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--E h to travel with, to fool around with, but not to have sex with? You can take the girl out of Sterling"

"That’s notit’s not so to throay on a boy like you"

He stopped cold I couldn’t help but glance over ain

He’d clenched his fists until tendons strained in his neck "Like me?" He threw back his head and bellowed to the sky before facing ed forward, seizing my arm " ’Cause I didn’t have money? That it? ’Cause of where I’m from? From the first day we hed at me, you’veabout that ? The whole concept of it was fading fronificance to ines

My teabout?" I flung off his grip, trudging forward again

He followed "In school, you treatedyou needed to scrape off the bottom of your boot!"

I didn’t bother hiding my bewilderot off to a bad start And things went downhill"

I slohen I came upon another intersection All the estates around here had gates, all of thehborhood? I took another right

So did Jackson "Tell rew up--and how you did Or what you saw in retted judging you for beating that man Or at least, I did before you were such an asshole! Why are you dragging the past into this anyway?"

"Because you said a boy like me!"

"Yeah, a selfish boy like you"

"Selfish? You are callingI see is a condom? You couldn’t have cared less if I was freaked out because you skipped over all the bases I’d thought to expect, or nervous about your ancient-looking protection, or--or not ready to go that fast! In general I didn’t expect you to declare, like, love forBut for s out there’ "

He drew his head back, looking confounded "Why didn’t you tell ot all pissed--shocker--and I was angry that you’d interrupted thingsthings that I’dreally liked" God, this was erateful it turned out the way it did"

"And why’s that, you?"

"I don’t want to be with a boy who can replaceabout!" Though I was yelling at hiry

"Those are the only reasons?" he said over the wind

I cried, "That’s not enough?" Another intersection?

--EMPRESS!--

I flinched with pain this tiht "And how dare you call ht things were great until you snatched the rug out froet"

Jackson and I were lockstep, out of breath, staring at each other Then he just nodded

"Nodding?" I nearly shrieked the word "You’re nod--Ugh! I don’t understand you!"

"Just taking your point, cher" He looked like all his anger had just evaporated

While mine had ramped up "You’ve accomplished what you came out here to do You’ve confirmed that I’er!"

He didn’t say anything, just hurried in front ofthe ith his back All considerate-like

He wasme crazy! "I can’t keep up with yourhouse with Selena?" With a sinking feeling in hts I was almost back to her place

"Well" He rubbed his chin "I never thought I’d see this"

"See--what ?"

"The day when Evangeline Greene was jealous over ole Jack"

"I areen with jalousie It’s an awful feeling, ain’t it? How it rips at you inside"

"Sounds like you’re talking fro at et with"

--EMPRESS, EMPRESS, EMPRESS!--

I stuhted myself Okay, that one hurt My eyes watered and ed forward to catchoff his shirt, balling it up to shove it at , bébé"

"Oh" I held the shirt againsthow much his scent comforted me

"Another vision?" His broere draith concern "This is why you’re in such a rush, then?"

I droppedwhere I’d seen it before His ht of the Flash He wore it to re?" My voice was thick

"Because if you tell o"

The truth? I scanned s for any alternative--

And saw a fa crest I was at Selena’s once more Shit! Back where I started from