"I kno lucky I a to beto savor every moment of this vacation I could be dead to Lulu to show es,to eat at Panera withacross the table with a gleauidelines A plan"

I snorted at her obvious enthusiasrabbed a pen fro, her deep blue eyes glancing up at mine from time to ti," I co upside down

"I’ rules, or really just one because there’s only one rule for friendship with Dax Blay"

I chuckled "And what’s that?"

Her eyes lingered onEver Not on the le The End" She sat her pen down and considered rin on her lips "It would help if you didn’t have the uess you can’t change that"