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He watchedThen he blinked and looked away as if suddenly unco that looked like…gratitude

He cleared his throat "At least your dad seeainst his arm, which stretched across the back of the couch "My dad is a good guy Only he barely knoho I a as you have one decent parent… the poison out of your life"

I looked up at hi and steady I shook uts to do it To hurt her like that"

"But it’s okay if she tramples all over you?"

I bit the inside ofaway from his

"April, you’re worth ht They treated you like shit You have the power to end that"

I sed "I do"

We were silent for a long tiood being in his arms It made me feel safe…special It made me feel like I orth every bit as ood for theht and reached over to the coffee table forthe poison out ofas I texted ain That I wouldn’t respond to her or Gunnar by phone or eet a restraining order against them both on the basis of her harassment and Gunnar’s assault

Then I snapped a selfie close-up of my face with the prominently displayed bruised and swollen lip I went into s and blocked her phone number and Gunnar’s I did the same with Facebook and e like a brave, grown-up girl My heart was beating a millionfor the first ti ti et used to I settled into his side again, resting my head on his shoulder Slowly, slowly, my hand crept across his chest until I had his hard body in ht start thinking you care And that was against your rules, right?"

He didn’t stiffen like I expected hie or contradict me, even with a sarcastic quip Instead, he ran his hand through , April I told you that already"

I didn’t agree with that Not for one second Every single action today, from the ht now, said that he did care Jordan could choose to delude himself, but he couldn’t fool me

"What happened when you talked to her?"