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"I’d like to meet her," Rowe smiles I’d like them to meet, too I’d like everyone to meet Leah

"She’s part of the reason I left," I adative that sounds when Rowe’s smile falls "Not…not because of her, but for her She has a trust that’s controlled by Chandra’s dad And I…"

"You co

"Like I said…it’s coht of my body fall deep into my pillow and mattress

"That sounds a lot like love toaway, trying to find the words to explain the rest "Maybe"

Rowe stands, crosses the small space between our beds, and crawls up to sit next to esture is so sis a tear to row

"I think you know," she says, leaning forward enough to catchmy eyes back to hers "You’re a little scared because, hello, he has a kid!" she says, waving both hands by her face I laugh, catching the second tear in , because Houston’s a, and he e"

I do

I love the whole package

I love the way Leah sh

I love the feel of her small hands around my waist and the tender touch of his hand onkind to his daughter

Houston and Leah are so far off the o They were never on a list--never a goal, never anything I thought I wanted But I want to deserve theirl I am when I’ether," I say finally, s at her as I sit up next to her When Rowe and I first h it was onlythe person I was then

Rowe squeezes ainst theout a few things and busying herself with schoolwork She knows thatthank you And the fact that she doesn’t expectelse makes me like her even more

Chapter 19

Houston

Tracey understood It didn’t take long for her to piece everything together after Paige walked out of the bar The only part I had to fill her in on was the fact thaton for the last five minutes--was the one who filled out the online profile

She said he sounded like a good friend, but I don’t know…right now, I kind of think he’s a dick hole

"I’, because I know you’re in there And it’s after noon, so I know you are awake, and if you’re not awake, then you’re hung over, and the fact that I’ the shit out of you, and that REALLY fucking hbor is a chain-s older woman whose hair is constantly in curlers I ithme this entire time, and she finds my latest rant funny She waves back, and I start to pound harder because I sort of feel like now there’s a teaing the door open I lose my balance and fall inside a step or two "Ia robe, and he looks ridiculous It’s red velvet, like he just rolled in from the Playboy Mansion That, on top of what he just said, has hter I have to bend over to catchhis head with one hand I had a feeling he was hung over He sla at the sound he made

"Get dressed," I say He slouches on his couch, both hands on his head now, his hair wild and in all directions He looks like a poor-runts

"In clothes you can go out in Cooing to talk about all of the da to take me off those sites," I say I refuse to sit down, instead pacing back and forth in front of his ugly plaid sofa