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“I see you,” I replied, holding her stare “I’ve always seen you I’m not someone you can hide from”
“Then you should see that—”
“Cec,” I said quietly, not letting her finish whatever bullshit she was about to say “I see the girl who ran into danger to save her cousin and protected that cousin with her own body”
“It was only a couple steps,” she whispered
“And I see the girl who didn’t bother to tell anyone about the gunshot she got in the process—”
“It was only a graze It was nothing”
“And I see the girl that has lived her entire life feeling guilty for shit that was completely outside her control”
“I don’t want to talk about it”
“I see the girl who’s entire family was in crisis and she still went and sat by some kid’s bedside so he wouldn’t be alone”
“Shut up”
“A girl who put up with every dirty look and every stare because she refused to leave that kid behind, even though her people wanted her with someone else”
“I’m serious, Mark Be quiet”
“I see the girl that didn’t tell anyone how bad she was hurting because she didn’t want to burden thele person, except me”
“Don’tthe baby to her shoulder to burp her “You know the shit I pulled”
“Of course you’re not a saint,” I scoffed “No one is You’re mouthy and rude as fuck, and you say shit before you think about the destruction it would cause e both know if you’d just take two seconds to think it through, you wouldn’t say it You’re stubborn and independent to a fault, which is irritating as fuck”
Cecilia nodded, like I was finally reading her right
“When you feel cornered, you lash out You hate confrontation, and if so you can—not to hurt theet them to back off,” I continued “You don’t want people to see that you’re kind because then they’d expect more from you They’d expect you to talk and work shit out, and you refuse to let anyone in that far”
“You don’t knohat you’re talking about,” sheOlive back up in her blanket
“I know I’ve never loved another person as much as I love you,” I confessed so quietly I wasn’t even sure she’d heard me “And I don’t think I ever will”