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That was a fact We’d just gotten back, and we hadn’t accomplished what Raize had been sent to do He could be in there all night, and all day tomorrow Who knew?

I made a decision “I’ll tell him you want to talk to him”

His

“What?” I asked

He shook his head, looking away “Nothing”

“I saw that You think I’?”

“Just, you got a little spunk to you now You didn’t have that before”

Say what?

But I knehat he was talking about, andin this life Whatever you had, you could lose Still, I kinda liked hearing that

“I’ll go tell him”

I was halfway down the hall when I heard him say quietly, “Thank you”

I glanced back and saw so in his eyes

That moved me, but I didn’t knohat it was

I knocked at Raize’s office door and said, “It’s Ash”

Ash Not irl’s name that I took

Sometimes I hated names Sometimes I loved them, but I alondered, as their point?

The door swung open Raize’s hair was ard, but also striking He’d changed into a gray Henley over jeans “What?”

I searched his face and jerked a thu to talk to you”

Raize nodded to Cavers “Come on back”

I stepped away as Cavers lulanced at me “Thank you”

Emotion filled my chest I dipped etting so odd

I was on my way to my room when I heard a creak on the stairs

Jake had co He came over to bump my hand and fit his head underneath it

Jake’s eyes moved to Raize’s office “You do that for hi to do with me”

Oh man

I knelt, petting Gus down his back

He wiggled, his tail thu the floor in a steady staccato

I didn’t reply to Jake Didn’t knohat to say

“Did I change that or did he?” Jake asked

He Raize