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"Just because your parents didn’t want you, it doesn’t mean that the rest of ours don’t Maybe you’re not in a hurry to get back, but I ah the chest; I felt all of the blood leave my heart as one of his hands ca so hard, I’ve been trying, and God, you didn’t even ask him, did you?"
"Ask him--?" But I knew As soon as the words left lected to keep The anger in me deflated "I’ot"
"Well, I didn’t," he said, and left ht
An hour later, I was under a stream of ater, hands pressed to irls--were about as glamorous as an outhouse The floors were beveled concrete, the shower stalls wood planks and plastic curtains crawling with black ht to brush our teeth and wash our faces, and, once or twice a week, to shower But today, without floral sha the air, I realized the cavernous room smelled like sawdust
I stayed in there until I heard the bells signal the end of lunch I still hadn’t formulated a plan for the rest of the day when I walked outside--and into the one person I hadn’t realized I was desperate to see
Lia to his cheeks, longer than I re a hand to my chest "You scared the hell out of me"
"Sorry about that" He s a hand toward me "Hey--I don’t think we’ve had the chance to meet I’m Liam"
TWENTY-FOUR
I DON’T KNOW HOW LONG I stood there staring at his hand, bile rising in my throat as fast and steady as a screa a step back No, no, no nonono…
"See, you look exactly like a friend of es, so I’m…" His voice trailed off "Okay, was that joke really that bad?"
I turned around, pressing ainst my towel so he wouldn’t see my tears
"Ruby?" He looped his oel around my waist and drew , Hi, darlin’, h to make you cry?"
He smoothed his hands down over my hair "Okay, that’s it--" He bent down, and before I could stop hile free until ere back at Cabin 18 He droppeda quick stop at his bed for a blanket
"I’m not cold," I said, when he wrapped it around ?" Lia in the crook of his neck and I was breathing in his clean, woodsy smell
"I’m just pissed at myself," I said when I found my voice "I told Chubs I’d ask Clancy if he could use his laptop, but I got distracted and forgot"
"H my wet hair "I don’t think he’s upset at you I think he’s upset that I’etting ho, you could ask about the coh I still don’t really understand how you’re in the position to ask to borrow it I feel like I haven’t seen you in ages"