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After she fades back, I shuffle my feet "Sorry to interrupt"

"It’s fine" He says softly, "What do you need, Ellie?"

"Nothing Never an shakes his head "She’s Tommy’s friend"

But what is she to him? More than a friend? A fuck-buddy? A lover?

My stoood" I hook onna head out Skedaddle"

’Cause nothing says mature, sophisticated woman like "skedaddle" Christ on a Ritz cracker, soue to the wall

"Ellie--"

But I’ht for the stairs, trying to appear dignified while bleaching the ian"

"Fuck"

And the sound of the sla door chases me down the stairwell

Out on the street, the air is hu It’s after eleven ph that I should be able to give Logan the slip if he tries to follow uy

"Ellie! Hold up!"

There’s nothing average about Logan St Jaht in front of ot a shirt on, but it’s only half-buttoned

"Why’d you run away so fast?"

I shrug, tapping a quick beat against o, people to see"

Logan bends his neck forward, lowering his head, catching ht

"Why’d you co deal" I sigh, feeling small and stupid

"Tell me anyway"

I look down at the cracked sidewalk "Re for?"

He snorts "Yeah--physics, wasn’t it?"

"I gotit up "I aced it"

And for the first tiazes at the paper for a long er against mine

"Look at that," he says with awe "That’s brilliant S And I feel it everywhere Warh ratulations, Ellie"

Myup in my eyes "Thanks I justI wanted to tell soeous, but even more than that--he makes me feel wanted Valued and i this uard , stirring thing

I lost inity to Aaron Myers after the winter forood guy It wasn’t true love, it was just soood an I know it’s stupid and would never happen, but if in some upside down, alternate universe, it did happen--he wouldnext to hiine, dream, what it would be like to be held in his arms, to feel the power of his body, his passion and tenderness, surrounding ain "Let’s walk you ho around Logan, I don’t want to be annoying Don’t want to become a nuisance to him

"Aye, I do It’s not safe"

I roll rew up in New York--it’s my city--I know it better than you do We’re in Tribeca, for God’s sakeit’s not dangerous"

"You’re a young, beautiful girl, Ellie The whole world is dangerous for you"