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Between his for Avery, I’ at anyone or anything" I turn away and hike up the shallow dirt incline toward the ce to clean the cut up with

As I’ some paper towels from the roll I found near the drill saw, Avery turns the corner with her attention on her phone and she just about runs intoher phone away She looks about as unenthused to see me as when she first bumped into me yesterday "I didn’t know you were back here"

"Yeah, I was just getting some of these" I rip off the paper towels and dab the blood off the side offor my hand

I alers wrap around h my veins "I cut it on a nail"

When she leans down to inspect where s fall into her face I have the strangest urge to reach up and tuck the me

Why does she see me so well?

"You h her long, dark eyelashes "We--you should definitely go to the doctor"

I pull my hand away fro area "Trust otten stitches for" Besides, I can’t afford a doctor, another reason why Nova is right--I do need to find a job

"But you could get a scar"

"I have a ton of theers absentazes overin her hazel eyes "I don’t know…" She focuses back on me "At least let me put sooing to find that stuff around here Well, maybe a band aid, but not the peroxide"

"I have some in my purse in my car"

"You carry that stuff with you?"

"Yeah, I like to be super prepared" Her laugh is off pitch then turns her back toout her ass the entire ti with a bottle of peroxide and a few band aids

"All right, give lasses so I can’t see her eyes anyer observe her while she’s studying ash, briefly exa the cap off the peroxide "Thisa little," she warns

"I can handle it," I assure her, but take a deep inhale anyway

She tips the bottle and douses the cut I hardly sAvery take care of razeFro me mad in the best way possible I can’t even re like this forcare of me

"There All fixed up," she says when she presses the last band aid over the wound "You’ll be allance down at the band aid that has puppies on it "Puppies?" I raise my hand and ck my brow "Really?"

"Hey, if anyone can pull it off, it’s you" She bends over to collect the peroxide bottle and garbage froet stitches but it’s your choice what you do" When she stands back upright, her expression gradually plues within et back to work" She hitches her finger over her shoulder and steps away from me

It dawns on me then that I wanted to ask her stuff It’s why I ended up cutting my hand in the first place--because I was too fixated on her

"Avery, wait Is everything--"

"You should probably get back to work too," she cutsdismissively over her shoulder, "And make sure to take care of that cut"

I stare down atof rejection But I tell myself that it doesn’ta scar won’t fix

Chapter 9

This is life, not a dreaht and yet so dark as the fire mixes with the set up¸ butaroundto burn alive I know it Can feel it in the heaviness ofto burn alive

And it is all oing Drifting Dying My last breath is leaving h my mind

Keep Mason safe for ood lives

That’s all I’ve ever wanted

I can feel er there Instead, I feel at peace asthat used to calm me

The stars

Help me

Keep me