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I stared at his words, debating replying or just letting his text go unanswered

It was as if I could hear the deep purr of his voice I clutched the phone in both hands and held it close to my chest, at ith myself I wanted to reply I wanted to pick up the phone and tell him to come over But I resisted After a few lanced down anxiously, feeling like a thirteen-year-old girl with her first call froht, Eether, and so in iven up And why shouldn’t he? I’d put up all my walls so that he would do just that

I went to class, spent every freebusy helped Until ht it was i into the dark, I should have dropped into a dead sleep Instead I thought about hi about him and how that had never happened to me before

Jeff froht It didn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out what he wanted I read between his si for a hookup

It would have been easy Undehtforward He was attractive We’d hooked up before, but now all I could see was Shaw in ot themselves all worked up and desperate over a boy? When they let theet used and tra to the campus bookstore, which happened to be located across the street from the Grapevine I stared at the restaurant for ato the crosswalk Before I could even consider what I was doing, I was hurrying across the street and diving inside The delicious aroreeted me, but I wasn’t interested in food

Tobehind the hostess’s podium

"Ereeted, her manner as stilted as the last timeonce I had ain Howher off "I calanced around uneasily as if she ht call for backup

"Just hear me out" I inhaled, determined to do this I had to do this For Shaw "I know you don’t know me, but I--Shaw and I--" Hell, as I supposed to say? "Shaw’sand calling me Shaas special He deservedhell, he deserved everything He deserved better than me He deserved to have his fa ahead Beth inviting hi him back into the fold Maybe he’d fall in love with one of her bridesirl named Amy who liked to fish She’d bait her own hook and they would fish off the dock at his lake A year from now, he wouldn’t even remember the color of my eyes

God, I hated Airl fro my lips, I said in a firm voice, "I care about Shaw"

It was like a shutter fell over her eyes "Did he send you--"

"No No, he would never do that, and if you really knew hi flickered in her eyes I stepped closer, softening my voice "I think you do know that In fact, he’d probably be pissed if he kneas talking to you"

She ducked her head and sighed When she looked back up, limmered in her eyes "What do you want from me?"

I’d coin to knohat you’ve gone through What you and your fah, but ShawShaw’s your family, too You’re not the only one who lost Adam Shaw lost him, too And he bla there You not talking to hi him out of your lifehe thinks he deserves that He thinks he deserves to be alone And you know he doesn’t"