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To: [email protected] / /

From: [email protected] / /

Sent: Monday, 11/16 at 1:34 a Not to Take It Personally

Dear L,

Got your text, and rst things rst, I estion: it's called you-and-I-catch-up Crazy Callie and her wild ideas I know you're

busy I know you're under heavy surveillance and it's hard to sneak away What I don't know is a single detail about your life Who do you eat lunch with? Which class do you

like the uy? See, I don't even know his naot a phone, but don't textto call Just call I haven't heard your voice in ages I ain't mad at ya Yet

Luce closed the email It was next to impossible to piss Callie oShe'd never actually done it before The fact that Callie didn't suspect that Luce was lying was only further proof of how distant they'd becoht between her shoulders

On to the next email:

To: [email protected] / /

From: [email protected] / /

Sent: Monday, 11/16 at 8:30 pm

Subject: Well, honey, we love you too

Luce Baby,

Your e? Are you drying your hair now that it's cold outside? I know, I', but I rant you per next week? Dad could call the dean? We won't count our chickens yet, but your father

did go out and buy a Tofurky just in case I've been lling up the extra freezer with pies Do you still like the one with the sweet potatoes? We love you and we think about you

all the ti frozen on herwas a week and a half away It was the rst time that her favorite holiday had even crossed her mind But as quickly as it had come in, Luce tried to banish it There was no way Mr Cole would let her go ho

She was about to click Respond when a blinking orange box at the bottoht her attention Miles was online He'd been trying to chat with her

Miles (8:08): Mornin', Miss Luce

Miles (8:09): I ary as I wake up?

Miles (8:15): Wanna get breakfast? I'll swing by your room on my way 5 min?

Luce looked at her clock 8:21 There was a boo knock on her door She was still in her pajamas Still had bed head She opened the door a little

Thesun poured onto the hallway's hardwood oors It re down the always-sunlit wooden staircase at her parents' house for breakfast, the way the whole world looked brighter through the lens of one hallway lled with light

Miles wasn't wearing his Dodgers cap today, so it was one of the few times she could clearly see his eyes They were really deep blue, a nine- o'clock-in-su on the shoulders of his white T-shirt Luce sed, unable to stop her rinned at her, showing o a dimple and his super-white smile He seeood he ed as much of her pajamaed body as she could behind the door "I just saw your es I'm in for breakfast, but I'ainst the hallall His storowled loudly He tried to cross his arms over his waist to cover the sound

"I'll hurry" Luce laughed, closing the door She stood before her closet, trying not to think about Thanksgiving or her parents or Callie or why soaway froray sweater from her dresser and threw it on over a pair of black jeans She brushed her teeth, put on big silver hoop She yanked a long gray sweater from her dresser and threw it on over a pair of black jeans She brushed her teeth, put on big silver hoop earrings and a squirt of hand lotion, grabbed her bag, and studied herself in the irl as stuck in soirl who couldn't go ho At the irl as excited to open a door and nd a guy there who made her feel normal and happy and really sort of all-around wonderful

A guy as not her boyfriend

She sighed, opening the door to Miles His face lit up

When they got outside, Luce realized the weather had changed The sunlitair was just as brisk as it had been on the roof's ledge last night with Daniel And it had felt icy then

Miles held out his enormous khaki jacket to her, but she waved it away "I just need some co ee to warm me up"

They sat at the same table where they had sat the week before Iuys see ot this level of service when she sat with Shelby While the guys red aith questions--how had Miles's fantasy football teaht before, had he watched that YouTube clip of the guy pranking his girlfriend, did he have plans after class today--Luce looked around the terrace for her roomuys' questions but see the conversation any further He pointed at Luce "This is Luce She wants a big cup of your hottest co ee and "

"The scra up the small menu that the Shoreline uys, thanks" Miles handed back the two menus and turned full-focus on Luce "Seems like I haven't seen you around s?"