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She shook her head “Nope”

“Okay, so…”

“We wait to see if I’ we can do” She yanked on her jeans and pulled on her tank top, her stoht directions at the speed of light all at once “No offense, but can we not have this talk right now? I just want to go inside”

Once there, she’d shut the door to her childhood bedroo until she stopped feeling like she was going to puke or pass out

Sawyer nodded, his eyes brighter behind the glasses he’d put back on “Sure”

He got dressed quickly, she rolled up the blanket and tucked it under her arh the woods back to the house was filled with shadows and silence By the tinome handle, Clover was cold inside and out

Sawyer stopped her before she could walk through the gate “It’s gonna be okay We’ll figure it out”

The words were pretty, but she knew the truth Whatever else the past feeeks had been for Sawyer and her, they weren’t a prelude to so permanent He was an industry titan fro She was a working-class girl from Sparksville who’d never met a job she couldn’t quit or an adventure she could turn down They weren’t a forever couple They weren’t even a for now couple Fake engagelanced up at the house behind the white picket fence Despite her best efforts, she ut cramped

“Let’s just keep this between us until we know if I’otiable”

“Agreed” But it didn’t sound like he liked it

She nodded her head, unable to do ht”

He didn’t stop her as she walked through the gate, around the corner of the house, and in through the kitchen door to her childhood home, the one she’d sworn she’d never come back to or build one like it for herself

Chapter Twenty

The sun was up and Clover could hear voices co down the hall from the kitchen She sh her hair The bed was made The bathroom connected to her bedroohter had been repacked and zipped closed She’d delayed as long as she could Ti hadn’t just changed More than that, she had to do it all while lying to her family about theafter today

Still, she didn’t move toward her closed bedroom door