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"Are you leaving?"

"Yes"

"Can’t you stay? For a little while? We don’t We can talk"

"I don’t want to talk," Kingsley said

The boy scrambled to his feet and pulled his jeans on He sat on the bed and spent longer than necessary buttoning his shirt Kingsley finished pulling hi worth bothering with right now All he wanted to do was drink himself into a stupor and sleep until he woke up dead As usual

"You’re young," Kingsley said "You’ll heal fast" He wasn’t speaking about the welts

He gave the boy oneto the door

"My nasley turned around and looked at hiht from thelay across the boy’s face like a white uy once It wasn’t like this I didn’t even coay, they’d kick s"

"Anything else?" Kingsley asked, keeping his face composed, his voice devoid of emotion

"You’re beautiful," Justin said "I feel stupid for saying that to another guy, but I can’t find another word And what you did toI’ve alanted Sothank you"

"You’re thanking sley could taste the boy on his lips Walk away He knew he should walk away

He pulled out his wallet and, from it, took a slie Not entirely, but it’s what I answer to I’m French That’s the accent you hear And if your faht--come back to this city and findI will help you But I can if I’m in the mood"

Justin took the card and held it in his fist

"Why did you pick uy in the club?"