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Feeling shaky, she went to the sofa and sat down Suddenly she couldn’t breathe

“You can run, but you can’t hide,” sohts came on

Molly stood there, holding a plate of lemon bars She took one look at Jude and rushed to the couch, sitting down beside her “Breathe, honey In and out In and out ”

“Thanks,” Jude said when the panic subsided

“I don’t want to set you off again, but yourfor you ”

“Reason enough to hide out ”

“I don’t knohat to say to you anyht?”

“I know it ”

Molly’s gaze was steady, worried “You can call one ”

“Gone ” The as like the flick of a knife Zach was leaving Mia was gone

She forced a smile The only way to stop a conversation like this was to pretend she was okay “Yes Well I better go see my mother before she decides to redecorate ” She reached for a le, but it was the polite thing to do The nor

The next day, she and Miles and Zach set off for the airport

It should have been a joyous occasion Each of them tried to pretend Miles made inane conversation and stupid jokes all the way to Sea-Tac

On the airplane, they pretended not to notice the empty seat across from Miles Before, they’d always sat two and two Now they filled up a row themselves The three of them

At the college, they walked around in the hot California sunshine, reance of the campus