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"The one you brought ho me, that I stole from your rooht it was so sad and pathetic that Ihow much you were totally still in love with hi that could shockout that I have Hattie to thank for it I’m speechless

"You’re welcome," she says

"Thank you? I think? I’ll let you knohen this is all over"

"You’d better" She pulls h the trapdoor and down the stairs, locks the door, and slides the key into her pocket

The pressure insiderate "I don’t know about this"

"Shut up You’re being annoying again" Hattie leads , into the closestboth too fast and too slow She shoves h the turnstile and says, "Don’t be a chickenshit Tell him how you feel"

"What if he doesn’t love h, then who cares? You won’t lose anything you haven’t already lost" She flicks a snowflake from the tip of er sister She’s taller, and she knows better than you"

The flakes are scattered, here and there, as they float down to earth I glance at the grey-white sky If only a blizzard would burst from above and bury me alive That would be better than what I’, but I’m sweaty and feverish and short of breath My feet touch Pellino’s threshold, but o any further One step at a ti it open has never felt so inals ht of rave; est Monsieur Bacon?"

"Kurt has other plans tonight," I reply in French as aze darts around the roo--"

"Isla!"

It cotransitions into slow rance of the wood-fired pizza – they vanish as I wait for his eyes to find mine

We lock

The entire contents of my heart reflect back at th, wonder, sadness, beauty, hope He is everything

"Ah," the uides me towards the table as my heartbeat thumps in my throat The room closes in My soul aches with attraction There are four empty seats, and theas I placeas I sit down I’lances at the ratitude Does that glance mean what I want it to mean?

"Where’s Kurt?" Josh asks

"He’s out with so story"

Josh lifts his eyebrows in surprise as the rest of the table beams at ang’s all here"

"Everyone but Rashives him a swift kick below the table, but I catch it "It’s okay," I say aardly At least it’s answered a question They know about lance at the three e?"

"One of those was for Kurt," Josh says, and I’ot us into the Olympics," Anna says "We split up today, and they’re still out sightseeing They should be here any rab the opportunity to show them that I’m not completely in the dark Just mostly

She nods "Yeah, Lola and Cricket Étienne and I--"