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"I grew up in New York, too," I said faintly, and Ingrid smiled

"I think Henry has a weakness for New Yorkers," she said "And girls without much family I think he feels like it’d be easier for us to love hiht, of course, but that didn’t make it any easier to ree family back in the city and loved hirid wryly "He’s always been that way, you know Convinced he isn’t worthy of being loved, even though I greith hiether He wasn’t in this for tiht he was He was ether, and we’d talk about everything--steal apples froet into so much trouble" The skin around her eyes wrinkled with happiness "He made my miserable little life hile He told e, and he took me to his home in the forest It was beautiful You’ve been there?"

I nodded "Eden Manor"

"It was the f irst real horid took htoo hard would break them "He told me about Persephone

And he told me that while she was his past, he wanted me to be his future" She shook her head "It’s such a ridiculous thing to remember, but I do And every time he comes to visitit because he thought I needed to hear it He loved all of us in his oay, Kate Me, the others who died, you--but look at how h with Persephone He thinks he’s responsible for all of it, you know, and that guilt isn’t going to go away overnight Can you bla back?"

I sed No, I couldn’t And I’d had no idea he’d loved the other girls like he claih with my mother a dozen times over, but Henry didn’t have cancer to blame "You should have passed," I said softly "It sounds like you tould have been really happy together"

"Probably" Ingrid’s s water "But I didn’t, and there’s no going back noant hi I really am, but it feels like he doesn’t want me"

"He’s hurting Henry’s never been very good with expressing his emotions, and sometimes that takes patience

Not that I think you don’t have patience," she said quickly

"Only that he takes ," I said "For now, at least But I don’t knohat else to do I don’t kno to f ix this"

"What if it doesn’t need f ixing?" Ingrid focused on reen eyes wide "What if it’s already perfect underneath the surface, and the surface is what’s getting in the way?"