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I slanced away “Yeah,with my parents, but I’ht of being with a faether sounded pretty nice

“Mia” Carson touched the side of aze toward him “Come to my meet on Saturday”

“Like, with Ethan?”

Carson glanced down to the table then back again, lifting a shoulder “With Ethan, or alone Alone is good” He laughed, and it was maybe the first and only time I’d heard him sound nervous “I want you to come watch me swim Will you?”

Out of all the words he just said, the words, I want you, were the three I focused on Why did they sound so good co from him? Why did they make my heart soar and my insides twist?

I’azed at me intently from across the table, my heart sped up There was no way I’d say no “Okay, I’d like that”

A moment later, the waitress ca for the wait, and I thought, take all the time you want Then I realized with a little pull insideI learned these last weeks about Carson, it was how impossible he was to resist

???

Tuesday , I woke early and paddedthe sleep fro to clear the haze of sleep When I headed to the refrigerator and yanked open the door, my mom appeared in the entryway

“Hey, Mia”

“Mo worth eating

“What do you say we go grab breakfast Just you and me?”

I turned toward her and closed the fridge door Going to breakfast was Mo serious So, I searched her face, looking for a hint of as in store for me

The hair on my arms prickled “Where’s Dad?” I asked

“Already at work” She set dressed It’ll be fun We’ll go to Sweet Water Stacks”