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Tanner offered ht of what seeether, obviously weighed on him heavily "Are you still sick?" I asked

He shook his head "No Much to your father’s disnant I got accepted into an experiram in Colorado By the ti better every day I still have to take soone, and now they think I will live forever, like a va his eyes and sticking out his tongue

I bitif I should even atteue "Do you think I can see him? Sammy? Maybe spend some time with hi it would help Tanner say yes

He waved his hand through the air as if my question was a ridiculous one "Of course, Ray You’re his mom You don’t even have to ask" Tanner reached for my hand but just as it was about to clasp overit co it on his knee

"Now can I ask you a question?" Tanner asked

"Yes, it’s your turn," I said

Tanner chewed on the tip of his thu with hiuing, like you tere…" Tanner trailed off

I didn’t want hi him to ask the difficult question, I volunteered the answer "King His na his name made me feel like I could breathe yet, at the sa; a contradiction in every single way

Tanner leaned his elbows onto his thighs and dropped his face into his hands "This is so fucking hard to ask you, Ray but I feel like I just need to know No, I have to know," he uys, I et it over with Rip it off like a Band-Aid "Yes" After all, I’d prooing to be sick," Tanner blurted out, ju up from the bed

"You said you wantedup as well "And don’t look at me like I cheated on you I didn’t even know there was a you to cheat on!"

Tanner shifted from foot to foot "I know, I knohat I said But I didn’t expect your answer to break my heart!" Tanner whisper-shouted "And I know it’s not like you cheated on me because the Ray I knoould never have had sex with souy she’d justpurposely rated on ret my promise of honesty

"Newsflash buddy, I don’t know you or the Ray you know My name isn’t even Ray, they called me Doe As in Jane Doe As in nobody kneho the fuck I was So if you want to talk about being angry and ronged who, then get in fucking line!" I shouted

Tanner clutched his arut "I looked for you, you know I spent days, weeks, iven up hope" His voice was so low I barely heard hiht, I really don’t know you"

"This isn’t getting us anywhere," I said I fell back into themy frustrations into my comforter When I rolled back over Tanner’s jaas on the floor

"What?" I asked, looking down atwas in place I stood up and checked again

Nothing

Tanner stammered "It’s youyourshhshoulder Yourbababack You have a…tattoo," he said in disbelief, barley able to finish his sentence

"Okay? So?" I asked, crossingdefensive and ready to snap

Tanner paled "Of his nae tattoo on your back, of his name," he repeated It wasn’t so much a state to him that my tattoo wasn’t anyone’s name, but it was dark in my room, and the artas intricate, so it would’ve been easy toelse I took a deep breath and tried to re that was hard forthat was hard for him to understand