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"Chicken parmesan and pasta"

"Holy calories, Batoing to have to run to burn it off

"It’s your birthday, M, the calories don’t count," he says and leads ht me flowers!" I exclaim and i on my kitchen counter I yank the card out of the plastic holder and read it aloud "To M, Happy Birthday Love, M" I grin but indork and launch myself in Mark’s arms "Thank you"

"You’re welco started with dinner "You’ll get your real present later"

"There’s more?" I ask and clap my hands excitedly

"Yep," he replies He pours me some bubbly water and I sit back and watch ood at this"

"Mo "She says we have to earn our keep"

"I love your molad that we like each other’s parents It would really suck otherwise"

"Did you have any doubt that I could charle and shakeI like your uilty that we lied to her about tonight"

"I know" I bite lass

"Hey, it’ll be okay"

I nod and sit back to watch hi the way he race that appeals to the dancer in ether at the junior proet any better than that

When dinner is done, he servesabout school and our mutual friends

"How is Luke?" I ask casually

"Good He’s about to audition for soh "Can you see h with him and shakecollege," he continues as he clears our dishes "The house seems quiet without her"

"She doesn’t like me," I reply and bite my lip No matter how hard I try to talk with Mark’s older sister, she just doesn’t like me

"Sam doesn’t know you very well, and she’s kind of stand-offish with strangers," he says and loads the last dish into the dishwasher, then takes ently "Besides, I don’t care if Saoodness," I say with a grin and lean into hih of Mark’s kisses He rests his forehead againstshivers through le" style="display:block" data-ad-client="ca-pub-7451196230453695" data-ad-slot="9930101810" data-ad-format="auto" data-full-width-responsive="true"></ins>