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So snapped in my chest and I had to clench“What—who is this?” I asked, the words raw and rasped

“The Civil Wars The song is called ‘Barton Hollow’”

“It’s aed “It…speaks tostarted frorabbedpressure in my chest lessened with the power of the music

All the while, I felt Colton’s presence in the truck like a hot spike of awareness He filled the four door cab until I felt almost claustrophobic Almost Except…his presence was—somehow—a balh to cause a river of guilt I shouldn’t feel this Shouldn’t feel anything There should be no balm, no comfort

I didn’t deserve it

There was an awning set up over the open grave, ts of chairs The rain had turned cold I shivered as I stepped down out of the cab, and Colton was there again, opening the door and extending his hand

He seees to be such a gentleernails Hand hard and callused, like gritty concrete under my soft palm as I stepped down from the cab

His eyes skittered over , as ifHis adam’s apple bobbed as he sed His eyes narrowed and he licked his lips, releasing

He sucked in a deep breath, stuck his hand in his pants pocket and jingled his keys “Let’s do this,” he said on a sigh

I followed him I didn’t want to do this I wanted to run away I didn’t want to watch the wooden box containing the corpse of round I nearly turned and ran

Then Colton stopped, startling blue eyes piercing h to put one of rave He knew hts, it seemed He kneanted to run But he couldn’t know that, shouldn’t know that He didn’t, couldn’t know me I’dmore

I felt my mother’s eyes on ers to my lips to keep in the sounds, the emotions I felt my father’s eyes on me I felt Mr and Mrs Calloway’s eyes on me Everyone’s eyes on me I put my hand to the cold wood, since that see , find hih heel catching in the grass Colton’s hand shot out and steadied o immediately, and I sat down A preacher or minister in a black suit with a black shirt and the little white thing at his collar stood over the grave, intoning Bible verses and rote words of supposed co on the bottled-up emotion I had a flower inlowered into the awful black chasm I stood over the hole and tossed in the flower, as expected