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By the ti through er, defensiveness at the way he judgedelse I lost that summer

Part of me wishes I never came back to Cedar Cove at all I remember my stupid confidence on the drive out, so sure I couldinto a hundred shattered pieces with just one look, one touch… Now look atfor s could be packed away as easily as the house: wrapped up in tissue and plastic bubble-wrap, and stacked neatly in a box Noat my heart every tie, bolt the door, and never have to think about hihts out of the dark past, and turn down the drive There’s another car parked up by the house: a battered VW yellow Beetle, with fluffy dice and dreaht away, my heart lifts I shove the Ca across the lawn to where the person I needon the porch

"Lacey!"

I hurl ht Relief sweeps through me For the second time today, I have to s back tears, but this tiladness

"You have no idea how happy I ah! Boobs! Crushed!" Lacey"Sorry, I just one, like, two days!" Lacey points out Her choppy blonde hair is pushed back with a pair of oversized shades, and she’s wearing an oversized guy’s singlet over a red bikini that ht, bold, brash--that’s Lacey

"But what are you doing here?" I ask, the surprise wearing off "You didn’t say you were co"

"You need me" Lacey announces "To deal with all this ex shit"

How does she know? I haven’t even told her about last night with E

I bite my lip "I said I was fine"

Lacey rolls her wide blue eyes "Yeah, with like five exclamation points If that isn’t a cry for help, I don’t knohat is"

I pause for another h Only Lacey could read between the lines like that She can always see through lad you’re here" I decide

"Me too," Lacey leans in the openof the Bug, and lifts out a brown paper bag I can hear the clink of glass inside, and see the top of a bag of chips peeking out the top Cool Ranch, our go-to co to tell !"