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"But you believe him? When he says you can stay?"

"I think so And I think there ht be others, too On the Internet--I think I’ve found others Or at least, other people ere inhabited, like Nathan or you You at least knohat happened And Nathan kno But ht, there may be others who’ve been taken over pero into them, and then not leave"

"So you can stay?" I ask, not believing this is what he’s tellingis possible We’re possible "Are you saying you can stay?"

"Yes," he answers "And no"

It can’t be both I don’t want to hear it’s both

"Which one? What do you ht be a way to stay," he tells me "But I can’t I’ll never be able to stay"

"Why not?"

"Because I’d be killing theone forever"

No He can’t be saying this He can’t be saying it’s possible and impossible at the same time

I can’t deal with it I can’t I have to stand up I can’t be sitting on the floor in thethis conversation with him

Once I’ hiive me all this--and then say it can’t work That’s cruel, A Cruel"

"I know," he says "That’s why this is a first date That’s why this is the first time we’ve ever met"

Not fair This is not pretend This is life

"How can you say that?" I ask "How can you erase everything else?"

He stands up and coh I don’t understand what he’s doing, he wraps his arms around me It’s not what I want, and I try to tell him I don’t want it But then I feel the shelter of his closeness and I want it, and I stop trying to pull away

"He’s a good guy," A whispers in uy And today’s the day you firstin the bookstore He’s going to remember the first time he saw you, and hoas drawn to you, not just because you’re beautiful, but because he could see your strength He could see how much you want to be a part of the world He’ll re He’ll re you if you wanted to do so hi about here, and wanting to show it to you The grocery store, the stories in the aisles, the first time you saw his roole thing His pulse is my heartbeat The pulse is the same I knoill understand you You have the same kind of heart"

No This is not what I want Can’t he see what I want?

"But what about you?" I ask, my voice stained by my sadness I can’t keep it away fros in him that you find in me," he answers "Without the complications"

He says it like it’s easy

It’s not easy

"I can’t just switch like that," I tell him