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“I want it”

“The heat is off you I hired so If you need to stay—”

“Chris” Jesse sighed, rubbed his forehead “I absolutely proo by the end of thetook hi in the door to the kitchen

“Okay, Jesse But let uy stuck between a rock and hard place and I don’t want to be the hard place Take your time, do what you have to do”

“See you in teeks,” Jesse muttered, his eyes still on Julia’s

He hung up and tossed the phone on the table

JESSE’S WORDS RANG IN Julia’s ears She turned toward the bathroom, desperate to be alone to scream and cry into the pillows that smelled like him

Oh, God, she’d done it again She’d done what she always did, letting her foolish heart lead her into dangerous places

Fool Fool Fool

Tears burned but she blinked them back as she walked past him She would not cry in front of him Not now, not after he so easily dismissed her

She’d alrabbed her elbow

You are stone You are untouched He can’t hurt you

“Let ry with her tone but landing closer to weepy and vulnerable

“You knew all along,” he whispered

She nodded and anger chased hurt through her body “I did I knew all along When you were helping —”

“Stop it!” He shook her arm “You know it’s not like that”

She wrenched her arer dried her tears and her vision suddenly cleared She saw Jesse for what he was—a ht in the past, lost and blinded by his old wounds

“You’re lying to yourself Jesse It’s exactly like that You wanted ,” she spat the truth in his face

“Julia, I’h

“For what?” she cried, her e faster than she could keep up She was manic—near tears and near murder “You never lied You told ot until the end of the ht?”