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He inched the tiniest bit closer, his breathwith hers "I do," he said softly, his voice barely a whisper as his daring blue eyes held herslonger than they should have "But I think we should order a coffee so you can tell me what this is all about Don’t you?"

Violet wanted to nod, but she was too afraid to Their lips were far too close Dangerously close "Sure"

She blinked when he pulled back and strode toward the counter, his heavy boots thudding along the floor, and she followed hiirl wasn’t working today

"What can I get you?" the boy behind the counter asked

Rafe ordered quickly, just a black coffee, the same way Sam had ordered his He reached for his black leather wallet, which was strung to the hip of his jeans by a steel chain, and pulled out a twenty And then the two of the for Violet to decide as she searched the corkboard for a recommendation

For one recommendation in particular

Finally she said, "I’ll have that one" She pointed to the snapshot of a dark-haired girl with shiny hair and big brown eyes "A green-tea soy latte"

The boy didn’t even turn to look at the corkboard, but Violet could see his jaw tense and he blinked hard several times "That’s Casey’s drink"

Violet nodded It was all the confirmation she’d needed

"How did you know?" Rafe asked as they took a table in the back He dropped into the chair and stretched his legs out in front of him

Violet’s drink was too hot, and she took a s it on the table "I saw her photowell, a really grainy photo in yesterday’s paper after I was here She looked familiar, but I couldn’t be sure it was her until I came back to look at the corkboard" She frowned "I’m al the who they were I mean, are," she corrected quickly Casey Atkins wasn’t dead Not yet anyway "But you knohat this ht?"

"No," she said uncertainly "Well, yeah, I guess so But that’s not what I’ his grin behind his cup "I thought that’s what girls liked to hearthat they’re right"

Violet threw her napkin at him "You’re ridiculous, you know that? No, it ht have known each other At the very least, they have this place in colanced at everyone in the café around theether over the table until they were practically touching as they whispered quietly to each other At another table was a group of girls that reminded Violet of her friends They were anihed even louder at their own jokes "He ht have found both of them here"