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Bruno looked around, aht?"

"Want me to look?" Damien stood up, as if to turn on the television in the corner of the room Damien never watched television Ever Not even football

"That’s it" Ava stood too She pointed to Astrid and Da weird and why are you trying to keep me awake?"

Damien’s eyes never wavered He crossed his ink-covered ar her toostance The pain was quick, like a knife jab "You sleep too much"

"What?"

"You do," Astrid said "I’ve noticed it, too Other than the night of the sing, you’re in bed alames or read in the library We hardly see you at all before you go to your roo with quick, assessing eyes "I think, Ava, that your friends are worried about you"

"Well, I’m fine"

Silence fell over the previously boisterous table

Astrid finally said, "Yes, we are worried about you The sleep The lack of appetite You barely eat anything except for a few of Karen’s cakes"

"You think I’, but Ava recognized the signs of aard concern She’d lived with them her whole life From her mother to her stepfather to every friend or boyfriend she’d ever attehtened "I’m not depressed"

Of course she was depressed

"You’re not?" Renata asked "I thought you just lost your mate"

Karen winced visibly, and Bruno put a hand on Renata’s ar--"

"What?" Renata said "It’s not like she’s forgotten Of course she’s depressed"

Damien said, "We just want Ava to knoe’re worried about her"

"We want her to know she’s not alone," Karen said "That we’re here to listen if--"

"Let her be depressed for a while if she wants, dao And they’d barely limpse of happiness, then it was taken away" Her voice was hoarse,the lump that had risen in Ava’s throat "If she wants to sleep, let her sleep"

"I’ed to choke out "I appreciate you’re all worried about me, but really, I’m fine"

Renata’s eyes cut to her "Of course you’re not fine What a ridiculous thing to say"

This time it was Astrid who put her hand on Ava’s ar is everyone grieves in different ways I think Ava knoe’re worried about her She knoe care And she can take as much time as she wants to come to terms with the loss of her mate"