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She tried not to look as pleased as she felt, but was afraid she wasn’t doing a very good job

So she averted her head and nored it, the envy having no power to pierce the bubble of happiness around her

De with, or even looking at, another woman

She looked up at the sound of his laughter He atching her

“I’m funny?” she asked

“You are very pleased with yourself”

“I am happy with life, and you most of all,” she offered

She wasn’t one to share her feelings easily, but Laura hadn’t spent the afternoon just coaching Chanel on fashion choices Her little sister had told Chanel that if she really liked this man, she needed to open up to him

“You can’t do that thing you do with Mom and Dad and everyone else besides me and Andrew,” Laura had said

Even though Chanel thought she knew, she’d asked, “What thing?”

“The way you hold the real you back so no one can hurt her”

“You’re pretty insightful”

“For a teenager, you mean”

“For anyone” Theirof her oldest daughter’s nature

De across her exposed flesh through the slit

Chanel gasped and jerked away from the touch

His look was predatory “I don’t like to be ignored”

“I wasn’t ignoring you”

“You weren’t thinking about me”

“How can you tell?”

“I know”

“You’re arrogant”

“So you have said, but you know I do not agree”