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She understood the for prayer so well, reing She'd said the words a thousand times herself, only no one had ever heard the irl's lips No one had ever heard No one except God

She kne Jack felt, kneith a certainty that no longer surprised her Somehow they were linked, she and Jack, and she knew parts of him as well as she knew herself She knew and understood He was scared, desperate, lonely

Loneliness, she kneas the worst ItShe ca a sound and touched his arm "Jack?"

He straightened suddenly, spinning away fro here?"

Tess looked in his eyes and saw her worst fear He was ready to throw it all away again Ready to run "Daain We've come so far"

He paled "Go away"

"Jack, you can't shut ain I won't let?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders and yanked her toward him She slas in a painful wheeze Her head snapped back Gasping, she stared up at him

"It's over, Lissa" Pain glazed his eyes and turned his voice into soo"

Tess stared at him in horror The inevitability of this

357

slowly Irrevocably "No," she said in a shaking, desperate voice she hardly recognized "I won't let you do this"

"You don't have any choice"

Tears blurred her eyes at his cal to cry "I love you, Jack"

"And I love you" His words were spoken quietly, and with such an aching sadness, Tess felt as if she'd been punched in the stomach