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He guessed the townspeople would do the squashing for him

“Let’s go, Ben!” Julia cried, swinging Ben around as she lifted him from the car seat

“Let’s go!” Ben yelled her words back at her and the both of theerly at Jesse

“Let’s go,” he ed to say

He climbed out carefully and took Ben’s tiny hand to cross the street Julia took Ben’s other one coe of a family unit that caused Jesse’s heart to clench and throb with an emotion so painful he stood paralyzed for a moment

I want this, he thought Why can’t I have this?

Maybe being as won’t be that bad, he hoped Maybe he’d kept a low enough profile for the past feeeks that everyone would be talking about someone else Maybe he was old news by now

But as they approached the lineup, he recognized Patrick standing with his wife and Mr Murphy, the detention h school They looked at him then turned away to whisper into the ears of the people around thelances started and Jesse knew that this was the wake-up call his little fantasy life with Julia needed He didn’t belong here The people of this town hated his were mutual

He glanced at her, but she smiled and joked with Ben, oblivious to the poison in the air around the for her to realize she’d thrown her lot in with the wrong man

JULIA FLOATED inches off the ground, she was sure of it The sun was shining, the air smelled like fried chicken and piña coladas, which wasn’t exactly how she iined her first real date, but at the moment it seemed perfect

Other people in line glanced at them and Julia blissfully wondered what they saw A family? A handsome couple?

“You know, Jesse—” She realized Jesse was not with her in this happy place His jaas hard and tension rolled off hih to drop her back to earth

“Are you okay?” she asked She touched his arh he were ready for battle

“Fine” His eyes scanned the croithout ever settling on anyone

Without ever looking at her

Her hopes for the night plummeted

“Julia!”

She turned at her na at the bar behind them