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Pushing himself away from the car, he stumbled on his first steps

"Brandon," Sal said as he walked by hihtly lower and calmer now Brandon didn’t turn to him, but he did stop "Do not come back You hear me? Stay the hell away from Sofia if you knohat’s best for you"

With a hu Both Angel and Alex yelled out si They couldn’t keep hi by the phar nuency leave to cos had progressed this much

His parents hadn’t even realized it either When they put the house up for sale, the plan was they’d all ot from their astronomically-priced California hoia with cash His mother would live off whatever was left fro the hoia, there’d be plenty of money left over Now his dad’s condition had taken such a turn the doctors said he was too ill to travel Theup for him today were the last he’d ever pick up from a pharmacy for him because in a few days his dad would be admitted to a hospice where he’d live out the rest of as left of his life

Brandon wouldn’t even be there, since there was no way to kno long for sure his dad would be around and his leave was only teet a leave during the holidays on such short notice

His reaction to seeing his dad’s condition decline so rapidly was not what he had expected Brandon was certain he’d never felt his heart so heavy, not even through all he’d been through as a child He’d always been able to just hold it all in and suck it up for his h as it was She didn’t need to be brought down any lower by seeing his pain and fear

He was deter for his h he’d been determined on New Year’s Eve to see and talk to Sofie, in the last few days, watching his dad deteriorate before his eyes, he needed to focus now on his parents He needed to get his dad situated in a hospice before he left The house needed to be sold because his dad wasn’t going to be around for long Then he needed to step up and look after his mom as his dad had asked hi into an agonizing fit of coughing

It was all he was focusing on now, even though a small stubborn part of him still wished he could’ve talked to Sofia one last time

His number was called, and Brandon stepped up to pay for his father ave hi he said He paid and walked nuh the store

Thespot and got out of her car Brandon walked back into the store, not even sure what he’d say or how he’d approach her All he kneas she was alone and this could be his last chance ever to speak with her

He stood behind one of the azine racks so she wouldn’t see him immediately and watched as she walked in and passed hi, he waited until she’d stopped somewhere When he saw her stop in the shaood her hair had smelled that day he kissed her He’d come up from behind her, and, aside froainst his, it was the first thing he’d noticed

Gulping, he walked toward her slowly The closer he got, the more he knew exactly what he wanted her to know After his drunken fiasco in front of her entire fas weren’t impossible between them before, they were now But he still had to tell her

"Hey, Sof,"

The moment she looked up at him she flinched "Brandon!" Those beautiful eyes that had once smiled at hi around "Did you follow me?"

"No, I was on my way out when I saw you pull in"

"I can’t be around you You have to understand--"

I know, Sof," he said, cutting her off because he didn’t want to hear about her being so fking forbidden to him anymore "I just hoped I could speak with you before I left Do you have a few o soasped

Looking into her eyes this close again did so to him She’d been the only one who could elicit these kinds of feeling in hi else--tortured Any hope he had with her was gone Yet he still needed her to hear what he had to say so he could just let it out and it wouldn’t be inside hi desperate, and an eivevery apprehensive "Make it fast"

His emotions nearly betrayed hiether and told her "My old "

The look of apprehension on her face was immediately replaced with that of surprise then co cancer and how they’d be selling the house Then he apologized for all the troubles he’d caused her and grief he put her fah on New Year’s Eve