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"Yeah," I say, kissing her cheek lightly "But he likes you And that’s not easy to do" She shovesTy to like you No, liking you is easy Ah, fk…I hate grales, then slides to my lap and kisses me, and soon her lips--and the rest of her--is all I’ her fro away from my father, and the murmur of the television, to the lavender room--that she’s supposed to stay in alone, but to hell with that

Chapter 28

Rowe

Eggrolls for Thanksgiving are my neesome Seriously Awesome I’m usually a sick kind of stuffed on this holiday, and it’s norrolls The lasagna was good, too, but I think there’s a chance I rolls

After our early dinner, Nate tookus by his little league field, grade school, high school, and first girlfriend’s house He even showed me the tree where he first carved into the trunk NATE LOVES STACY, and then came back a feeeks later and scratched it out with a pocketknife Stacy, apparently, did not love Nate He elve, and bitter

After the tour, he gavelesson in three years I wasn’t awful, but I wasn’t good either I stayed a good fifteen miles per hour under the limit and stuck to the side streets At this rate, I should be driving by age thirty-five

We spent the rest of the night watching old Christmas ot excited when Home Alone came on, and when Nate admitted he had never seen it, I forced hi a few tiht, we’re the only two left awake in the living roos frole in between his legs as he sits on the floor with his back against the side of the sofa, putting us right in line of the fire’s warmth

"Thank you," I whisper, reaching my hands around his forear my head to kiss his skin

"For what?" he whispers back

"For letting me have this…today, this trip--this time here with you I don’t think I would have liked the Bahaet all about howthe house" Truthfully, I haven’t thought about it once, and even talking about it now, it doesn’t hurt as lad you’re here," Nate says, squeezinghis cheek on the top of my head He holds me there for several uess what?"

"What’s that?" he asks, his lips brushing against the side of et what I wanted to say

"I’ with my advisor," I say, actually excited aboutmy chin to look at him so I can see his serious face, just before half of his mouth curls into a sarcastic smile and he winks

"Yes, I totally want to work on rockets, despite my absolute detestation forlost in space," I say, and Nate laughs but then stops quickly

"Fear…of…being…lost in space?" His eyebrows pinch

"Yeah, I can’t watch those et all freaked out," I say, and he laughs Hard

"That’s…a strange fear," he says, still sporting his perfect grin--dimples and all "And, you know Apollo 13, that…that really happened"

"I know, but I like to pretend it was just a le back into his arms and relish the low rumble of the chuckle in his chest

"So what do you want to be then? When you grow up," he asks

"A curator Like in ato be one of those art-history nerds," I say, the smile onseconds, and I start to wonder why, so I turn in his ar him, and he s his acceptance

"Sorry, was just thinking of funny art-history jokes" He looks proud of hi hiet an art-history major off your doorstep?"