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She smiles, but it’s wobbly and terrified "I have so to hiets hold of you first?"

"He won’t"

"How are you getting to this person who can help you?"

She walks over to the couch, zipping up her suitcase "He’s organized a car for e I’ll put my car in and take you in that I’ll make sure no one follows us"

She nods "Thank you"

I walk over, pulling her intome often, Autuht "I swear"

I don’t feel good about this Not at all

~~~~

It takesfor her I see a bike followingout like Autu ina shake and parking at the beach Eventually, the bike speeds off I put et there, I barely get a er Well, a stranger to o

I don’t like any of this, not for a damned second

I hope s and I forceit’s Autu bad will happen I see Reign’s number on the screen, so I answer it with a croaky, "Hello?"

"Tia?"

"It’s me"

"Shit, babe, you cryin’?"

At his words, my lip trembles "Ah, no"

"You’re cryin’ What the fuck happened?"

"It’s," I s, cal myself, "Autumn"

"She okay?"

"I can’t say on the phone It’s okay, I’ a whiny brat"

"I’ll be there in twenty"

"No," I say quickly "It’s okay I’et so up

Okay then

I lift myself off the couch and plod into the kitchen I pull out a carton of orange juice and pour lass, and then I sit up on the countertop and think