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I leaned against his shoulder again, trying to block out theeasier to stoht to ask"
"Oh, God, it’s almost repulsively romantic," Liam said "So, when Mom finally leftwhen she left her old life and took us with her, she drove straight through the night, just to put enough distance between us and the place The car broke down in North Carolina Harry was just co back fro at the old Toyota, banging on the hood, everything He pulled over and offered to take a look, and when it was clear she needed new parts, he drove us all to his mother’s place, who took one look at Moal sense And we stayed with them a week I’m pretty sure that was the slowest repair of Harry’s life He was coe I didn’t mention that, did I? So he was determined that she’d be his first custoood-luck charet a part in, the rascal, just to prolong the visit enough It gave Mom time to find a job, and a sweet little place for us to live They didn’t date until three years later She justwasn’t ready to move on with that part of her life until then And after that they were just ridiculous"
"Wow," I said "The luck of that If she had taken a different road, or he’d come in an hour earlier or later"
"Well" Liaht? Maybe I’ve never told you this, but it was total duinia at all that day that we found you I was doing everything in h it"
"Because of your father?" I ventured
"Ah So Cole told you the basics?" He waited for"It’s like the whole state has this dark cloud wrapped around it I feel really damn lucky I don’t remember life pre-Harry, because from what little Moh as a kid--a little kid, I mean--to be scared of the state and the man who lived there That’s how inia this, or the West Virginia house that, that kind of thing Cole told me once when I wouldn’t leave hi to corimaced "I know that man is still there, and that he’s alive I had this fear, and I know it’s irrational because Chubs has told hteen, I had this fear that if I went back to that place, he’d find me and force me to stay"
"Why were you there, then?" I asked Liaht them around the state
"Because that skip tracer, Lady Jane--she was running us to ground I just wanted to lose her And there was this , and I saw the na a circle I didn’t realized we’d left open Because that tiet ht hi by that last time, it’s like I stole back that last bit of control he had overback to know that I don’t know if I ever would have believed it could be that way, if I hadn’t been in that car with all of you"
He felt ainst his chest, where I could feel his heart thundering against his ribs "What I’ seeood It doesn’t throw anything at us that it knoe can’t handle--and, even if it takes its tiain I want this to be over for you, so, so et those poor kids out so you can close your own circle If nothing else, if this explodes in our faces, then I want you to know that I love you and nothing will ever change that"
"I love you, too" I flushed at his grin, wondering at how good it felt to say the words I love you I love you I love you
"Yeah?" he said "The ol’ Stewart charhed "Guess so You had your work cut out for you"
"Don’t I know it"
The door opened again, and I leaned out of his grasp, craning ht of the two of us "Oh--I’ To do, Iback on his heels "But if you were going to stay I’llfigure it out"
"Nah," Lia at me "I think we’re done here?"
"All yours," I confiret soered aas he went to his station and the light froed my hand toward the other hall, the stairs, the bunk rooed him in the opposite direction, toward the senior quarters and Cate’s empty room The sood kind of dizzy One hand began to stroke downlow inhis face in my hands Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a dark form come out of a nearby room--the little treatment room that had been set up Liam turned toward it as the door squeaked shut and the person--Chubs--looked up, down, then back up again as his brain processed the moment