Page 46 (2/2)

“My ankle ollen!” Matt countered with a smile

“See? So I saved the day I like to pretend I’ ar and the sometimes was really always

“You are,” Matt told hi their way up the trail The sun was high in the sky and beating down on the unbearable His favorite thing about growing up in Southern California had always been the weather

The look on Matt’s face changed, the set of his shoulders a little more serious when he admitted, “You always save the day That’s why I had to leave”

Discomfort slid down Oliver’s spine Yes, he knew Matt felt like he needed to do things on his own but to hear him say the words the way he just did made his muscles seize up As if he sensed how Oliver felt, Matt added, “I didn’t mean that the way it sounded I left because of o but…you’re the glue that holds everyone together, Ollie You have to know that You’re exactly who Miles needs you to be and exactly who Chance needs you to be You’re the same with me and it would have been too easy to let you continue to be my savior It would have been too easy for you to continue doing it because your heart doesn’t work any other way”

Oliver’s gut suddenly felt heavy, his feet like he was trying to walk through thick ?” he asked as he made his way around some brush Chance had never understood hiive Oliver a lot of shit for who he was, but he didn’t get hie who he was He knew his friend didn’t mean for it to sound that way but it’s how Oliver often felt And Matt? Matt had run away from him

The fact that he cared seemed to be the core of a lot of the strife in his life

“It’s not”

“Isn’t it, though?” he asked It wasn’t as if his heart had done hiood It was more like his heart was a liability

“Come on You know better than that”

Maybe he did but still, he didn’t respond He didn’t kno to respond There was no changing who he was and he also couldn’t change how people felt about that He wouldn’t apologize for giving a shit about people, either

They were silent for a few moments as they continued to climb the canyon It was quieter here than it often was There was no one directly behind or in front of the bark in the distance It was a popular place to walk pets