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“You thought it was too good to be true,” Ethan offered

“Yeah Weeks went by and I waited for hio back to his old ways But he didn’t He and my mom were happier than I’d ever seen them”

“What about you and him?”

“He seeet to know me I…I started to hope thatto be a real family”

I fell silent as a ripple of shah me

“What happened, Cain?” Ethan asked, his voice gentle

“He picked aue tea on the way there and back He told ood at sports It was one of the best ot hoot inside, he askedlate My brothers and sisters weren’t around so I figured they were staying with the lady across the street who used to babysit sometimes”

I felt Ethan stiffen in entle presses of his fingers

“I was standing there in the kitchen looking through the refrigerator for so for dinner when he said et it He looked both happy and sad at the sareat day He…he was still wearing his jacket”

A chill swept throughtowards me, that melancholy look in his eyes

“Cain, look at me”

The sharp order hadmy eyes open

When had I closed them?

“Take deep breaths,” Ethan said softly I noticed he wasn’t touching me anymore

“Did I hurt you?” I i up