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My chest ached as it all started to click together The girlJack’s mother was dead? That had never crossed my mind At all But itso your heart broken because someone died

"The fact that Jase even told you about Jack blows my mind No one but his family knows the truth, and her family, I don’t think, lives around here anymore," he explained "Once I realized he’d told you, I backed off, because I kneas for real if he told you At least, I hoped he was, but"

"But he hasn’t gotten over her, has he?" I said, hurting for hiine what itso final "That’s why Oh, my God"

"I don’t know, Teresa I’m not sure he’s still in love with her I mean, I’m sure he does in a way, but I thinkGod, he’ll killfor so them"

"Really?" Doubt colored my tone

"Look at it this way He didn’t have a nornant Her parents sent her away and then his folks step in and adopt the kid So both of the that’s their son, but no one else does It was their secret and who knohat they planned for the future"

I knehat Jase had said about not wanting Jack at first, but that had changed afterward And it could’ve changed while Kari was still around

"And then she dies, co Those kinds of situations, wrapped all together, have got to mess with someone So I don’t think he’s still in love with her I think he’s scared of loving someone else"

"Then that would have to mean that he loves me, and I don’t think that’s the case"

He set with you and he told you about Jack I’ you what, Teresa He has to have--­"

"It doesn’t matter," I cut him off, because I didn’t need to hear that Jase potentially loved me It would just fill my head with fairy tales andsx was nothing asm "I can’t compete with Kari No one can"

"Teresa--­"

"I don’t want you saying anything to him," I insisted "I’m serious, Ca, but please let it go, because" Because I truly felt bad for hi about Kari made this different Didn’t mean I wasn’t upset with him, because he had hurt me, but he had been hurt in one of the worst ways "Because it doesn’t matter and I’lanced down at the tentlike quilt "Thanks"

"I didn’t ood knee "I’h a lot"

"I’ to hihed "Okay I won’t say anything You were right earlier when you said it’s not any ofhtly "You can’t always take care of things forround on what made Jase tick helped, but it didn’t make the heartache any better Kind of made it all the more sad

At the sound of a knock on the door, Cairl time?"

"Girl time?"

Heout with so sorry foron, she wisely chatted about everything and anything else while she coaxed hten the apartment The place was a mess Partly not my fault Cam had vacuuurated

"I’ve heard that Debbie’s funeral is next Tuesday," she said, tying her coppery hair up in aI’d used to dust off the nightstand into the little waste bin "Calla’s dropping onna pick me up when it’s done She doesn’t do funerals"

"Neither do I" She bent over, picking up a bag resting on the closet floor "I don’t think Cao"

I kneould, but I wasn’t going to force hi

Avery suddenly stood ra Over her shoulder I saas full of shoes I hadn’t gotten around to unloading yet, which reet out of the dor at, I hobbled around her "What’s up?"

Wordlessly, she reached inside and pulled out my old pair of ballet shoes "I haven’t held a pair of these in forever"

Seeing theh me I turned and sat on the bed "Well, we’re about the sahly the same fit You can have theed "I don’t know You can borrow thelanced down at the satiny slippers and sighed a little A wistful look crossed her face and rew "What don’t you dance anyaze lifted and her cheeks reddened "It’s just a long story that’s not really iht now It doesn’tnow, let alone do a simple ballether for hed it off, but her eyes lit up with so akin to excitement, like maybe she wanted to try "I’d probably pull a ingerly stretched it out "Try it"

The slippers dangled froertips "I’ll look like an idiot"

"It’s only me here and I haven’t even showered today Also, I can’t ithout a limp, so I’the slippers on the bed beside h!" But I did s back, Avery looked around the roo out the space as she toed off her shoes She took a deep breath as she kicked a leg up Closing her eyes, she planted her sock-­clad foot on the inside of her thigh and twirled once and then twice, extending her leg out elegantly Even on carpet, in jeans and out of coirl had a natural-­born talent that every studio-­taught dancer envied

When she completed the turn, I clapped loudly "That was perfect!"

Her face was flushed as she straightened out her shirt "It wasn’t My leg--­"

"Oh my God, you haven’t danced in years and you did the turn better than most of the ­people who haven’t stopped" I picked up the ballet shoes "You have to get on a stage Even if it’s just withArts Center Just once"

"I don’t know--­"

"You have to!" I wiggled the shoes, and her gaze followed the shiny in her face I don’t kno I knew this, but I did know that getting her to dance again was ih you Just once before spring semester Please"