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“You’re looking atimportant”

“Maybe I am”

“And what’s that?”

“You don’t need to know…right now,” I crossedhis previous words back at him

He sht shake of his head “You know one day you’ll thank me for all I’ve kept from you”

“You don’t believe that”

“I believe it because Iforward, he rested his elbows on his knees

He’d ditched our school’s uniform jacket and rolled up the sleeves of his white button-down In this big room filled with furniture and décor that easily cost nant suspense, he reseh-school student It was an unnerving yet perfect fit for hiht then

I tried not to let his smooth, inked skin and the way one strand of silky, dark hair had broken free and now rested on his forehead distract me from the importance of the conversation we needed to have

It was le than I would ever admit

“You know relationships built on distrust and secrecy don’t usually last, right?”

“It’s our secrets that tie us together”

“Those same secrets will break us apart,” I retorted, “And I’ from you It’s the other way around, remember? You literally just said it”

He palmed his hair back into its usual flawless style and sat up “You and I will never be apart, not permanently”

U to be temporary?”

“We don’t break up, we just break We fall apart maybe even hate each other but we never separate without coether It’s not possible”

Wow This was getting deeper than I iined it would

I tucked a strand of hair behind ainst stubborn leather, turning his words over in my head

“Judas…” I began tentatively, “People split up all the time Aren’t we kind of--”