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“Me?” Jude was growing paler by the second “Why?”

“May I come in?”

Jude hesitated, and then backed up, whether to let Lexi in or put distance between them, she wasn’t sure; still, Lexi walked inside and closed the door behind her

The first thing she saas Mia’s sha from the hall tree She drew in a sharp breath and reached for it

“Don’t touch that,” Jude said sharply

Lexi drew her hand back

“What do you want?”

Lexi couldn’t stand here next to this sweater she could neither touch nor turn away froreat roo s, she saw the beach Just over there, Zach had told her he loved her … and there, they’d buried their time capsule Their proof Their pact

She turned her back on the view Jude was standing by thefire on this summer day, and still she looked cold

Lexi remembered how beautiful and confident Jude used to be, how much Lexi had ached for a mother like her “You re closer “It was the first day of freshman year I just went up to Mia and asked if I could sit with her She told me it was social suicide, and I said—”

“Don’t…”

“You don’t want to re here; I can hear her laughing, saying, ‘Madre, can you , ‘I live to serve you, Mia ’ I was so jealous of the kind of family you were The kind ofhere, but you know that It’s why you wanted Zach to go to USC You wanted hiht What would I do if Grace fell in love at seventeen? Who knows? It’s so young I see that now Too young ” She moved toward Jude, who flinched at her approach “You used to be the best mother in the world ”

“So?” Jude said dully

“So … you should kno I feel about Grace Why I need to see her You, of all people, should understand ”

Jude drew in a sharp breath and crossed her arms in front of her chest “Go, Lexi Now ”