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"Yeah" I pushed the stretched-out sleeves up over my forearms

"There’s a picture in the hallith you in a Vanderbilt shirt, your dad, too" His tone left answering up to me I kneas curious, but not intrusive

"It’s whereIt was our thing, I guess, since I was born while he was in medical school there I think my first sleeper was froht his eyes It was still surreal that Josh Walker was inbreakfast with me More surreal that he’d kissed o?"

I sed back the twinge of bitterness that always accompanied this question, especially when ot into CU early adet into Vanderbilt?" He leaned slightly toward me over his es "I didn’t bother applying Riley didn’t think a long-distance relationship would work"

"Did you?"

I shrugged "Apparently a sa-distance relationships work?"

I grabbed my empty plate and stood "Why the twenty questions, Josh?"

He looked up at ot what I asked "Just trying to understand you Do you think those relationships work?"

"I think people who love each other, like genuine love, can make it, sure" I headed for the kitchen and swore I heard hih tiain, I know it’s not what I would ever choose"

He snuck up behind et that I can’t i"

I watched himthem back in the cabinet for the next tietsif he would co inshe did was about my father, and nohat does she have? She’s a train wreck" I turned around and found hiainst the counter We were nearly in the saht I closed es "Sorry, I didn’tthe space between us "I told you You don’t need to apologize If you need to talk, I’ll listen"

He cagedescape, if I had wanted one, ih to tilt " Blood rushed to my cheeks "I’m so sorry about last--"

"Don’t you dare finish that sentence," Josh said, his voice was flat, final "Never apologize toI wanted so badly I could practically taste you before we even left your house" He raised his hand, the back of his fingers grazing down aze dropped to nals straight to ainstreacted "Feel free to useand, darn it, I was deter, but up until now I’d forgotten We’d all forgotten Dad had been gone three weeks now, and we’d already let so s had to return towhatever this new nored my Vanderbilt hoodie on over my tank top and headed into the kitchen, ready to rock out breakfast before April and Gus came down for school I’d checked on Mo than she had when I’d left on Friday

Dad’s copy of The Joy of Cooking bore an earhtlyand milk He’d let us help no matter how ertips like I could jus and butter froh Yesterday’s dishes were stacked up in the sink I’d have to leave them for later, once the kids were at school I foldedJosh’s number in permanent marker I couldn’t control the slove box and gently etched his name and number onto my arm When I’d asked why--I already had his nu look on me

"Gus has my number because I’m his coach Now you have it because I’m your whatever"

"My whatever?"

The soft kiss he’d placed onin for ainstup the walk "It’s not so easy to wash off," he added, "and neither am I"

My cheeks flushed with the memory, and I scrubbed around the mark, hesitant to wash over it I called up the stairs to wake Gus and April Crap, I sounded like Moitation Of course I sounded like her; I had stepped right into herrole

Gus thundered down the stairs in his favorite, faded Star Wars hoodie, and I promptly had breakfast on the table "Ember! You rock!" He was covered in syrup in fifteen seconds, flat