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He s it once, and covering the back with his other hand to hold it tightly "I know you do We can tell you really do," he says "We talked about this all night, Nate And Karen…she wasn’t sure I should co But…we need your help"

And suddenlywith Rowe…

"Josh passed away Just a few days ago" As soon as he says it I knohy he’s here This will destroy her Rowe loves me, and I know she loves me But Josh has her heart Not like a boyfriend, but like a memory He has her heart trapped--trapped in that day, trapped in what they were, and trapped under athey weren’t

"What do you needHell And Back

"It’s true--about the job And we’re selling the house andto take her on vacation for the holiday But thank you for saving us froone before she knows It may not make sense to you, and I know I sound like the worst o back--she’ll get stuck, Nate And I just need to et back in, back into that past, when I tell her I just need you to be there for her when I do Because it is going to break her"

"I understand," I say,with panic I know so much…so much more than Rowe But it’s her life I know about And I have to keep this new infors just for her And I a to have to lie to her

Tolasses back out of his pocket before reaching forward to shake my hand one lad Roweup a level into the stands "They’ll be here in an hour So, this…just between us, okay? I ca"

"Yes sir," I say, my mouth in a hard flat smile as I push the mask over my eyes and hide how I really feel from the world

Chapter 26

Rowe

Ever since my parents left, Nate has been different I don’t kno to explain it--he’s still with me, still physical, and still says he loves o somewhere else entirely sometimes, like he’s in the moment, our moment, and then suddenly he’s not

"What about this one?" Cass asks, holding up a nurse’s outfit from the costume rack at the Goodwill in Oklahoma City

"Kinda slutty," I say with a wrinkled nose My response gets Paige’s attention

"Oooooh, lehty nurse outfit froainst her body I’ain… for Halloween costu a huge party at their house off campus, and when she invited Cass and me, I actually felt excited Maybe it’s just the idea of dressing up and pretending to be someone I’m not So out in the open

"What did you pick?" Cass asks, still sorting through the various costu up the sheet I found for ninety-nine cents

"That’s laht I’ll pretend I don’t know you if you show up in that crap," Paige says over the curtain of the s room She steps out in the nurse’s outfit, which she has crammed her tits into, and Cass and I just look at each other and try not to laugh

"I think I’ the halter up to make her boobs even e ducks back into the curtain to change, Cass and I let out a silent laugh

"Okay, so not a ghost What should I be then," I ask, throwing the sheet back on the shelf nearby but keeping an eye on it, just in case I watch as Cass sorts through a few ot it!" She holds up what looks like an old-time woman’s baseball uniform, and it’s actually not half bad

"H it up in the mirror

"You’ll need to tart it up a little," she says, tucking the shirt into itself to shohat it would look like with a crop