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He extended the treh she hesitated, she eventually reached out With sweat-da the velvet-ses peeking out froes to come loose The book looked like it had lived a million lives

She searched his dark eyes, unsettled by what she saw in theht of responsibility pressed down on her as she realized the burden of her grand as squarely on her shoulders

Part of her wanted to give the book back, to drop it and run, while a part of her wanted to shake this ave her answers

“What is it?” she asked

“Read it”

For the second tiht, Abby wasn’t sure she wanted to be a part of this—unraveling the truth of her faifts were involved Not if it had the power to turn her life upside down as GG had hinted

She found her voice “How did you know randmother?”

“That doesn’t , liver-spotted hand The veins bulged fro You must only read it in private No one can know you have this” His voice shook with conviction “No one”

Abigail inhaled a shaky breath, caressing the book with her fingers Glancing around her, she scanned the horizon for any sign of Kaden Had he seen them?

Once she confirround, the stars in the sky, and the wind in the trees were the only things to witness their exchange, she turned back to see the old man had returned to his car “Wait!”

She stepped forward, nored her She couldn’t let him leave Not yet

“Stop!”

She lunged forward, as the car’s engine roared to life With one final bone-chilling glare at her, he backed out of the lot and left

Clenching the book tighter in her grip, she watched hied in her veins, and her li, she hugged the book close and headed out of the gravel lot, toward home

Whatever was inside this book must be important, yet she had s in a half-walk, half-jog as fast as her feet could carry her She wanted nothing more than the safety of her bedroom Part of her wished she had never left it Part of her wanted all this to go ahile the other part of her clung to this gift GG had given her Because as long as she was getting letters froone, and Abby didn’t have to think about it She didn’t have to ain or how she was never co back