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"Morning" Garrett gives me a small sasp, distracted for a moment

He chuckles "You do Carry on quite a conversation when you’re out like a light"

"What did I say?" I de to re" Garrett grins, a slow, hs and sends ht around ht away I want hi to feel that way

I catchin my veins

"So…" I start, self-conscious, butup what happened, or pretend like nothing did? I don’t kno to handle this kind of situation; I’ve never acted so rashly in my life before

I don’t kiss guys first I don’t throw myself into their arms

You don’t pour out your deepest secrets to a total stranger, weep like there’s nobody watching

Re I shared with him, I suddenly feel naked, exposed I pull the blanket around me, like that will help at all

I sneak a look at Garrett, but he’s still i with his feet up on the porch railing, wearing a faded pair of jeans and a blue T-shirt The old in the ruffled chestnut hues, his stubble shading his strong jaw

I feel a flutter in ain

But you’re not a teenager any like it!

I brace ht," I say

Garrett’s smile fades

My heart falls "Thank you," I say quickly, "for stepping in and helping with Dad I don’t knohat I would have done if you hadn’t been there"

"Of course" Garrett frowns "You don’t need to thankht while I babbled all about my bullshit issues You didn’t have to"

"Don’t say that" Garrett’s voice is quiet He looks athelp You were in a bad place, and I was there You don’t owe "

"I know" I frown, confused "I just wanted to say, it means a lot to s, still modest, but he doesn’t realize: there’s nobody else ould have stepped in to protect le person in my life I could have confided in the way I did with hiht

"I ood to me"

Garrett bolts to his feet "Stop, I can’t listen to you say all these nice things about ht, not after…" He turns away froony on his face "I owe you an apology"