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I pull his t-shirt up and over his head, revealing his sht onto the soft flesh of h

“You’re beautiful,” he whispers in my ear, and the brush of air that leaves his lips as it touches h to make me want to melt

“So are you,” I mumble quietly He pulls back to look at me then, and a radiant solden hair falls forward onto his face and I take it, twining it aroundthe silky texture Then I brush it back so that I can see his his mouth back to ers over the lace lining ofquickens as I brush my hand over his collarbone and then over his shoulder blade

“Let’s go toabsolutely wonderful tohim, and then the reality of what he has said hits one by now, should have said ue down Ethan’s throat This is wrong, all wrong I need to find the strength to do what is right for ood in this moment

I pull away fros I have ever done My heart is screaain But les away, scolding me for my bad behaviour

“I – I have to go now,” I tell hi and then not actually going anywhere This tiony on his face when o and throw myself into the Hawthorne and be done with it I a this man who has all but said he is in love with et the He’d thought that when I’d kissed hi But I’m not

“Stay one last night,” he says in a low voice

I runthe et “Isn’t it better if we never know?” I whisper “Isn’t it prettier if we part, having never known each other fully? I think it will be harder on both of us if we experience soain but can never have” I wonder if I’ sense to him

“No Tegan, it is not better that way,” he answers, jaw tight But I can tell he isn’t angry, he is si to deal with the pain

“Tell Delilah I said goodbye, and tell Lucas not to hurt A my best not to cry

“No…” he replies, but as his dark eyes findthat tells him this is the way it must be That he must accept it

I fixthe car door halfway and pullingup onto my lap I’m just about to leave when I look back at hiit one last time

“A tragic ending,” he says, as he squeezes ht

“All endings are tragic,” I answer “In their oay”

I try to pull o The hurt on his faceHe draws it to his lips and kisses it so tenderly, a set bigger and bigger