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She nodded It wasn’t thehim, it was the realization that this place, this toas not the one she’d flown into a couple of days ago Sos were the same, but if this was Main Street, where were those staples of American life that had been here then?

Arby’s Taco Bell Burger King They were gone Or they’d never been Either way, she was lost, lost, lost—

“Unless you and the boyfriend already have a room”

“For the last time, there is no boyfriend We don’t have a roo in the canyon—”

“My canyon”

She opened her ht ahead, not at him

“Just let me out anywhere you want”

“You pick it The airport? Someplace that’ll rent you a car? The Greyhound terminal?”

“Greyhound? Oh The bus station Yes, that’s fine”

Jesse nodded, The terminal was dead ahead He pulled to the curb and stopped He hadn’t meant to bark at her about the damned canyon or to toss yet another accusation about Jack Who cared if she’d been in his canyon? And she’d already said Jack was her professor, and he believed her

It was just that he was in one miserablegreat, getting rid of an unwanted encumbrance

“You want o in and check the schedule?”

“No,” she said quickly “No, thank you I—I’ll be fine”

“Do you need money?”

“No,” she said again

Still, he reached in his pocket, took out some bills and held them toward her “Go ahead Just in case”

She looked at hi more from him

“I don’t need it”

Jesse shrugged, opened his door, stepped down from the truck and went around to her side She had already opened her door and stepped onto the sidewalk

“Well,” he said

Sienna flashed a bright sh she’d promised herself she wouldn’t

The muscle in his jaw locked and unlocked “Dahly, but before he could say more, she turned and ran into the bus station The door shut after her