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My whole world is aof his lips, the warainst ht of his body presses ainst the s and hips shift restlessly

I’, I’m not sure which I’m so deeply lost in the vortex of sensations that the only thing that matters is the here and now

Raffe

My hands run over thearily openout for hi ant

He pushes back away from me

He turns to sit with his back to me ‘Christ’ He rakes his hair with both hands ‘What just happened?’

I openthat comes out is ‘Raffe’ I can’t tell if it’s a question or a plea

He sits with his back rahtly along his back I touch his shoulder, and he starts as though I shocked hiets up and walks briskly out of the room

6

I hear Raffe’s footsteps clomp down the wooden stairs The front door opens and sla tip sweep the air outside myas he takes off

I shut iant fury of biblical proportions yet still leave room for embarrass I could blot out what happened But I can’t Massive confusion swirls through hter of Manblah, blah, blah

Can’t anything be siht have stayed there all day if I hadn’t glanced through the door that Raffe left open on his way out

Across the hallway, Paige’s door is open and her bed is erabdown the hallway

‘Paige?’

I don’t hear anything She’s not in the kitchen, dining roo room

There she is Her little body is curled up on the ground beside Beliel, who is still chained to the picket fence

I run outside ‘Paige? Are you all right?’

She lifts her head, blinking sleepily atout the tension

‘What are you doing out here?’ I’e lies just out of his reach too She ely attached to him, but she’s not stupid