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“He smeared his own reputation, baby And a el like you isn’t capable of loving anything at all Except for maybe himself”

My heart is fluttering with such gratitude by the time he’s done that all I can do is blink and sniffle Does he realize how impactful his words are? Does he realize no one has ever said anything so kind to ot older, boys around the bayou would compliment me on my way to the tackle shop or to buy bread They would say I’m pretty and smart and sweet, but they didn’t mean any of it They only wanted my body

With Benny, this , his sincerity is so obvious

I will treasure him until the day I die

“I didn’t finish school, either But hell, I didn’t even pay attention while I was there I was too busy fending off attacks froth No better way to do that than picking a fight with the biggest kid” He reaches for a washcloth and dips it into the water, slowly dragging it over ot tired of being called to the school over fights No one believed ator All they had to do was look atshoulders rolls back “Eventually my mother kicked me out Told me to use what I had to fend for myself What I have, Fawn, is et sick to death of looking at it and I can’t blame you”

My heart pumps wildly in my throat

The tips of his ears are red and he can’t look at me

“I have to tell you so,” I blurt

His eyes lift to , isn’t it?”

“What? No!” My bodyout of the tub drenched and naked, straddlinghis face in my hands “I need to tell you that…I’ve seen you before Many times”

A line forms between his brows “When?”

“In the forest” I’ out loud to light stalking, so I duckthe buttons of his shirt “On the days where hts when he would pass out without chainingones And I would see you collecting injured ani the healed ones back into the wild A-and…and…”