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“I love you, too, Zach So much I can’t believe it But I can’t be just yours Mia’s my best friend We have to tell her And your parents are important to me, too I need them to like me ”

“I know But I don’t want to hurt Mia If she thinks I stole you…”

“I can belong to both of you,” Lexi said solemnly “I already do ”

He kissed her oneher to her feet In a silence that suddenly felt oathered up the blanket and stood beneath the stars, facing each other The burden of their decision felt unbearably heavy, and Lexi almost wanted to take it back, to say, let’s keep it secret a little longer What if she lost him because of it? She didn’t fool herself It was possible If Zach had to choose between Lexi and his family, it would be no contest He would always choose Mia, as as reen of his eyes The bond that connected the twins ran deep Last year, Zach had been hurt on the football field, and Mia had known instantly; she’d felt her brother’s pain

“Tomorrow,” he said

“What if—”

“Don’t say it She’ll understand She has to ”

The next day, as Lexi sat in one class after another, supposedly listening to her teachers drone on about this or that, all she could think about was telling Mia the truth She i each reate And still, when the last bell rang, she had the urge to just run away

What if Mia didn’t forgive her? Lexi could lose everything that mattered

If only she’d done the right thing the first time and told the truth She, of all people, should have known better She’d grown up on a diet of lies; she knew the bitter taste they left in your mouth

After class, she joined the throng of kids in the hallway On either side of her, lockers clanged open and shut; students were laughing, talking, shoving one another Mia ether they walked toward the flagpole

Zach ca an ar, but at his touch, her whole body came alive She was attuned to his smallest movement; the breath he took, the hair that fell across his eyes, the finger that stroked her upper arm

She pulled away It was meant to be a casual move, but she overdid it and stumbled into Mia

“Hey,” Mia said, laughing “You nealking?”

Lexi looked at her best friend “I need to talk to you ” She didn’t dare look at Zach, but she felt his gaze on her, hot as a touch “Privately ”