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She nods against ate I pull her close, close as I can get her and her hands lock behind h she doesn’t reply, she holds ets it She knohat I’h

Priscilla co her teeth Her hair looks like she did so to it Not styled it or whatever, but it doesn’t look as frayed as it did after swiht Aspen has ten stiches in her leg and Sebastian’s been spastic about taking care of her

"You ready for bed?" I ask

Priscilla nods She cliht to turn it off and then stand there like an idiot Which bed do I get into? I don’t want to assuhts, but that was because she was crying and then because she climbed in with me Now, it’s my choice

And I knohere I want to be

"Can I sleep with you?" Daotten into my own bed Why did I ask like that?

"Yeah"

I let out a breath I didn’t knoas holding

Pushing the blankets aside, I cliainst oes around her and her head fits in that little crook perfect She sirl I’ve always known

I don’t knohat I’m supposed to do here If I should just hold her or kiss her We’re in this weird place and I’oing to hate leaving it

"What do you want to do?" I whisper into her hair, then I let h it

"Umm, what do you mean?"

"In life I’ve never asked I don’t knohy I didn’t ask I know you don’t want to be a lawyer, but what do you want to do?" For a second I wonder if the question is stupid, but when you’re friends like us, things like that shouldn’t be duhtly when she says it and I squeeze her tighter "My parentsthey’re not close to each other They go on vacations and buy the right things and buy s out of me, but I don’t know if they’re happy, happy Like with each other--or s I want to be with the people who s that are really important and not what other people think I should"

Her words are like knives, stabbing intoet it Maybe that’s where the taunting coet it To do what I need to--if I even knohat that is It’s hard to i awesos she wants They’re incredible just like she is

"Dios That sounds stupid, right?" She tries to sit up a little, but when ain, she relaxes

"No"

"You h I’ with people I just want to feel like I have tiically I know I do, but there’s so ht she knew everything That she had it all figured out

"What about you, Jay? What do you want?" Her hand tightens as she clutchesto disappear

I am

"I’ with "

The conversation ends after that I keep stroking and she keeps squeezing Soon her breathing evens out and I’m sure she’s close to sleep "Priscilla?" My voice comes out almost raspy

"Yeah?" I hear sleepiness in her voice

"I just want to be happy too"

We’re spending the whole day at the Navy Pier Sebastian and I are pumped The river, rides, food There’s not a whole lot better than that The place is crazy busy and huge I didn’t expect it to be so big There’s stuff everywhere, people everywhere and I know there’s no e’re going to be able to do it all in one day We decide to try and do as irls decide they want to see the circus I’ to lie I’et started, it’s pretty cool It’s the Cirque Shanghai and they can do some pretty wild stuff on a motorcycle Priscilla sits really close to ets excited and leans forward, she puts her hand on h

"Umpf," I mutter when Sebastian elbows ot that cocky I-told-you-so look on his face, his eyes darting back and forth between Priscilla’s hand andnore hione outside, Priscilla grabsIt looks like so and there’s a courtyard, too

"OhBeauty and the Beast! That’s my favorite!" Aspen is attached to Sebastian Not because she wants to be, either I know her leg is bothering her

I groan "You guys picked the circus Please don’t tellus to see Beauty and the Beast, too! We’re o to the theater there!" It’s not until everyone looks at ue, I tellat Sebastian for hi back atand he agrees He crosses his ar like ‘hell no’ to the whole Beauty and the Beast thing, but then Aspen tugs on his arm

"Come on, Bastian It’sall day anyway"

"I can’t believe you played the leg card" I nudge her gently I definitely don’t want to see this play, but I don’t want her to be in pain either Sebastian will be all crazy and protective if that happens