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He paused when he saw the ones he’d taken yesterday in front of the run-doarehouse he’d followed her to His sto her cries for help, and he hated hi

So pries, recalling the way her eyes--the wrong color for him--had looked the day he’d spotted her, outside The Mecca

At that moment, he realized it He knew then that she needed him

Suddenly it didn’t er over her riotous curls, wondering what it would be like to have her vivid green eyes gazing into his

There was definitely so the na her that first day Before he’d followed her Before he’d known even ain

Soon, he’d have a new girlfriend

Chapter 19

VIOLET SIGHED WHEN SHE SAW THE MINIVAN IN her driveway, the one her aunt was always trying to convince her was cooler than a normal minivan Violet insisted that a built-in DVD systee the fact that it was still a h, to see that her car was back The tan Honda was parked beside her aunt’s car, and despite her blackherself to be s concern

"Oh h the door, her hand flying up to cover her ot a look at Violet’s face "Geez, Vi, Iare you" Her face scrunched up "Oh lad you’re safe," she breathed at last, pulling Violet into a fierce hug

"It’s not as bad as it looks" Violet recited the words, trying to " Her uncle Stephen winked at her as he sauntered into the front roo theue, the imprint he’d forever carry on hihter even than her aunt had "Hey, baby How’re ya doin’? Had a rough ti the truth "I’ve been better Kinda sucks getting your ass kicked"

Her uncle laughed against her ear, giving her one last squeeze "Yeah, it kinda does, doesn’t it? Maybe you need so Next time you can be the kicker"

"Next ti they’d bypassed the aardness of the situation