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She hitched up her now-dirty skirts and got slowly to her feet With a last backward glance at the broken

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flower, she trudged through the forest and eray rock beach

Ian was standing there, as tall and straight as the ancient trees beside him He held a pocket watch in his hand "Selena!"

She stepped into the sunlight "I am here" The watch snapped shut He spun to face her "Good Then we can begin"

She tried to give him a smile, but her lips were trembly and wouldn't cooperate She felt like the flower Without thinking, she ed over the damp rocks

He frowned, drew a step back "What is it, Selena? Do you have a headache again?" She kept"No"

His frown deepened "Why are you looking at me that way?"

"Why you are looking at me that way?" "Don't repeat me Answer me" "I did"

"Stop" He said it so loudly, with such force, that she responded in spite of herself She didn't knohy she'd beentoward him anyhat she wanted of him except that he see her

He whipped open his journal and pen and sat down on a hulking gray stone He directed his analytical gaze on her, narrowed and probing "Did you try to read the Kierkegaard?" At her obvious confusion, he clarified hiaard's book?"

She fought a rising sense of panic Very carefully, she picked up her dragging skirts andon the hard, cold stones at his feet "I stayed up early last night reading I concentrated very hard I tried to understand-" She looked up at him For you, I tried so hard "ButI did not understand the words"

He scratched soave her a

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sly perfect el of her drea? Rando?"